Wahroonga railway station

Wahroonga railway station is on the North Shore Line of the Sydney Trains network. It serves the suburb of Wahroonga. Station entry is accessed via a set of stairs from an overpass on Redleaf Avenue.

Wahroonga is staffed from 6:00am to 7:00pm on weekdays, and 8:00am to 4:00pm on weekends and public holidays.

History
Wahroonga is an Aboriginal Australian word that means "our home".

Railway and tramway plans for the area were discussed by the authorities in the 1880s. Wahroonga station opened on 1 January 1890 as Pearce's Corner when the North Shore line opened from Hornsby to St Leonards. It was renamed to its current name, Wahroonga on 30 August 1890.

The single-track North Shore railway line that went from Hornsby to St Leonards in 1890 finally reached Milsons Point in 1893. The North Shore Ferry Company had been carrying passengers from Milsons Point to Circular Quay since the 1860s and by the 1890s around 5 million people crossed the harbour by this means every year. Offering suburban subdivisions along the railway line in advance of the stations, speculators developed Ku-ring-gai well before completion of the North Shore Bridge in 1932 set off another flurry of real estate promotion. Ku-ring-gai grew slowly in the 19th century, its population being 4,000 by 1901. However, over the next two decades its population quadrupled. By this time, with its large residences in beautiful, leafy surrounds, it had changed from a district with a dubious reputation to one that attracted people of high socio-economic status, 73 per cent of whom were home owners.

When the railway line came through the North Shore from St. Leonards to Hornsby, a station opened in this area on 1 January 1890 and was called Pearce's Corner. The construction name had been Noonan's Platform because the property belonging to Patrick Noonan came within the new railway's boundary. The name was changed to Wahroonga on 30 August 1890. The section between Hornsby and St. Leonards was built by E. Pritchard & Co. contractor.

A short brick faced platform and small timber building stood on the south side of the single line. This was south of a level crossing with then Noonan's Road, later renamed Coonanbarra Road.

24/10/01 Pymble News reported "trees have been planted on the sides of the station. This work will add immeasurably to the attractions of Wahroonga in the eyes of visitors to the Railway Station.". These trees were Californian desert fan palms (Washingtonia robusta).

The present station building at Wahroonga, together with the road bridge over the line and pedestrian steps at Redleaf Avenue was provided about 1906 in anticipation of the double line. A duplicated line was completed in May 1909 and the 12 mile section between Hornsby and Milson's Point was opened in early 1910. Island platforms were part of the duplication arrangements.[12] The booking/station master's office is located in the platform building at the Sydney end adjacent to two ticket issuing windows. The pedestrian footbridge at Coonanbarra Road was built at this time when the level crossing was closed.

A new road overbridge was built on the southern end of the platform and this replaced the level crossing at the north of the station. Access to the new island platform was via a set of steps from the new overbridge. Train services continued to be steam-hauled on this line until c.1927 when alterations allowed for electrification of the line between Milson's Point and Hornsby. Automatic colour light signalling was installed between Lindfield and Hornsby (including Wahroonga) on 8 May 1928. Steam trains were withdrawn in July 1928. When the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened on 20 March 1932, the North Shore train services connected with the rest of the Sydney suburban railway system.

The 1926 Wahroonga Progress Association's Annual Report stated the railway station garden "for 9 years in succession, with one exception, has gained first prize in the competition for privately maintained railway station gardens".

A pair of brick entrance piers were built at the foot of the pedestrian steps with timber covering in the mid-1930s, similar to the set at Killara, since demolished.

Possibly in the 1920s or 1930s Hill's fig trees (Ficus microcarpa var.Hillii) were planted on the island platform, replacing the earlier fan palm trees. Appropriate shrubs and trees have been planted in the centre line of the platform on both sides of the centrally located building since its earliest days. These are well cared for and add to the stylish setting of the station.

In early years, Old Milson's Point, Bay Road, St. Leonards, Chatswood, Lindfield, Gordon, Pymble, Turramurra, Wahroonga and Hornsby Stations had goods yards. All but St. Leonards, Chatswood and Hornsby yards had disappeared by the mid-twentieth century, and the latter three did not survive into the late twentieth century. Grounds on the east and west of the tracks are also densely planted with a mixture of native and exotic trees and shrubs. These are maintained by Hornsby Shire Council. In 2009 the Hill's fig trees on the platform were replaced with blue berry ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus) as the figs' roots were lifting pavement and causing trip and risk hazards. The new trees have a more upright, narrow habit which should suit the constricted corridor between the railway overhead power lines. The platform upgrade include relocation of seats and re-paving of the platform surface.

Wahroonga station was officially added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Planning is underway for a station upgrade at Wahroonga to improve accessibility at the station. Part of the Transport Access Program, key benefits include a new lift, a platform extension to accomodate the lift, a new canopy, and improvements to CCTV and lighting. The upgrade is expected to be completed in 2022.

Configuration
Wahroonga station is located between Redleaf Avenue and Millewa Avenue in Wahroonga. Station entry is accessed from stairs on the overpass at Redleaf Avenue, which directly crosses over the tracks. The Coonanbarra Road footbridge also passes over the platform.