Today, the Cavalcade of Transport Mural is located in Southern Cross Station but when it was unveiled, the building was called Spencer Street Station.
Artist Harold Freedman’s mural was unveiled by the premier of Victoria on January 30 1978 above the main concourse of the Spencer Street Station.
Spencer Street station become Southern Cross in 2006.
Spencer Street Station History
Spencer Street Station was opened in 1859, five years after the other major Melbourne rail terminus at Flinders Street, the station was a dead-end terminus, running parallel to Spencer Street, composed of a single main platform with a dock platform at the north end. It was not until 1874 that an extra platform was provided.
The two major city stations (Flinders St and Spencer St Stations) were not linked until 1879, when a single-track ground-level line was opened. It operated only at night, and only for freight trains. In the 1880s, it was proposed that Spencer Street station be removed in order to facilitate the westward expansion of the city, but the plan was subsequently rejected.
From 1888 to 1894, the layout of the platforms was altered, with new country platforms being built on an angle to Spencer Street itself. The current coach terminal location was the site of a number of new platforms built for suburban services.
In 1891, further plans were made for a significant new station complex, including three-storey office complex and dominant clock tower, reminiscent of the later Sydney Central station, but the 1890s Depression put an end to such expensive schemes.
In 1888, work started on the double track Flinders Street Viaduct linking the station to Flinders Street station. The line was initially only used by freight trains, with passenger train operations commencing in 1894. It was at that time that the first through platform was provided at the station, used by suburban trains from Essendon and Williamstown. The viaduct to Flinders Street was expanded to four tracks in 1915 and, following the electrification of the suburban lines through the station, today’s platforms 11 to 14 were opened in 1924, along with a pedestrian subway providing access to them.
In 1938, it was announced that construction of an improved station entrance and new car park had been approved, designed by architects Messrs Stephenson and Meldrum, costing £2,000. Once again however, no construction took place.
In October 1960, work on a new Spencer Street station commenced, sparked by the construction of the interstate standard gauge line to Sydney. A station building was constructed which largely replaced the 1880s iron sheds, and a new 413-metre (1,355 ft) platform number 1 was built. The passenger subway which had been constructed as part of the 1918 works was extended to include access to country platforms. In connection with the construction of the underground loop, platforms 9 and 10 were rebuilt as part of the suburban section of the station, and a new double-track viaduct was constructed between Spencer Street and Flinders Street station, alongside the original one, bringing to six the number of tracks connecting the two stations.
In 1962, a separate subway network was constructed to carry mail between the station and what was then the Melbourne General Post Office and main postal sorting office, situated on the other side of Spencer Street.
The mechanically interlocked signal box at the station opened in 1887, and was decommissioned in June 2008. Originally built with 120 levers, it had 191 when it closed, making it the world’s largest.
Artist Harold Freedman’s 36.6 metre long and 7.32-metre-high History of Transport mural featured above the main concourse of the Spencer Street station and was unveiled by the premier of Victoria on January 30 1978.
Spencer Street Station become Southern Cross Station in 2006 – VPRS 16021 Spencer Street/Southern Cross Station Redevelopment Project Files
By July 2004 the project had fallen behind schedule and over budget by $200 million. The station was renamed from Spencer Street to Southern Cross on 13 December 2015 and completed by late 2006 in time for the Commonwealth Games
In May 2014, the historic Water Tower Clock was installed in the concourse of the station.
Spencer Street Station Walkabout
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