Bridge, Ashpit and Turntable

Parent Place or Precinct

01041 Denmark-Nornalup Railway

Statement of Significance

All three items in the railway precinct have considerable historic value, with their connection to the Denmark–Nornalup Railway, which ran from 1929 to 1957. The railway, which was originally intended to link up with rail lines at Pemberton (but this plan never eventuated), was a significant lifeline to the isolated communities, chiefly in Group Settlement areas, between the two towns. Much of the railway history in Western Australia has been lost and this precinct is a significant example of the historic importance of rail, prior to the advances in motor vehicles and road technology.

The Turntable and Ashpit have some research value. The Turntable is a rare example of rail technology from the 19th Century which is now obsolete. The Ashpit is linked to the importance of steam as a mode of energy in transportation. The ready availability of timber to power steam locomotives resulted in the waste product of ash, and this was a resource that required disposal. The Ashpit is an example of that method.

All items in the Precinct have significant social value which relate to the town and outlying region in the period from 1929 to 1957 and beyond. The Group Settlement Scheme was one of the most important periods in Denmark’s history, and the railway, and its associated infrastructure, was the means of linking those isolated settlements to the larger community of Denmark. The railway was a means of transporting provisions and produce in both directions, as well as providing essential medical services in emergencies. The railway also played a small part in the increasingly important tourism industry along the South Coast of WA.

The Turntable has considerable rarity significance, in that it appears to be the oldest and only remaining example of its type in Western Australia. It was built by William Sellars and Co. in Philadelphia in 1896, installed at Northam and moved to Denmark in the 1920s.

In 2014 a new concrete deck and railing work was undertaken to sustain the life of the bridge. The Bridge also requires new cross bracing and work on the abutments in the near future.

Physical Description

The Railway Bridge is a traditional timber pile construction. It was last used as a railway bridge when the Denmark–Nornalup line was closed in 1957. Since then, it has been converted to a pedestrian bridge.

The Turntable is a significant 60 foot steel structure which is now unused and lies abandoned. It is no longer operational.

The Ashpit is a concrete pit sitting below a disused railway wagon.

History

The railway precinct became the centre of railway operations in Denmark at the opening of the Denmark–Nornalup line in 1929. Prior to this there had been two separate stations in Denmark but this was by far the largest. It was situated by the rivermouth, where the Denmark River flows into Wilson Inlet.
The Bridge over the Denmark River was constructed when the line from Albany was realigned to connect with the Nornalup extension which opened in 1929. The reason for the realignment was to reduce gradients when the line left Denmark and progressed westward. The bridge was of traditional timber pile construction, and is currently used as a pedestrian bridge which connects to the Wilson Inlet Heritage Walk Trail.

The 60 foot Turntable, which was used to turn locomotives, is the oldest and only remaining example of its type in Western Australia. It was built by William Sellars and Co. in Philadelphia in 1896, and first installed at the Northam depot. When it was no longer adequate to be used on the larger steam locomotives on the Kalgoorlie railway line, it was moved to Denmark and was first located on the old line near the Denmark Hotel, upstream from the rivermouth. Here it was used to turn terminating locomotives on the Albany–Denmark route, before the Nornalup line was completed. Later, when the new station was built, it was moved there.

The ashpit was lined with concrete and its purpose was to contain the ash from the steam engines. The fireman on the engine would clean out the ‘clinkers’ into the ashpit to maximise the power that a clean firebox could generate. When the ashpit was full, the fettlers, or line maintenance men, would clean out the pit and deposit the cooled ash elsewhere.

This turntable was used to turn the locomotive around when the train journey ended at Denmark instead of Nornalup. It was relocated when the line was rebuilt to follow the foreshore of the inlet and extended to Nornalup. The line which came into town was then closed. The ash pit was built at the time of the construction of the new line in 1929.

The Shire of Denmark adopted the Denmark Railway Station No. 3 Reserve Heritage Precinct Concept Plan at the Ordinary Meeting of Council held on 27 May 2014 (Res. No.: 240514) to guide development and use of the Reserve into the future.

Uses

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This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.