Newtown railway station, Sydney

The original Newtown station opened on 26 September 1855 with the opening of the Main Suburban line.^[4] It was located to the west of King Street, about where the former Crago's Flour Mills now stand. Mortuary facilities were provided from 1875.^[5]

The line through Newtown was quadruplicated in 1892,^[6] and a new station was built at the present location. This station consisted of two side platforms and an island platform in the centre. The site of the original station became a goods yard.^[5]

In 1927 the line was further expanded to six tracks (four with electrification) and Newtown Station was demolished and replaced by the present station which served only the up and down local tracks. The new station was opened on 29 May 1927. The original overhead booking office was retained and its platform access was modified to serve only this new platform. The bookstall for NSW Bookstall was constructed in 1937. In c. 1975 the original roof of the platform building was removed and replaced with a lower profile roof. In 1989 the station was refurbished.^[3]

On 29 October 2012, a new entrance to the station was opened, constructed as part of a major upgrade to the station and surrounding precinct. The upgrade work included demolition of the existing platform building, replacing the platform surface and canopies, and the construction of a new concourse featuring lifts and enhanced stair access to the platform.

The existing access to the platform, via a single narrow flight of stairs connected to a heritage entrance building on King Street, was closed but retained as an emergency exit. Several buildings were refurbished and converted to retail use, including the former entrance building.^[7][8][9]

Transdev John Holland operates three bus routes via Newtown station, under contract to Transport for NSW:

• 352: Bondi Junction station to Marrickville Metro via Taylor Square^[11]
• 355: Bondi Junction station to Marrickville Metro via Waterloo^[12]
• 370: Coogee to Glebe Point^[13]

Transit Systems operates seven bus routes via Newtown station, under contract to Transport for NSW:

• 422: Railway Square to Kogarah^[14]
• 423: Martin Place to Kingsgrove^[15]
• 423X: Martin Place to Kingsgrove limited stops^[16]
• 426: Martin Place to Dulwich Hill^[17]
• 428: Martin Place to Canterbury^[18]
• 428X: Martin Place to Canterbury limited stops^[19]
• 430: Sydenham station to Martin Place^[20]

Newtown station is also served by three NightRide routes:

• N10: Sutherland station to Town Hall station^[21]
• N30: Macarthur station to Town Hall station^[22]
• N40: East Hills station to Town Hall station^[23]

The station features a single island platform located in a shallow cutting, served by one pair of tracks. The entrance is adjacent to a small public plaza located just off King Street. The area used to be the forecourt of the former Newtown Tram Depot, the tram shed lies disused to the east of the station entrance.

The overhead booking office is constructed in English bond brickwork. On the King Street elevation, the brick walls are painted and have a cement rendered coating about 1500mm high along the footpath. Decorative engaged pilasters remain on either side of the original opening. The south and east elevations have been completely rendered. The hipped roof is covered in shingle terracotta tiles and surmounted at the centre by a square louvre-vented bellcote, which is clad with ribbed lead, and capped by a helmet dome. The finial from the top of the dome is missing. The eastern side of the hip (where the building meets Bridge House) is clad in corrugated steel roofing. A chimney is built at both ends and at the north this abuts the adjoining 'Bridge House.'^[3]

The timber-framed windows are Edwardian double hung sash windows with large glass panes to lower sashes and multi-panel sashes with coloured glass. The semicircular window to King Street has anti vandalism reinforced fibreglass fitted to most of the panes and security bars to the inside. The northern window retains original glazing as well as hardware.^[3]

To King Street is a timber framed veranda, supported on six cast iron columns, with a skillion roof with corrugated steel sheeting. The columns have the name "G.Fletcher and Son, Waverley" cast into the bases. The King Street veranda was built in 1902 as an early station building addition. It appears in its original configuration. Still present are early 20th century glass sphere incandescent pendant footpath lights as well as later fluorescent fittings. Early photos show a tram lookout on this elevation which no longer exists. To the railway side (east) is a small concourse, partly sheltered by a cantilevered awning with standard double bowed steel brackets supported on decorative cement haunches. The soffit lining of this awning is corrugated steel fixed to intermediate exposed purlins. Vertical timber boards form a valance at each end of the awning and a timber fascia runs along the front. There is also a simpler corrugated steel skillion roof awning, supported on steel posts, projecting out from the entrance to the Station Manager's office adjacent to Bridge House.^[3]

The remainder of the area is covered by a flat roofed awning of ribbed steel decking supported on steel frames and circular steel posts. There is also a fire escape stair leading to the first floor of the adjacent building. The stair has a painted brick enclosure under the landing which is the toilet facilities for the shop (on the northern side of the booking office). It has aluminium framed windows and a flat steel roof. The concourse once contained the 1891 iron passenger footbridge leading to the platforms (which have now been removed) and it was replaced in 1927 by the present concrete deck on steel girders and a face brick balustrade. The edge of the concourse to the railway side is screened near the entrance with glazed aluminium framed panels and patent steel fencing (typical arched design) which extends along the edge of the concourse and out onto King Street to the south of the booking office. On the southern elevation, to the rear of the building, is an entrance directly onto the concourse. This elevation has a mass of poorly executed service runs and conduits which have an extremely negative impact on the building.^[3]

Internally, the building generally has painted brick walls laid in English bond, a concrete floor covered with a variety of contemporary finishes and painted timber boarded ceilings with stepped cornices between arched timber roof trusses (which appear to remain for the full length of the building). In the centre of each main ceiling space are original circular filigree-vented ceiling roses. Lighting generally is provided by either circular or strip tube type fluorescent fittings.^[3]

Booking hall

Formerly the parcels and ticket office, and converted in 1927 into its present configuration with widened doorways each side which are now fitted with modern heavy hinged and fixed steel grilles. The north boarded wall has been fitted with two modern security ticket windows with 19th century inspired architraves to the public side. Services and conduits are fixed to the walls. The floor is covered in tiles and a large bookstall installation with shutters on the south side. An early 20th century indicator board is placed near the doorway^[3]

Ticket office

Originally part of the main public booking hall, this space was converted in 1927 into the ticket office. Generally is a contemporary fitout. Carpets have been laid on the floor.^[3]

Staff office and kitchenette

it was originally part of the booking hall. Converted in 1927 into part of the parcels office and in recent years the staff office and kitchenette with contemporary fittings dating from c. 1990. Partitioning for new adjoining spaces and the false ceiling is formed by plasterboard sheeted timber studs. Above the staff office is a small mezzanine area for staff toilets and the housing of the computer rack. The plasterboard false ceiling to the mezzanine rooms allegedly conceals the higher original ceiling. The floor is finished with vinyl tiles. The toilet facilities have compressed fibre cement sheeting on timber framed walls and ceilings. The floor and skirtings are finished with ceramic tiles. The fittings are contemporary. The stair was built c. 1990 as a timber two-flight stair with a steel pipe handrail.^[3]

Shop to the north

This was originally part of the booking hall and converted in 1927 into the parcels office, this space was converted (pre-1990) into a shop with modern sliding aluminum framed doors for the full width to the street. The brick walled addition to the east (under the fire stair) provides toilet facilities for this shop.^[3]

This is a rectangular (painted) face brick building, originally with a gabled roof and integral shallower sloped single cantilevered awning. The roof was replaced c. 1975 with the present ribbed steel roof which follows the low-pitched line of the platform awnings. The building is seven bays in length, with the bays defined by engaged brick piers which coincide with the awning supports. The original chimneys have been removed (presumably when the roof was replaced). The awnings have standard double bowed steel brackets supported on decorative cement haunches and bolt fixings to the station building brick walls. The soffit lining is corrugated steel fixed to intermediate exposed purlins and follows the roof slope. The building has simple bargeboards and fascias which have replaced the original vertical timber boards which formed a valance at each end of the awning. The awning roof is continuous from the main roof, and is corrugated steel.^[3]

The external walls rise from a projecting brick plinth three/four courses high with simple detailing, such as arched brick heads and brick on edge sills, to the doors and window openings. The original timber windows were double hung with a single paned lower sash and a six paned upper sash featuring coloured glass. A large number of the doors and windows have now been partially or completely bricked up, with some new windows and doors in existing, modified, openings. Most of these new windows have been painted out. Security grilles and flyscreen doors have been installed on the north elevation.^[24] Original door openings featured fanlights matching the upper window sashes. All the original timber panelled doors have been either removed or modified, and some original slate thresholds remain. The brick privacy screen to the eastern end of the building has been removed. The platform building was one of the earliest to have the face brickwork painted due to vandalism.^[3]

Internally, the original building consisted of an "out of" room, a station master's office; general waiting room; ladies room and ladies toilets, a store and men's toilets. The internal usage has now changed and is predominantly storage. The toilets have a modern fitout and finishes. All of the ceilings and cornices were replaced when the roof was rebuilt. Original plaster wall finishes remain, with evidence of dado moulding in some instances, and with some original vents. The former Station Manager's office has the original staff moulding to the chimney breast. The floor finish to the toilets is vinyl and is painted concrete in the other rooms.^[3]

Platform 1 (Up) and Platform 2 (Down) is an island platform arrangement. The platforms are brick faced with a concrete surface. There is painted signs on the platform surface (mostly directional).^[3]

Connecting the platform to the rear concourse is a steel framed stair with pre-cast concrete steps. The stair is contained within brick walls with a bull-nosed capping and has modern tubular steel handrails, which continue on to the platform.^[3]

The stair is covered by a 1990s steel framed flat roofed awning. This awning continues along the platform, to meet the platform building, and is supported by a series of steel post and beams. The roof of the canopy is designed to line up with the building's roof profile.^[3]

This large overbridge, constructed in 1892 and modified in 1927, carries in part the overhead booking office, King Street and part of the Enmore Road intersection over five railway lines. It is constructed of reinforced concrete decking supported on a combination of wrought iron and steel girders and at the western end pre-cast concrete beams. The beams and girders are supported in turn by a series of massive load bearing brick structures containing rooms now unused. These rooms would have been accessed from the previous platforms (now demolished). At street level the roads at the western end are screened by brick balustrades with sandstone cappings.^[3]