Historical photos of the Adelaide Railway Station
BEFORE it became part of the casino, and the railway system was divided between two owners, Adelaide Railway Station was a thriving hub of travel and activity. Here’s how it used to look decades ago.
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- The tea-buying panic of 1954
- Adelaide’s strangest car, the Lightburn Zeta
- The reason why this statue is on Hindley St
BEFORE it became part of the casino, and the railway system was divided between two owners, Adelaide Railway Station was a thriving hub of travel and activity, with people dashing off to catch a train and others disembarking and scurrying up the stairs into the city.
Hundreds of trains arrived and departed every day from around the state and interstate as well as the metropolitan area. It was a living, breathing, moving sea of travellers, reaching their destination or leaving for ports unknown.
In the centre of it all was the “Man in Blue” behind his window under the big ‘Arrivals and Departures’ board. He knew everything there was to know about train travel on the day and if you were uncertain about anything to do with your trip or your train, you only ever had to ‘ask the man in blue’.
I have some wonderful memories of the railway station. I used to love the old cafeteria with its smorgasbord-style meals, the ladies in their distinctive green uniforms, the crockery with the SAR logo. How many pies with tomato sauce did I eat there with a knife and fork?
I remember too the big red dragon neon sign for Mah Jongg Tea which was at the bottom of the ramp. It would give a loud click when it switched on and had that ‘fluoro’ buzz.
There were some great little shops on that ramp, the bootmaker, where you could drop off your shoes on the way to work in the morning and pick them up, resoled and reheeled, on your way home.
Shipway the Jewellers, one of very few places that had a good name for piecing ears at the time — they always used gold sleepers, not studs — and the smell of the antiseptic made one think “it will all be OK”. The beautiful handmade rings in the window would sparkle and were a stopping point for many a traveller going down the ramp.
I would suggest there are still many Shipway masterpieces from that little shop on the hands of women to this day.
There was a hairdresser and a paper shop, while on the other side of the ramp was a series of colourful posters depicting various tourism destinations within South Australia that could be reached by train. I remember the big set of Jockey scales and for a penny you could get your accurate weight printed out to keep. There was also a shoe shine machine, the first and only one I’ve ever seen, and for thruppence it would deposit a small amount of wax on your shoes and give them a polish.|
The other very strong childhood memory I have is of a metal-tag label printer. It stood about waist high, was black, with a large dial with which you could select the various letters to make up your name and address for a metal luggage tag.
Remember this is long before the days of the Dymo plastic label maker.
The building was cavernous and a bit scary at night, although there always seemed to be plenty of people about. It had a unique aroma of its own too, Dettol with a slight hint of stale tobacco and bone weary travellers.
Adelaide Railway Station began to change in 1978 when the South Australian railway system was split between two owners. The Commonwealth Government-controlled Australian National Railways (AN) took over ownership and operation of all lines outside the Adelaide metropolitan area, while the State Government-controlled State Transport Authority (STA) retained the suburban routes around Adelaide.
Although the longer distance trains continued to arrive and depart from the Adelaide station for several more years, the number of those trains began to gradually diminish and it seemed like the whole atmosphere of the place changed.
Australian National then moved its entire operations to the new Keswick Passenger Terminal west of the city in 1984 and the Adelaide Railway Station was now served by the smaller number of suburban trains. Many parts of the building were no longer needed and were abandoned or closed off.
In 1985 the ASER development program commenced and large areas of the much loved old building were restored to their former glory days and converted into various parts of the new casino. Thankfully, Adelaide Railway Station continues to play an important role in our city and there are many (myself included) who would love to see it returned as the centre for all rail travel in this state.
Keswick Passenger Terminal, whenever I’ve had cause to go there, seems almost always deserted and miles from anywhere. What must interstate travellers think when they arrive in such a desolate and isolated place?
Adelaide Railway Station on the other hand is a magnificent building with lots of history and is right there in the very centre of all the current major developments. I’m sure visitors arriving from around our own state, interstate or even passing through to other destinations would appreciate a much more welcoming city destination.
What are some of your own memories of the halcyon days of the Adelaide Railway Station?
Bob Byrne is author of Adelaide Remember When and Australia Remember When. His new book “The Best of Bob Byrne’s Boomer Columns” will be in book shops later this month. He posts his memories daily on the Adelaide Remember When Facebook page