Better Benalla Rail fight to save historical Nunn St signal box

A Victorian community is banding together to save a 145-year-old piece of the state’s history that will be removed on the weekend to make way for an interstate railway project.

Community members Kevin Smith, Suzie Pearson, Robert Berry, Ellen Crocker and Tom Crocker are fighting to save the Benalla Signal Box.

A historic piece of Victoria’s rail infrastructure is set to be bulldozed this weekend but a determined group of Benalla locals are hoping for a last minute blow of the whistle to prevent the demolition going ahead.

The signal box at Benalla railway station was built in the 1870s and was set to be scrapped this weekend as the station precinct undergoes modifications as part of 1600 Freight Rail Line, connecting Melbourne and Brisbane, to allow sufficient clearance for double-stacked freight trains to use the line.

But Better Benalla Rail secretary David Moore said the group was making one “last ditch attempt” to save the building.

“Benalla was once a large, important railway hub and there is massive support from the community to save this piece of it,” he said.

An Inland Rail spokesman said a 2023 engineering report detailed the severe dilapidated condition of the signal box, the risk to public safety and the need for its removal.

“As designs progressed for Inland Rail it became evident the unused Benalla signal box would need to be removed as it would conflict with future rail and pedestrian infrastructure,” he said.

“Relocating the signal box was considered, however is not practicable or cost effective,” he said.

“Furthermore, no viable entities have come forward to take responsibility for the structure.

“Inland Rail will salvage historical items from the signal box and has been working with the community and other stakeholders on the best historical interpretation options to display items in the transformed railway station precinct.”

Better Benalla Rail president Suzie Pearson said the group wasn’t opposed to development, but that the precinct’s history should be protected.

The Benalla Signal Box will be removed for the Inland Rail Project that connects Melbourne to Brisbane to be used by freight trains.

“We’ve never been opposed to the project, we just want to make sure works don’t adversely affect Benalla and the community,” she said.

“We recognise it has to move from where it is but we don’t want it to just end up in a skip bin.”

Kevin Smith, who owns property at nearby Tatong, said the building could be moved to his land and be repurposed, possibly to make a tourist attraction or accommodation.

Ellen Crocker, president of the Benalla Historical Society said the group was upset to be losing another piece of history in the town.

She said it felt like the community wasn’t given the opportunity to save, relocate and repurpose it.

The Inland Rail spokesman said community feedback had been acted upon, including increasing carparking spaces, reducing the length of the pedestrian underpass, adding lifts, ramps and stairs for improved access and improving safety with separation between cars and pedestrians.

Future plans include relocating the track on the south side of the station to the north, removing the existing road overpass, building a new platform and adding parking.