Piako railway station
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Piako railway station | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General information | |||||
| Location | 37°38'39.0"S 175°33'30.6"E New Zealand | ||||
| Coordinates | 37°38′39.0″S 175°33′30.6″E / 37.644167°S 175.558500°E | ||||
| Line | Thames Branch | ||||
| History | |||||
| Opened | 1/3/1886 | ||||
| Closed | passengers 22/11/1948 freight 14/10/1968 | ||||
| Previous names | Murray's until 8/12/1912 | ||||
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Piako was a flag station,[1] at the junction of SH26 and Horrell Rd,[2] on the former Thames Branch, 2.87 km (1.78 mi) east of Morrinsville and 4.03 km (2.50 mi) west of Tatuanui.[3]
The area was owned in succession by politicians:
- Thomas Gillies[4]
- William Murray, who built nearby Annandale House about 1881[4] and planned a township, hoping the Kinleith Branch junction would be here, rather than Morrinsville[5]
- William Shepherd Allen who built sheep pens and a loading race in May 1890 and stockyards in 1898.[5] The Allen family owned the farm from 1887[6] to 1920[7] and still owns Annandale House, which has been a Category 1 listed building since 1989.[8]
Work was continuing when the branch opened to Te Aroha.[9] Murray's had a platform, then a shelter was added in 1887. In December 1912 it was renamed Piako,[5] as had been expected when it opened.[10] It closed to passengers on 22 November 1948.[11] The station building was removed in December 1961 and the stock yards in 1968.[5] The site became Murray Oaks Scenic Reserve in 1975.[12]