President of the Gunning and District Historical Society Leslie Bush and Executive Director of Southern Tablelands Arts, Rose Marin, invite everyone to Gunning this Sunday 2 November to celebrate the station’s 150th birthday and the 2nd for Connect@Gunning. Photo: Supplied.
The rural hamlet of Gunning has always punched above its weight.
From its earliest of days as home to the Gundungurra and Ngunnawal people to the arrival of European explorers such as Hamilton Hume in the 1820s, it was recognised as prime agricultural country.
It came into its own in 1875 when the Gunning Railway Station was officially opened, which was marked by a special train trip from Sydney to the Southern Tablelands town. Not only that, but this tiny station, far from everywhere else, was to become the prototype for rural stations across the country, transporting everything from livestock to fresh produce to some of the country’s best wool – and people.
Fast forward to 2023. Although some train services still ran through the station, including to Sydney and Goulburn, with the last station staff member leaving in 1989, the unmanned station had fallen into disrepair.
One of the best of the surviving examples of mid to late Victorian country station complexes, there were too many fans of the historic building to let it just disappear like so much other local history.
They included the people of Gunning, Southern Tablelands Arts (STA) and Transport for NSW – these three groups banded together to save the station – and transform it into an arts and cultural hub for not only the village, but for its neighbouring rural communities.
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This Sunday 2 November will be a double cause for celebration when the Gunning Railway Station turns 150 – and Connect@Gunning Station – the artistic and cultural heart of the community, turns two – and everyone’s ready to party.
Special guest on the day will be “Henry Lawson” – or at least his good mate, actor and Gunning local Max Cullen, and there’ll be a wide range of free entertainment ranging from performances by Gunning youngsters to displays by the Gunning and District Historical Society, live music and a birthday market.
Executive director of STA Rose Marin said since Connect@Gunning began, it had mounted 21 exhibitions showcasing the work of hundreds of local artists. The exhibitions alone had been enjoyed by about 2500 people.
She said what made it special was the fact a connected circle of community groups now used the station for regular meetings, ensuring a rich local benefit from the historic site.
The Main South Line reached Gunning in 1875, improving transport and commerce. By 1895 the station had shipped out in a year 31,024 sheep, 884 pigs, 341 cattle, 65 calves and nine horses, as well as 3106 bales of wool and 1600 tons of goods. The station had issued 2335 passenger tickets. Photo: Australian Railway Historical Society.
She said the Connect@Gunning journey was as exciting as bringing the station back to life.
“This Sunday will be like little sister and big sister both having their birthdays,” she said.
“It has been a pretty amazing journey with Transport for NSW,” she said. “The Gunning station was boarded up for about 40 years; it was in a pretty sore and sorry state.
“But the restoration work Transport for NSW did was sensitive and considerate – and the results speak for themselves.
The report from the 19 November 1875 edition of The Sydney Morning Herald marking the opening of the new Gunning railway line. Photo: Trove.
“It’s not just the station, but it’s been great for the town too; it’s such a rich little centre with the amazing Picture House [the former Coronation Theatre run by Max Cullen and artist Margarita Georgiadis], the little shops, cafes and places like Pye Cottage which really take you back in time.”
The Gunning Station restoration project was funded through the Community Heritage Program of the Transport Asset Manager of NSW. CEO John Garrad said it was fantastic new life had been breathed into the historic rail project.
“The meticulously planned restoration project was led by a dedicated team from Transport for NSW with the assistance of specialist heritage architects and tradespeople,” he said.
“Great care and precision were taken with reinstating period features including a new decorative verandah built from the 1875 plans, station room signs and replica timber columns to the platform awning,” he said.
To mark the occasion, Southern Tablelands Arts with Transport for NSW, has organised a day of festivities for Gunning Station’s 150th birthday from 10 am – 3 pm on Sunday 2 November.
