53-532: The Eveleigh Railway Workshops is a heritage-listed former New South Wales Government Railways yards and railway workshops and now venue hire, public housing and technology park located at Great Southern and Western railway, Redfern , City of Sydney , New South Wales , Australia . It was designed by George Cowdery and built from 1882 to 1897 by George Fishburn. It is also known as Eveleigh Railway Yards , South Eveleigh Precinct ; North Eveleigh ; Macdonaldtown Gasworks ; Macdonaldtown Triangle and also by
106-640: A 30-year period used the Limited Large Erecting Shed at Eveleigh to restore and maintain heritage diesel carriages and locomotives that take tourists and enthusiasts on rail adventures, was locked out of its workshop. Transport for NSW took over the shed after a review determined the 3801 group must clear out to share the space with other heritage operators. A Transport for NSW spokesman said the department had offered assistance to find an alternative site for 3801 Limited. In November 2018, plans were announced to move Transport Heritage NSW to
159-419: A new home for physical theatre, spoken word, music, dance, visual and hybrid arts. The site is close to the city but difficult to access and being below road level not easy to identify. This has been resolved by the simple gesture of creating a small plaza at street level and celebrating it with a new public marker made of recycled trusses from the building. The project is essentially an exercise in adaptive reuse:
212-586: A new location in Chullora known as the Chullora Heritage Hub. The Eveleigh Precinct is located approximately four kilometres (two miles) south of the Sydney GPO and is bounded by the inner city suburbs of Darlington, Redfern, Alexandria Park, Erskinville and Newtown. The total area of the precinct, which runs from Redfern Station in the northeast to Erskinville and MacDonaldtown Stations in
265-629: A panel arrangement was restored for a period of nine months, with the Transport Commissioners of New South Wales. On 29 December 1932, the Department of Railways New South Wales was established and Thomas Joseph Hartigan was appointed Commissioner for Railways replacing the functions of the Chief Transport Commissioner. The Department of Railways New South Wales become the official name of the railway and
318-494: A repair and maintenance facility. The decision to abandon steam locomotives in 1963 meant that Eveleigh, which was dedicated to steam locomotive maintenance and repair, entered its final phase. The yards continued to grow and expand, and functions were continually changing. In later years, workshops at Chullora in 1937 and later Clyde took over aspects of work formerly performed at Eveleigh and functions were rearranged accordingly. Re-organisation and attempts at modernisation in
371-557: Is a statutory agency of the Government of New South Wales that is responsible for providing expert advice to government and professional services, as well as government agency clients in New South Wales , Australia . The agency manages a range of large and small projects and facilities contracts with an annual value of more than A$ 1 billion . It merged with Property NSW to form a new Property and Advisory Group of
424-498: Is now only used to stable Oscar sets for Interurban services to Springwood, Newcastle, Port Kembla & Kiama and sector 2 trains throughout the day. In 2009, the Locomotive Workshops were redeveloped as Australian Technology Park and Seven Network Sydney headquarters. In 2017, the volunteer group 3801 Limited (or East Coast Heritage Rail), which takes its name from the 3801 locomotive steam train, who have for
477-555: Is supported on a timber platform and timber piles, twelve in each corner and six at each column. Inside the building is a grid of round, hollow cast iron columns moulded in a classical style supported on footings. The columns support the crane girders and the roof. The corrugated iron clad roof is supported by fine wrought iron trusses with diagonal wind bracing which fixes through the walls at each end. The purlins are wrought iron 'Z's. Timber purlins have been added in some places for ease of fixing replacement roofing. Monitor roofs run
530-665: The Xplorer - Endeavour Service Centre in 1994. In 2002 the former ACDEP site was redeveloped as Eveleigh Maintenance Centre, where Downer EDi Rail serviced Sydney Trains ' Millennium trains and Sydney Trains maintenance division serviced the Oscar sets. In 2018, maintenance of Millennium sets moved to the Auburn Maintenance Centre and the NSW TrainLink Oscar sets to UGL Rail Maintrain. Eveleigh
583-425: The 1890s. The workshops were open every day of the week until 1892 when union negotiations led to the workshops being closed on Saturdays. The residential development of the area proceeded in the 1870s and 1880s around the railway workshop and was stimulated by the need for housing generated by the workshops. The names of many early settlers are continued in the street names in the area, including Eveleigh, and many of
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#1732776451776636-412: The 1970s came too late. Too much of the machinery was suited only to the steam locomotive era. Buildings containing old equipment, machinery which had become progressively inappropriate to a modern transport era, and a changing work culture, has seen the yards decline gradually in the late 20th century until its closure in 1988. After closure, bays 5-15 were used by Paddy's Markets while other buildings on
689-495: The Carriage Workshops were numbered 16-25 over 17,500 square metres (188,000 sq ft). The construction of these workshops are essentially the same as the Locomotive Workshops. A large single storey building containing eight roads in the brick section and five roads in the adjacent metal clad section to the north. Within the brick building each road is separated by a single row of cast iron columns which support
742-686: The Locomotive Workshops, bays 1-15, in addition to the New Locomotive Shed and the Manager's Office. Today, the functions formerly carried out at Eveleigh are no longer carried out by government enterprises or no longer carried out in Australia. The locomotive workshop was closed in 1988 and the main rail workshops were moved to Enfield . From 1988, part of the workshop was used as the Tangara commissioning centre before being rebuilt as
795-544: The NSW rail network which was instrumental in the development of the state during the 19th and 20th century. The construction of the workshops influenced the development of the local area (which was developed for worker's housing) both by providing employment and by its bulk and presence, starting bells and sirens. The yards were associated with developments in working conditions now crucial to the Australian cultural identity, eg)
848-833: The New South Wales Public Works Advisory in July 2016. The agency was led by Deputy Director-General, presently Brian Baker, who reported to the Director General of the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation , most recently Martin Hoffman, who reported to the Minister for Finance, Services and Property , most recently Victor Dominello MP. NSW Public Works is an active agency as of 2024 (page incorrect and needs to be updated) This New South Wales government-related article
901-525: The Rail and Tramway Department, electric power was made available to the workshops. Shortly after, work commenced on the conversion of the rope-driven cranes to electric motor drives. Work also commenced on the replacement of the steam engines at the south end of the workshops by powerful electric motors. This, however, was not completed until 1914. In 1907, the Commissioners for Railways decided to begin
954-647: The Redfern-Waterloo precinct, CarriageWorks sets a precedent for the remaining development of the site, for heritage values to be respected and to inform the design of new interventions." The Australian Institute of Architects also awarded Tonkin Zulaikha Greer with the AIA Greenway Award for the heritage of Carriageworks at Eveleigh. The award citation read: "The Eveleigh Carriage Workshops are of national cultural significance as part of
1007-544: The buildings on the site, including equipment adjacent to the Locomotive Workshops and machinery inside the buildings. The brick workshop building located in South Eveleigh operated from 1884 to 1986 and overhauled, repaired, modified and built new locomotives for New South Wales Government Railways. Classes of successful locomotives from the small C30 Class through the C38 Class and D58 Classes and assembly of
1060-419: The design reveals and celebrates the industrial heritage of the site. The strength of the design comes from the directness of its response to the old buildings, respecting their structural grid as an ordering device and inserting simple strong new forms as a counterpoint to the intricacies of the old. The foyer delivers a remarkable new public space, animated and activated by the revealed heritage items. Located in
1113-804: The enactment of the Public Transport Commission Act, 1972 (NSW), the Public Transport Commission was formed; later to become the State Rail Authority on 1 July 1980. Further restructures in 1996, 2001 and 2003 resulted in the establishment of the RailCorp , the agency currently responsible for the Sydney suburban and interurban rail network and rural passenger services, and for providing government and commercial freight operators with access to
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#17327764517761166-419: The full depth of the wall. The top face of the parapets (and cornices) are splayed to fall to the outside to discharge water and they are joined on the top face by cast iron toggles, about one inch thick. On the pedimented areas roof flashings are recessed in a trench in the stone. The walls and internal columns are supported on massed brick footings. In bays 1-4 there are brick arches between piers and each pier
1219-532: The function from Flemington Maintenance Depot . It also serviced carriages off the Spirit of Progress and Indian Pacific . From March 1971, it took over the maintenance on the DEB railcar sets . As at 7 May 2014, the archaeological potential of the site is medium to high and the site's physical condition assessed as fair. The Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops are the largest surviving, intact railway workshops dating from
1272-400: The infrastructure for the railway system, including the safe working systems and some of the perway systems. However, their main tasks were the maintenance and repair of locomotives and railway stock and the manufacture of rolling stock such as wagons and passenger carriages. At the time, there were no other facilities in NSW for the construction of locomotives and the workshops eventually became
1325-576: The introduction of the Taylor card system. The introduction of this system on 2 August 1917 led to an 82-day general strike. It began when 1100 men struck at Randwick Tramway Depot and 3000 at Eveleigh. Volunteers kept trains running including boys from Newington and SHORE independent schools at Eveleigh. This all took place during the World War I which brought worse conditions and declining wages. The rail yards continued to develop. Additional land
1378-549: The largest AD60 Class locomotives. Eveleigh Railway Workshops consisted 15 Bays featuring: The external walls are of sandstock brickwork laid in English bond with arched window and door openings picked out in white bricks. The pediments have circular vents filled with louvres . The brickwork is modulated into bays forming piers which strengthen the walls. Externally, brick walls feature sandstone cornices , parapets , sills and base courses. The stone generally extends
1431-407: The largest intact, high quality workshop site from the steam era in Australia. It has now been opened to the public in a creative new way. This landmark site has been given new life without forsaking the old - its 1888 industrial heritage clearly evident through the retention of nearly all the significant fabric and equipment extant at the time of adaptation. The carriages have gone, but not the cranes,
1484-436: The largest railway workshops in the southern hemisphere and operated for over 100 years. The workshops were set up on both the north and the south sides of the main western and southern railway lines, which led to a duplication of some workshop functions, but the really heavy work such as forging and casting of ferrous and non-ferrous metal, was to be carried out on the locomotive side. When the workshops were established most of
1537-637: The length of the bays with a curved roof supported on curved wrought iron rafters . Along the south side of the building are a series of annexes of varying dates of construction. Along the south of the building are two sets of tracks and several associated turntables. To the east in the space between the Loco Shop and the new Loco Shed a track lays parallel to the building, sections of which are now exposed. Built between 1884-1887 were originally designed for maintenance and repair of wagons and carriages. Later new carriages were designed and manufactured. Bays in
1590-620: The manufacture of new locomotives at Eveleigh and the New Locomotive Shop was designed and constructed for this purpose. A Public Works Annual Report in 1915 concluded that the Eveleigh Works were too congested and recommended the establishment of a new locomotive and repairing works. Adding to this situation, strained conditions led to eight strikes at Eveleigh between July 1915 and July 1917. In 1916, James Fraser, Acting Chief Commissioner, addressed workers at Eveleigh on
1643-417: The most complete late 19th century and early 20th century forge installations, collection of cranes and power systems, in particular the hydraulic system. The place is of international significance and is one of Australia's finest industrial heritage items. The value of the place is increased by the fact that it consists of assemblages, collections and operational systems rather than individual items. Conversely,
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1696-701: The name of its current occupants, Carriageworks . The property is owned by the Transport Asset Holding Entity , an agency of the Government of New South Wales . It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The workshops are considered to have world heritage significance by curators of the Smithsonian Institution . The workshops were conceived by Engineer-in-Charge John Whitton to build and maintain
1749-484: The overall conservation exercise and accessibility this project brings. The desire to successfully adapt buildings is often not matched by the design. Here at Eveleigh the evidence is concrete. The workshops, at one stage, the largest enterprise in Australia employed local, Indigenous and European migrants throughout its history. Notable people who worked at Eveleigh included: The Eveleigh Railway Yards are historic railway engineering workshops and Eveleigh contains one of
1802-435: The property boundaries and former watercourses are reflected in street patterns. At the time of the development of the railway workshops, Darlington School was also built, as were other municipal buildings since demolished for the university. For some time, Eveleigh had its own gas works which were located near Macdonaldtown railway station . However, in 1901, with the establishment of Ultimo Power Station which belonged to
1855-411: The quality of design and detailing in the new work. The spaces created by the new theatre boxes has enriched the interior rather than detracted from it. The complexity of the frame, the structure and the industrial artefacts are powerful. This is a confident design approach that does not diminish that significance. While sections of the building have been altered, these are minor in terms of the scale of
1908-400: The rails and the ability to read its form and former function. Existing elements retain their patina of age. This project, realised on a strict budget and even stricter timetable, provides flexible theatre spaces, administration offices, workshop spaces and amenities in discrete concrete boxes clearly articulated from the heritage fabric. The success of the project stems from its simplicity and
1961-500: The rails of the Sydney metropolitan area. On 1 July 2013, the operational responsibilities of RailCorp were transferred to NSW TrainLink and Sydney Trains . The agency built all of their track to the 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge and ran its first official passenger train on 26 September 1855, between the Sydney terminal (just south of the current Central ) and Parramatta junction (just past Granville ) railway stations. The agency
2014-471: The rolling stock had a wooden chassis, so the separation of services was not a major impediment to production. The site for the Eveleigh railway yards was chosen in 1875, resumed in 1878 and the compensation price settled in 1880. Approximately A£ 100,000 was paid for 26 hectares (64.5 acres) of land. Clearance began two years later. Much work went into the design and construction of the buildings because of
2067-464: The sandy nature of the soil. In the meantime, Eveleigh Station had been opened in 1878. In 1906, it was renamed Redfern Station. The former Redfern railway station was renamed as Sydney Terminal (Central) . The Engine Running Shed, now demolished, was the first building completed. Cowdery was criticised for the extravagance of this building. It comprised three segmental arched bays, each covering seven "roads" without intervening columns. George Fishburn
2120-550: The saw tooth south light roof, whilst in the steel annex there are two roads per bay. This is located west of the Large Erecting Shop. These are scattered along the existing rail corridor, generally located along embankments or cuttings. On 3 May 1968, the Air-Conditioned Depot (ACDEP) opened as the home depot for all long distance HUB , RUB and stainless steel sleeping carriages taking over
2173-506: The significance has been reduced by its closure, relocation of some machinery and its disassociation from the operating rail network. Eveleigh Railway Workshops was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. The workshops were an important part of
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2226-812: The site were demolished over an extended period. These included the Pattern Shed, Foundry, Smith's Shops and the Wheelpress Shop. In 1991, the NSW Government announced the creation of a technology park at Eveleigh in association with the University of NSW, the University of Sydney and the University of Technology. Decontamination works were carried out to cleared areas of the site progressively. In 1994, Paddy's Markets returned to Haymarket . City West Development Corporation took ownership of
2279-609: The southwest, is approximately 51 hectares (126 acres). It is located across the main railway corridor to Central Station. Most of the southern portion of the overall site has been declared surplus to railway needs and much of this area has been cleared and was used as a parking area for Paddy's Markets while they were occupying the Locomotive Workshop. Other portions of the southern precinct have been redeveloped for public housing. Several former railway buildings stand vacant. There are numerous collections of machinery within
2332-607: The steam era in Australia, and possibly the world. Since its establishment in 1875, the following modifications have occurred: In 2008, the Australian Institute of Architects awarded Tonkin Zulaikha Greer with the AIA Architecture Award for the adaptive reuse of Carriageworks at Eveleigh. The award citation read: "... an exciting addition to the cultural life of Sydney and its artists. It provides an environment of unique creativity and innovation;
2385-498: The weekend. The yards had an important association with the labour movement. The place was seen initially as a positive instrument of state socialism and in later periods as the site of important labour actions and of restrictive work practices. They were conceived by Whitton, the "father" of the NSW railways, and were an integral part of his NSW rail system, and were executed in detail by Cowdery. New South Wales Government Railways New South Wales Government Railways ( NSWGR )
2438-481: Was added to Bay 5 in 1941 and the machinery for shell manufacture installed by February. Bay 8 was altered for an ammunitions annex. By 1943, Bay 8 had been abandoned by the Department of Defence as it had organised its own factories. Production of the shells ceased in 1945 and the construction of new locomotives was reintroduced. This post-war locomotive manufacturing lasted until 1952 when Eveleigh once again became
2491-658: Was also a significant electricity generator. It operated several power stations, notably at Ultimo , White Bay , Lithgow , and Zaara Street, Newcastle , until its generation and transmission assets were taken over by the Electricity Commission of New South Wales , on 1 January 1953. In 1936, the company owned 1187 locomotives, 457 railcars, 1445 coaches, 172 brake vans and 22,068 goods wagons. [REDACTED] Media related to New South Wales Government Railways at Wikimedia Commons NSW Public Works NSW Public Works (or New South Wales Public Works )
2544-425: Was an agency of the Government of New South Wales that administered rail transport in the colony , and then the state , of New South Wales , Australia , between 1855 and 1932. The NSWGR built its entire route network to standard gauge . Its first line, also the first railway of New South Wales, was the railway line from Sydney to Parramatta (today: Granville railway station ) completed in 1855. The agency
2597-439: Was appointed Commissioner. The Government Railway Act, 1888 (NSW) set up a corporate body of three railway commissioners to manage the railways and remove them from political influence, resulting in the resignation of Goodchap. This Board of Railway Commissioners of New South Wales was in place from 22 October 1888 to 4 April 1907, and was replaced by a sole Chief Commissioner of Railways and Tramways until 22 March 1932, when
2650-557: Was awarded the contract for bays 1-4 of the Locomotive Workshops in 1884 and work was commenced soon after. They were officially opened in 1887. Workshops 5-15 were opened later in the year. This initial building phase also included the construction of bays 16-25 of the Carriage Sheds, the Paint Shop, a General Store and various smaller buildings and the associated turntables, traversers and rail lines. Development continued into
2703-484: Was managed by a range of different commission structures between 1857 and 1932, which reported to either the Minister for Public Works or the Minister for Transport . The inaugural Chief Commissioner was Ben Martindale and, following the enactment of the Government Railway Act, 1858 (NSW) he became Commissioner of Railways. John Rae succeeded Martindale in 1861, and in 1877 Charles Goodchap
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#17327764517762756-510: Was resumed to the south-west and 230 houses were demolished to allow for the construction of the Alexandria Goods Yard sometime around 1917. During 1925 the manufacture of new locomotives ceased. As a result of World War II (1939–45), bays 5-6 were cleared of machinery in 1940 and plans drawn up for the installation of equipment supplied by the Department of Defence for the manufacture of 25lb field gun-shells. A mezzanine floor
2809-540: Was used on most documentation (drawings & other paperwork), the NSWGR title was still used periodically on public documentation such as advertising and timetables. This continued until the creation of the Public Transport Commission on 20 October 1972. The last Commissioner for Railways was Neil McCusker. The agency was succeeded by the Department of Railways on 1 January 1915; and then following
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