But in and around Melbourne, you will be able to find evidence of many railway lines and stations that once were, but are now no longer (example, the Outer Circle line). A good deal of these were closed inside the period of our living memory, as governments of the 80's and 90's 'restructured' the public transport system, and closed little used stations.
There are also others that operated at the beginnings of the Colony's budding rail system, and soon after closed, often before the arrival if the 20th century.
One such station is Greenwich, which perhaps can be the topic of another post. Greenwich was mentioned by +Andrew Gigacz (@AndrewGigacz) in discussions around the Newport area, given he had only the below not-to-scale map as a reference.
Greenwich Bay and Greenwich Reserve in Newport provide a link back to that stations location
Knowing somewhat of 'Greenwich' as location in the Newport/Williamstown area, the Hatherley reference was a bolt from the blue. In the above image, it is listed as opening on 2 Mar 1891, and closing on 5 Apr 1897.
Tracking down confirmation of Hatherley both clears and muddies the waters. The 'RailGeelong' page for the station lists it as
Opened: February 14, 1890Though, given they also mention "Tenders were called for construction of a platform, station buildings and house in February 1890" it is more likely that post-construction operations would have commenced as per the dates on the map above.
Closed: June 30, 1897
It can also be ascertained to have been a functioning station a few years later, with the reporting of a 'sensational' tale in 1895, as below.
A SENSATIONAL LEAP.-- A marvellous escape from being smashed to pieces and instantly killed was experienced by a young girl named Ross, aged 11 years, daughter of Mr Daniel Ross, a well known horse dealer, and who resides at Hatherly (Hatherley), on the main Geelong line, about two miles from Newport.
As the 5;30 p.m. Werribee train from Spencer street station pulled up at Laverton on Friday night, it was reported that a girl sprang out of the open carriage door. On hearing the particulars the stationmaster at Laverton sent two railway officials back along the line on a trolley.
The night being dark, the men were provided with lamps to enable them to find, as was expected, the mangled remains of the girl. When they arrived at the place they could find no trace of her, and after a long search up and down the railway enclosure, to some part of which, if alive, they thought she might have dragged her self, they had to abandon the search.
What had become of the girl was a mystery till Saturday morning, when it was ascertained that she had escaped almost uninjured. At the time she jumped out the driver of the train states that they were travelling at the speed of 35 miles an hour. The girl intended getting out at Hatherley station, where her mother was awaiting her. She, however, through omitting to notice the station, was carried through, and did not find out her mistake till the train had gone some distance.
Becoming frightened at the thought of being carried on to Geelong, she decided to jump out, never giving the awful risk she was undertaking a moment's thought. She believes she struck the ground with her feet first, and was then hurled at full length. After a few seconds she was able to pick herself up and walk across to her home, close to the place where she jumped out.
When her mother returned after leaving the station, believing her daughter had missed the train, she was dumbfounded to find the girl at home before her. The mastery of her presence was related by the girl to her mother.
Beyond a shaking, Miss Ross has not received a single scratch, and is now going about telling her friends how she alighted from a train going at the high speed of 35 miles an hour. -Age.
Launceston Examiner - 11 Jul 1895
Hatherley closed in 1897, possibly demolished for a lack of patronage as the area was very lightly populated. The spur line to Williamstown Racecouse (on the north bank of Kororoit Creek) was built in 1885, then extended to Altona in 1888.
As the spur is drawn before Hatherley on the above map, and Hatherley is before Paisley Station (which lies in the shadow of the Millers Road overpass next to the Mobil Altona Refinery site), we have to assume Hatherley was somewhere in between.
The story above from 1895 is not only interesting for the dramatics of a free-falling 11 year old that survived, but it also provides clues to Hatherley, the station. Given Miss Ross leapt from the train after missing Hatherley station to return home to her residence at Hatherly (or Hatherley), it is safe to assume one was named after the other.
This early parish map shows us that D. Ross (Daniel, as mentioned in the article) was a land holder in the area, and most probably for whom the nearby road was named after.
And with the Ross' living in the area, and the named Ross Road along the rail line, we can pinpoint roughly where it was located.
While little else of any station evidence is visible at ground level, Google Maps shows us a likely location. (Click here for live access to the below map)
So, without pin-pointing its exact location, we speculate now that the land and residence once known as Hatherley is now the Altona Lakes Golf Course, and the station would have been sited on the Melbourne-Geelong Railway line, somewhere along the near the S J Clement Reserve.
Also of interest is the suburban street known as 'Hatherley Grove' nearby in Altona North, located not on the original Hatherley residence site, but in lands once owned by W. O'Neil.
A small marker of the areas past.
No doubt, more work is needed to uncover Hatherley Station's real location.
Another post, perhaps.
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