Spencer Street Station Redevelopment newsletter Interchange Issue 5: May 2002

In the beginning

Spencer Street Station opened in 1859 as dead end terminus, five years after Flinders Street Station. The platform ran parallel to Spencer Street – not on an angle like today – and had a single main platform, with a dock platform at the north end. In the years that followed, the number of platforms expanded, but access was always via the southern end.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P1, item H 1109

In 1888 work started on a double-track viaduct linking Spencer Street Station to Flinders Street Station, with the line opening in 1891 to goods traffic, and in 1894 to passenger trains. In conjunction with this project a through platform was provided on the western edge of the station complex.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P1 item H 1501

Passengers accessing the island platform via a footbridge to the south end.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P1, item H 1497

Leading them to the suburban concourse at the south end of the existing station.

VPRS 12800/P1, item H 1498

Enter the first subway

In conjunction with the electrification of the Melbourne suburban rail network, the viaduct to Flinders Street was expanded to four tracks in 1915, and between 1918 and 1924 four additional platforms were built at Spencer Street Station – today’s platforms 11 though 14.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P1, item H 1507

The new platforms were west of the existing station.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P1, item H 1505

With access provided by a tiled pedestrian subway.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P3, item ADV 0620

Linked to each island platform by ramps, not stairs.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P1, item H 1508

Note the resemblance to the pedestrian subways at Flinders Street Station – constructed during the same period.

But this subway did not stretch the entire length of the station – the sub ended country platforms were still accessed via the concourse at the southern end.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P3 item ADV 1580

Leaving a ramshackle mess of station facilities for intending passengers.

Diagram from ‘Railway Transportation’ magazine

The 1960s redevelopment

Having grown organically over the years, there had been many proposals to rebuild Spencer Street Station into something befitting it’s status as the main country railway station for Melbourne. However it took the Melbourne-Albury standard gauge railway project to finally see the go ahead given for a new station, with work starting in 1960.

Victorian Railways annual report 1961-62

The new station building on Spencer Street was the most visible part of the project, but the major change for passengers was the construction of a new subways beneath the existing platforms.

Weston Langford photo

The work included:

• suburban subway with north and south facing ramps on Spencer Street, running west beneath the existing station to the existing subway that served platforms 9 through 14;
• a parallel country subway linking the basement of the new station building to platforms 1 through 8;
• parcels subway at the north end of the station, providing a segregated route for parcel and baggage trolleys between the parcels office and country platforms 1 through 8.

PROV VPRS 12903/P1, Box 683/01

Work on the new station was completed in 1965.

Photo by Graeme Butler, part of the 1985 Melbourne Central Activities District (CAD) Conservation Study

Extension into the CBD

An eastern extension to the suburban pedestrian subway beneath Spencer Street commenced in 1973, with the tunnel breakthrough made on 18 June 1974.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P1, item H 4221

Opened to pedestrians on 11 September 1975, the tunnel continued east of the station.

Where it split to serve three exits.

One towards Bourke Street, emerging from the Savoy Hotel on the northern corner of Spencer and Little Collins Street.

With escalator and stairs to street level.

A second exit with escalator and stairs led towards Collins Street, passing through the basement of MMBW House at the southern corner of Spencer and Little Collins Street.

And a third exit with just stairs led to Little Collins Street, emerging outside the Savoy Hotel.

A final extension

In conjunction with the Melbourne Docklands development, the station subway was extended 80 metres west under Wurundjeri Way, to give access to the brand new Docklands Stadium.

Building the subway before the road made construction easier.

The subway was constructed to extend the existing Spencer Street subway. It is a reinforced concrete structure 9 metres wide to match the width of the existing subway. It extends the existing subway a distance of 80 metres.

Most of the subway was constructed using cut-and-cover construction and in-situ concrete as it was in the clear. For the section under the tracks, the reinforced concrete tunnel section was first cast alongside the tracks, and during an occupation, the material under the track was excavated and the tunnel jacked into position. A length of the cut-and-cover tunnel was first cast to provide the anchor block for the jacking operation.

With the extended subway ending at a roller door.

The beginning of the end

The primacy of the subway for access to Spencer Street Station ended in 2000, when the Bourke Street Bridge was completed as part of the Docklands Trunk Infrastructure project.

Ian Harrison Photo, SLV H2000.184/20

The new 20 metre wide, 205 metre long pedestrian bridge stretched across the station platforms, forming an extension of Bourke Street towards the new Docklands Stadium.

Weston Langford photo

And also included escalator, stair and lift access to platforms 3/4, 9/10, 11/12 and 13/14 at Spencer Street Station.

Diagram from ‘Bridges for Melbourne Docklands Infrastructure’

The Spencer Street Station Authority was also created, to manage the redevelopment of the station.

The Spencer Street Station Authority commenced operations on 1 July 2001, having been created by legislation and supported by all sides of Parliament.

In its first 17 months, the Authority has concentrated on improvements to public safety and amenity, for the 60,000 – 70,000 people who pass through the station each day. Matters such as emergency evacuation procedures, fire services, security, cleaning and public health have been dealt with, as well as a considerable upgrade to retail facilities, seating, signage, etc.

The aging escalators between the subway and Spencer Street were one issue – so they took the cheap option of taking them out of service, and enclosing them in timber boxes.

But inside the station itself, the subway was patched up so it could handle the growing number of users.

Spencer Street Station Redevelopment newsletter Interchange
Issue 5
May 2002

Spencer Street Station’s subway – the key artery for the station’s users – has just received a much needed facelift. The subway at Spencer Street Station, which was first opened in 1963, is the main connection to all rail platforms and will remain an important access point throughout the construction of the new station.

The Spencer Street Station Authority completed the refurbishment in March 2002, as an interim improvement before the station redevelopment. It brings the facilities up to modern standards and helps create a safer environment.

An average of 55,000 people use the station each weekday, the majority of which use the subway. It services metropolitan, country and interstate rail commuters. These numbers swell dramatically for sporting events at Colonial Stadium and other major events such as the Grand Prix, the Spring Racing Carnival and the Royal Melbourne Show.

The layout is now improved to provide for added commuter ease and security and to allow for potential greater patronage as the Docklands project develops. The central retail outlets have been relocated to the side of the subway to create greater capacity for passenger movement, and have been upgraded, giving them a new welcoming look.

New ceilings and additional lighting have been installed to create a more inviting atmosphere. Taking four months to complete, the subway works mainly took place out of peak hours to ensure a safe working environment for builders and minimal disruption to the travelling public.

The Spencer Street Station Authority still saw a need for the subway while the new station took shape around it, as well as once it was completed.

It is anticipated that construction work will begin in mid 2002 on the Spencer Street Redevelopment Project with construction proposed to be finished by mid 2005. During this period the existing pedestrian subway will be a vital, probably the only, means by which the travelling public will be able to safely gain access to and from the train platforms.

After the new station has been built, the subway will continue to have an important role for luggage transfer and other operational matters, and as a vital emergency evacuation route.

The Authority therefore made a decision to upgrade the subway, to achieve three things:

(a) to eliminate health problems by removal of asbestos and termite infestation;
(b) to open up the passageways by removing three shops from the centre aisle; and
(c) to provide better retail facilities for the public, bearing in mind that those on the two upper levels may have to be closed at certain stages during the redevelopment.

The original scope of works was expanded to meet these objectives, prior to being competitively tendered. The lowest tender of $737,938.85 (including GST) was accepted from Allmore Constructions, who had previously carried out the refurbishment of the main concourse. The Authority has since approved variations to this contract of approximately $50,000 to deal with more extensive termite damage in the subway than originally anticipated.

The improvements currently being carried out are fully funded by the Authority using revenue it generates from its retail activities and property leases, including public car parking and rentals paid by the train and bus operations.

And the end

Demolition of the old station began in 2003.

Spencer Street Station Authority photo

Temporary wiring being run through the subway.

And holes punched in the access ramps to allow the new roof to be built overhead.

As late as 2005 shops inside the subway were still open to serve passengers.

But as the project progressed, they were progressively closed.

In May 2005 the subway beneath Spencer Street was closed.

Spencer Street Station Authority media release
Friday 20 May, 2005

LOOK FOR THE CHANGES AT SPENCER STREET

Spencer Street Station is continuing its transformation into a world class station, with the Spencer Street Station Authority today announcing external access to station platforms through its 80 year old subway will close from Saturday 28 May 2005.

The Authority’s Chief Executive, Tony Canavan, said that the subway closure would coincide with the partial opening of a new passenger facility on Collins Street with limited access to metropolitan platforms.

“Change is in the air at Spencer Street, with the spectacular roof taking shape and now the closure of subway access to the station to allow construction works to continue. “Many metropolitan passengers will have a small taste of the new look station with the partial opening of the Collins Street Concourse, which will eventually provide access to all metropolitan train services at the station.”

Mr Canavan urged Spencer Street Station users to be aware of the best entrance points to the station following the subway closure on 28 May 2005. The clear message for metropolitan rail users is that the Bourke Street Bridge is now the best entrance point while construction continues at the station.

Mr Canavan said the closure of subway access to the station means that station users will use pedestrian crossings at Collins Street and Bourke Streets to cross Spencer Street. “We are working closely with VicRoads and will monitor crossing times carefully once these changes take place to ensure a safe and smooth flow of people,” said Mr Canavan.

Mr Canavan thanked station users for their patience and understanding during the construction and in light of ongoing changes at the station in the months to come. “This really is a case of some inconvenience in the short term, in order to deliver improved services and facilities for the future,” he said. “The closure of external subway access to the station is essential to the redevelopment, and will eventually see the dark and ageing subway replaced with wide open entrances to improve safety and access.”

In the months that followed, access to country platforms 1 through 8 was changed to be via the new ground level concourse at the Collins Street end.

And access to suburban platforms 9 through 14 changed to the new elevated Collins Street concourse.

However the subway remained open for passenger interchange for a few more months.

The western end closed to the public.

As well as the section towards the country platforms.

My last visit was on 24 July 2005, with public access ending very soon after.

Today the subway remains in place, but for the use of staff only.

Footnote – where did the subway go?

The July 2001 ‘Spencer Street Station Redevelopment Planning Study’ details the extent of the subway network.

There are two main subway systems accessing station platforms.

The passenger access subway extends some 300m from entrances to the city side of Spencer Street to a single entrance at Wurundjeri way. The subway width varies from about 9m to 14m, and the floor is some 4m below the general track level of RL 8.0. It grades gradually from east to west. Ramps (at slope 1:12) provide passenger access to all platforms. Several 9.0m deep alcoves on the southern side of the subway, below the regional platforms, house various businesses and services. The access from Wurundjeri Way (Docklands) is currently used only for events at the Stadium.

A baggage handling tunnel runs the full length of platform 1, below the platform, and links the basement in the main building to an access ramp on the southern concourse and a cross track tunnel to the north. There are also access ramps to regional platforms. Levels are similar to the main pedestrian subway. An additional baggage tunnel branches off the main subway at Platform 8 and links to access ramps to suburban island platforms.

How many shops were down there?

The planning study also listed the tenants of the subway, and the total area they occupied.

Subway Ticket sales area – 340 sq.m.

13 vending machines – 13 sq.m.

Commonwealth Bank Autobank – 2 sq.m.

Subway newsagency – 16 sq.m.

Subway snacks – 205 sq.m.

Mrs M Ireland’s Florist – 16 sq.m.

Tattersalls – 16 sq.m.

Subway clothing shop – 72 sq.m.

Toilets – 30 sq.m.

Other retail spaces – 180 sq.m.

Circulation, ramps etc. – 5,510 sq.m.

Total – 6,400 sq.m.

And how many people used it?

The same study also included the result of a pedestrian count completed on 24 November 2000, showing the routes used to access the station – noting that the subway east under Spencer Street was closed at weekends.

Entrance/exit	Pedestrians	Percentage
Spencer Street subway	18,920	40%
Bourke Street intersection	9,744	21%
Ramp to Spencer Street south	9,104	19%
Coach Station	8,201	17%
Ramp to Spencer Street north	1,567	3%
Bourke Street pedestrian bridge	82	0%
Total	47,618	100%

And noted the lack of capacity for future growth.

A recent survey of use indicates that the passenger access subway under Spencer Street facilitates about 19,000 movements on a Friday (40% of total station movements) with 7,000 occurring in the peak hour. Daily movements in the main subway within the Station were recorded at 34,000.

With projected levels of growth it is only a matter of time before the capacity of the current subways is inadequate. Optional responses to this situation would include:
· enlarging the existing subway;
· constructing an additional subway; and
· providing another form of platform access, such as an elevated concourse.

Fast forward to 2016, and now the rebuilt station is already at capacity – some great forward planning there!

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Finding the entrances

The first remnant of the Spencer Street Station subway is on Little Collins Street, outside the Savoy Hotel. Now boarded up, it once contained a stairwell down into the subway.

A roller door on the Spencer Street side of the Savoy Hotel was another entry point, secured by a roller door.

It remained in this state until May 2019, when the stairwell inside was covered over.

And the space converted into a shop.

Meanwhile on the other side of the street, the basement of the old Spencer Street Station building still exists, converted into staff offices.

But the connection under Spencer Street was bricked up.

And a second life

The subway might no longer continued under Spencer Street, but beneath the station it has been retained as a ‘back of house’ area.

The path it takes beneath the platforms still visible.

But the ramps from platform level have been fitted with doors to keep prying eyes out.

Storage cages filling the subterranean space, along with water, power, data, gas and fire systems.

And the western end turned over to a reclaimed water treatment facility.

And new users

Passengers might be gone from the old subway, but rail staff still use it everyday.

Luggage hall staff use the subway to deliver parcels and baggage to trains.

As do V/Line catering staff delivering food to buffet carriages.

V/Line fitters on their way to fix trains.

And Travellers Aid volunteers in their electric buggies.

Helping passengers unable to walk long distances around the station.

But the most famous users passed through on 27 August 2009.

Victorian Premier John Brumby, Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky and Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese.

Who used the subway to reach the future site of platform 15 and 16, where they turned the first sod for the Regional Rail Link project.

What about reopening it?

With Southern Cross Station at capacity in peak times and pedestrians spilling out onto Spencer Street, many people have called for the pedestrian subway to be reopened, including the City of Melbourne.

Pedestrian subway may re-open
CBD News
April 1, 2016

The City of Melbourne has pledged $750,000 to investigate the re-opening of a subway between Little Collins St and Southern Cross Station.

According to a council spokesperson, the tunnel formed part of the passenger subway through the former Spencer Street Station, before it was redeveloped as Southern Cross Station.

“Council has agreed to allocate funding in the current capital works budgets to investigate the feasibility of re-establishing a connection to an existing tunnel which runs under Spencer St and which could connect the station frontage to Little Collins St,” the spokesperson said.

According to the council spokesperson, the disused subway now supports a number of service and utility ducts for the station.

But these proposals came to nothing.

A council spokesperson said an investigation found that “significant” underground services had been installed in the tunnel along the west side of Spencer Street.

“These large pipes prevent access through the tunnel,” the spokesperson said.

With the only upgrades completed since being an extension of footpaths along Spencer Street.

Bonus content – a second subway to the north

At the northern end of country platforms 1 through 8 is another set of ramps, secured with automatic gates.

And ‘DANGER KEEP OUT’ signs at bottom.

This subway was once used for the transport of baggage to country trains, and is large enough for light trucks to pass through, such as the V/Line toilet pumping truck.

And also has road access to the wider world via the coach terminal.

Footnote – more photos

Over on Reddit someone posted some photos showing the current state of the station subway.

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The backstory

On February 28, 2000 then-Premier Steve Bracks announced the Linking Victoria program, which included a joint private/public sector redevelopment of Spencer Street Station.

“Spencer Street, the central facility for metropolitan, State, and interstate rail services, has been allowed to die a slow death,” Mr Bracks said.

“Our plans include a multi-modal interchange for passengers on country and metropolitan rail services, the airport rail link, trams and regional buses, and commercial development so the station can better serve Victoria as an international business and tourism centre.

“The Government has commenced work on a master plan for the redevelopment of Spencer Street to give it new life and ensure it plays a pivotal role in linking Victoria.”

A development plan for the project will be undertaken by the Department of Infrastructure over the next six months. Tenders are expected to be let later this year, with construction expected to commence in 2001.

In August 2000 Flagstaff Consulting Group was appointed to develop a concept plan for the Spencer Street Station redevelopment along with options for the financing, delivery and operation of the project. This culminated in October 10, 2001 with the shortlisting of three consortia to build, operate and maintain the new station:

• Civic Nexus: ABN AMRO Australia Ltd, Leighton Contractors P/L, with architects Daryl Jackson P/L, Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners
• Spencer Connect: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd, John Holland P/L, Australand Holdings Ltd, with architects Ashton Raggatt MacDougall, Alsop & Stormer
• Multiplex Rothschild Consortium: Multiplex Constructions P/L, NM Rothschild & Sons (Australia) Ltd, with architects Denton Corker Marshall, DEGW Asia Pacific P/L

So what did the three proposals look like?

Spencer Connect: Ashton Raggatt MacDougall

Hold onto your hat – you’re in for a wild ride with Ashton Raggatt McDougall! From their archived page on the project and gallery on Flickr:

Imagine seeing this at the Spencer Street end of Bourke Street!

A bizarro world concourse.

And these claustrophobic platforms.

I wonder how it would have translated to reality?

Multiplex Rothschild: Denton Corker Marshall

Somewhat more conventional was the design by Denton Corker Marshall – artists impressions from their page on the project:

Plenty of open space on the concourse.

And even more above the platforms.

And topped off with a ‘blade’, just like their other 1990s Melbourne projects – Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne Museum and the ‘Cheesestick’ over CityLink.

So what happened?

In February 2002 a five person design panel was appointed to review the proposals:

Peter McIntyre
A practising architect with 50 years experience, he has designed key icons for Melbourne such as the Olympic Swimming Stadium, Parliament Station, the Melbourne Arts Centre Spire. A former Professor of Architecture at Melbourne University, Mr McIntyre has also been involved in the Museum of Victoria and Crown Casino Melbourne, and will chair the panel.

Leon Van Schaik
Mr Van Schaik is a Melbourne architect, Pro Vice Chancellor and a professor of architecture at RMIT. He has a long history of promoting local architectural culture in Melbourne through the university’s capital works program.

Scott Danielson
An international architect, Mr Danielson will bring an international perspective to Melbourne. He has strong experience in transport interchanges, having been associated with Mass Rapid Transport system in Singapore and Taipei.

Peter Crone
A well-known Melbourne architect, Mr Crone leads his own award-winning practice based on inventive architectural design.

Gerry Neylan
Mr Neylan will contribute almost 30 years experience in major projects. He has an extensive background of planning, architecture and business development.

The Multiplex Rothschild consortium was knocked out of the running in early 2002, leaving a two horse race when the winner was announced on July 2, 2002:

Mr Bracks named the winning consortium as Civic Nexus. Members of the consortium are: ABN Amro, who led and financed the proposal; Leighton Contractors, who will build the new station; and world renowned Australian architect Daryl Jackson and UK-based architect Nicholas Grimshaw.

Civic Nexus will:

• Construct a new transport interchange, worth $350 million, including associated track and signalling works.
• Maintain and operate the new railway station for the next 30 years, with total costs of approximately $100 million.

In return, the State will pay Civic Nexus $300 million through regular payments over the next 30 years.

Mr Bracks said the Civic Nexus redevelopment included the construction of a new retail plaza, and three office and apartment towers, within the Spencer Street Station precinct.

Features of the new station included:

• An open design with vast, light-filled spaces, and all-glass street frontage on to the Collins St extension and Spencer St;
• Secure, sheltered parking facilities for 800 cars plus drop-off areas;
• A 30-bay bus station accommodating terminating and transiting coaches and buses, and providing ticketing facilities and waiting areas for their passengers;
• Convenient access to the main terminal complex for trams travelling along Spencer Street and the new Collins Street extension
• An innovative ‘wave roof’ design spanning across all platforms;
• Links to Docklands via the Collins and Bourke Street alignments, with direct access to these bridges from all platforms;
• In addition to the Bourke Street Pedestrian Bridge, a new footbridge will link Lonsdale Street with Colonial Stadium and connect with a retail plaza;
• The Transport Mural is heritage listed and will be retained and located within the new facility;
• Fully sheltered, high-quality waiting areas, equipped with comfortable seating, lighting, heating and air-conditioning and providing access to toilets, telephones, passenger information displays, catering facilities and other retail outlets;
• Passenger security facilities throughout the Interchange Facility – including CCTV monitoring – and readily accessible passenger help-points and alarms connected to an on-site control room;
• Efficient baggage handling facilities for interstate and long-distance intrastate rail and coach operations.

But it appears that the opinion of the design panel was trumped by beancounters, if this 2006 article from The Age is anything to go by:

The Age also reveals that the Southern Cross Station project, designed by British-based architects Nicholas Grimshaw and Melbourne’s Daryl Jackson, was not the scheme preferred by a Government-appointed design panel.

High-level sources confirmed this week that the three-man panel, led by Professor Peter McIntyre, favoured an alternative design by local firm Ashton Raggatt McDougall, but the Government opted for the cheaper bid.

Industry sources said they believed the difference between the bids was about $80 million.

Mr Batchelor defended the Government’s choice. “Victorians have a new, world-class railway station that has set the standards in design, engineering and technology,” he said.

“What we sought was value for money. In determining value for money, all aspects of the bids were considered including bid price and design.”

Enter scope cuts

It turns out that Southern Cross Station as it exists today is quite different to the original design that Civic Nexus proposed.

A major omission is the lack of roof over the Bourke Street Bridge.

But other changes include the substitution of the highrise tower at the south-west corner facing Collins Street with a low-rise office block, and the replacement of office towers along Spencer Street with the tin shed that is the DFO Outlet Mall.

But there were even more elements dropped – which The Age revealed in July 2005:

Key features of Melbourne’s troubled Spencer Street Station project, including the signature wave roof, have been scaled back or scrapped amid bitter infighting and cost blow-outs.

The wave roof will now cover only about three-quarters of the station, not all platforms as planned.

Other aspects of the $700 million redevelopment have been dropped or shelved as construction delays inflate costs, which the warring parties have sought to recoup through litigation.

The Age can reveal:

• A footbridge linking Lonsdale Street and Telstra Dome will not be built.
• A plan to extend the wave roof over the Bourke Street footbridge has been abandoned after heated rows. The bridge will now be only partially protected from the elements.
• Plans for tiled platforms have been modified to a mix of tiled and asphalt surfaces, although construction company Leighton says this is not a cost-cutting measure.

The original plan, proposed in 2002, included a high-rise tower on the corner of Collins Street and Wurundjeri Way, and a wave roof spanning all platforms. The plan was varied in 2003.

A lower-rise, linear building along Wurundjeri Way will now replace the high rise. The building will be built on a raised concrete deck that will also form the roof above platforms 13 to 16.

This means the wave roof will now cover only platforms one to 12. Platforms 13 to 16, under the concrete deck, will effectively be covered by a high, flat roof.

Grimshaw project director Keith Brewis told The Age the change, (which effectively deletes some of the wave roof to allow for the deck/roof and linear building), had been cost related.

Because the competitive process was so short, the project had not been “absolutely set” when building started, he said. Civic Nexus later decided a high-rise tower was “less commercially attractive” to tenants.

The change to a linear building had been made “to give Civic Nexus some development profit back into the project to help to offset some of the costs of the project”, he said.

Mr Brewis confirmed that a plan for a footbridge to link Lonsdale Street and Telstra Dome would not go ahead because “someone’s got to pay for it”.

Civic Nexus and Leighton Contractors’ joint statement said the footbridge “was considered not necessary, given access is provided over Collins Street, the Bourke Street bridge and La Trobe Street”.

Mr Brewis confirmed there had been plans to extend the wave roof over the Bourke Street bridge, but that this would have involved realigning tracks to allow for supports.

Mr Brewis said there had been disagreement among the companies and organisations involved.

Bourke Street bridge will now be partially covered and have a windscreen on one side.

Civic Nexus and Leighton Contractors’ said the original covering over the bridge had been modified “at the request of the planning authorities who wanted to preserve pedestrian views from the bridge”.

Transport Minister Peter Batchelor would not be interviewed by The Age.

He emailed a statement through a media adviser stating that changes to the Bourke Street footbridge, the Lonsdale Street footbridge and the commercial building on Collins Street had been made in consultation with relevant authorities.

The government’s official line at the time was far more terse:

October 2003 – Design changes to commercial developments approved

Civic Nexus made several architectural and functional improvements to the office, retail and residential buildings being constructed alongside the main station. The $350 million airport-style transport interchange remained essentially unchanged.

But the end result was the same.

Asphalt everywhere.

Tin roofs over the northern end of each V/Line platform.

A poorly lit concrete ceiling above platforms 13 through 16.

And no rain protection on the Bourke Street Bridge.

And don’t get me started on the shops crammed onto every piece of empty space.

Footnote

Some more plans showing a different Southern Cross Station – they include the Lonsdale Street footbridge and a roof over the Bourke Street Bridge, but include the low-rise office block and DFO Outlet Mall as eventually built.

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State Library of Victoria. Image H91.330/4268

Built to 1/3 scale, the model of B60 was constructed by Victorian Railways apprentices at the Newport Workshops, and was unveiled in 1954 to celebrate the centenary of railways in Victoria. It then went on display on the main concourse at Spencer Street Station.

Public Record Office Victoria. VPRS 12800/P1, item H 2664

The 1955 Moomba parade commenced somewhere on St Kilda Road.

State Library of Victoria. Image No: A29530. Accession No: H91.330/4252

These first two photos appear to show the start of the parade.

State Library of Victoria. Image No: A29554. Accession No: H91.330/4277

Note the Victorian Railways staff riding on the float.

The official photographer then skipped ahead to Flinders Street Station to capture the parade.

State Library of Victoria. Image H91.330/4268

They then turned around and captured a quick parting shot of the railway’s float continuing up Swanston Street.

State Library of Victoria. Image H91.330/4268

Footnote

The ‘Flinders Street Station’ website has more on the construction of the model, as well as some photos:

In 2011 Malcolm sent me some photos of the patternmakers who built the B60 diesel loco at the Newport Workshop that was to be named ‘The Harold Clapp’. Malcolm was a 3rd year patternmaker apprentice in 1954 and along with patternmakers Max Small, Merv Williams and Anderson, constructed the model out of timber under the direction of Foreman Pattern-maker, Davey Yates.

Surprisingly enough, the model of locomotive B60 still exists today. By 1990 the model had been put into storage at the Newport Workshops, but it since been relocated to an enclosed shelter in the main workshop car park.

If you visit the North Williamstown Railway Museum, the model is visible when you peek through the cyclone fence into the workshop proper.

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