Deepwater railway station

Deepwater station was opened on 1 September 1886 when the Main North railway line was extended to Tenterfield, from its previous terminus at Glen Innes.^[1]

The station was important for the local mining industry, which relied on freight services to transport resources and equipment from Deepwater to Newcastle or Sydney.^[2] A 20-ton crane was installed to handle loads of machinery for transportation, as well as a smaller 5-ton crane located close to the goods loading bank but which was permanently removed due to disrepair in 1923.^[3]

In the early 1900s, special excursion trains would be run for the annual racing meeting held by the Deepwater Jockey Club, with hundreds of attendees utilising the special services.^[4]

A railway line between Deepwater and Inverell via Emmaville was proposed in 1908, with the intention to support the dairy industry which was experiencing major growth in the local area. However this line was never constructed.^[5] In 1920, a railway line between Deepwater and Ashford via Emmaville was proposed.^[6] No survey of the line or report had been made by September 1922.^[7] The route for the proposed line was finally surveyed in February 1923, but was found to have too many difficult grades for steam trains. A new and flatter route was then decided upon,^[8] though by March a railway line to Ashford from Inverell was preferred.^[9] The line from Inverell was authorised to be constructed in 1927 at an estimated cost of £262,000, but was never built.^[10]

The Deepwater station buildings closed to the public on 8 January 1979.^[11] The last railway service to operate through the station ran on 22 October 1989, after which it was formally closed. Scheduled stopping passenger services had already ceased the year prior.^[12]

After closure the station buildings were leased to a pottery and arts club, followed by the local radio station, but have been vacant since the 2000s when the radio station moved to Glen Innes.^[12]