Coffs Harbour Fruit Platforms

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Bartlett's

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 616.378km
Opened : 1 November 1955
Closed : Unknown
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served

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Taken in 2014 the sign for Hannafords Banana loading Platform. Then located on the road to Bruxner Park near Coffs Harbour. (Scott Sashmo)

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Staff post at Bartlett's

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Undated image, Bartlett's banana platform is just behind the engine.

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15 known banana platforms between 611.690km and 616.378km :

Kerr's

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 611.690km
Opened : 1 June 1934
Closed : 1 May 1962
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : Kerr's Banana Platform opened since 1 June 1934 — 24-foot Up side platform at Mileage 380.7 (380m 7c), between North Coffs Harbour and Gentle's Banana Platform. Goods traffic only; not for passenger traffic; unattended; platform and siding conditions; under control of Station-master, Coffs Harbour. Power's code 2910; Station Brand KBP. Platform abolished W.N. 18–1962 (ref. B.2–62–61,848 — same reference as Paw Paw abolition in the same notice). Grades table deleted W.N. 34–1962; residual grades reference cleared W.N. 26–1975.


Hannaford's

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 612.530km
Opened : 1933 (as Gentle's)
Closed : 1975
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : Gentle's Banana Platform opened per W.N. 21–1933 (original opening notice not recovered from OCR); named "Gentle's Banana Platform" by W.N. 23–1933 (ref. 32–27,878). Merchandise and Livestock Rates Book pages 184 and 226 amended; Alphabetical List page 28 amended. Listed as Gentle's Banana Platform in 1933 section reference table (Coffs Harbour–Glenreagh). W.N. 37–1946 lists Gentle's with controlling station Coffs Harbour, NC section, classification (P) ††† — outwards perishables and small consignments of inwards goods only. Renamed Hannaford's (1st October 1946) commencing at once per W.N. 45–1946 (ref. 46–61,260).All accommodation table and grades table references deleted W.N. 26–1975 (ref. A1 73 77203). Notably, Hannaford's appears on page 82 of the accommodation table alongside Repton, Archville and Park Beach — all closed stations south of Coffs Harbour — rather than on page 83 with the other banana stages (Drayton's, Gillard's, Hull Bros, Gould's, Bambrook, Hollis, Emily, Rubbo). At 612.530 km Hannaford's is immediately adjacent to Drayton's (612.570 km) — they are barely 40 metres apart.


Drayton's

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 612.570km
Opened : Unknown
Closed : 1975
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Drayton's Banana Platform opened W.N. 34–1950: "A platform, 16 feet in length, is situated on the Up side of the line, Mileage 380m 81c, between Hannaford's and Wales Banana Platforms, and is to be known as 'Drayton's Banana Platform.'" All accommodation table and grades table references deleted W.N. 26–1975 alongside Gillard's, Hull Bros, Gould's, Bambrook, Hollis, Emily and Rubbo Banana Stages (ref. A1 73 77203).


Wales

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 613.562km
Opened : Prior to November 1947
Closed : Unknown
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : Wales is confirmed as an established location by November 1947 — the Hullbros' opening notice (W.N. — 1948) describes that platform as "between Gauld's and Wales," and the Gillard opening notice (W.N. — 1948) describes Gillard as "between Wales and Hullbros'." Wales also appears in the 1950 accommodation table in the sequence Bartlett's Banana Platform → Hollis Banana Platform → Wales Banana Platform (approximately Mileage 384 southward). No formal closure notice found in WNs

Watt's

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 613.796km
Opened : 13 September 1948
Closed : Unknown
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : Watts Banana Platform opened since 13 September 1948 (W.N. 42–1948). 16-foot unattended platform at Mileage 381m 31c (WN: "381m. 318c" — stray digit; 381m 31c confirmed by distance 613.796 km). All banana traffic dealt with under siding and platform conditions; not for passenger traffic; under control of Coffs Harbour. Ref. A.1–48; V.47–38,260–D. No formal deletion notice found in WNs — platform may have closed prior to the W.N. 26–1975 mass deletion or may appear in a Local Appendix.


Gillard's

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 614.020km
Opened : 3 March 1948
Closed : 1975
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : Gillard banana platform opened since 3 March 1948 — 16-foot Up side platform at Mileage 381m 43c, between Wales and Hullbros'. Bananas only; not for passenger traffic; unattended; platform and siding conditions; under control of Coffs Harbour. All accommodation table and grades table references deleted W.N. 26–1975 alongside seven other banana stages (ref. A1 73 77203). Note the WN spells it "Gillard" at opening but "Gillard's Banana Stage" in the 1975 deletion.


Hull Bros

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 614.041km
Opened : 21 November 1947
Closed : 1975
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : Opened since 21 November 1947, 16 feet, Up side, Mileage 381m 56c. Delete all reference to [batch including] Hull Bros Banana Stage. (A1 73 77203.) (W.N. 26–1975)


Gauld's

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 614.400km
Opened : 10 December 1934
Closed : 1975
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : Gauld's Banana Platform opened since 10 December 1934 (W.N. 2–1935; ref. 34–72,361). 16-foot Up side platform at Mileage 381.62, between North Coffs Harbour and Paw Paw. Broader than the typical banana-only stage — permitted outwards perishable traffic and receipt of small consignments of goods inwards (not passenger traffic); platform and siding conditions. Power's code 2914 (ordinary traffic); under control of Coffs Harbour. Merchandise and Livestock Rates Book pages 184 and 226 amended; Alphabetical List page 28 amended. Note that a WWII loop was installed at this location — that is covered separately. All accommodation table and grades table references deleted W.N. 26–1975 alongside the other banana stages in the batch (as "Gould's Banana Stage" — (another WN error); ref. A1 73 77203).

Gauld's

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 614.400km
Opened : 10 December 1934
Closed : 1975
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : Gauld's Banana Platform opened since 10 December 1934 (W.N. 2–1935; ref. 34–72,361). 16-foot Up side platform at Mileage 381.62, between North Coffs Harbour and Paw Paw. Broader than the typical banana-only stage — permitted outwards perishable traffic and receipt of small consignments of goods inwards (not passenger traffic); platform and siding conditions. Power's code 2914 (ordinary traffic); under control of Coffs Harbour. Merchandise and Livestock Rates Book pages 184 and 226 amended; Alphabetical List page 28 amended. Note that a WWII loop was installed at this location — that is covered separately. All accommodation table and grades table references deleted W.N. 26–1975 alongside the other banana stages in the batch (as "Gould's Banana Stage" — (another WN error); ref. A1 73 77203).


Bambrook

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 614.930km
Opened : 27 August 1945
Closed : 1975
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : Deleted W.N. 26–1975 in the same batch as seven other banana stages (ref. A1 73 77203).

Paw Paw

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 615.110km
Opened : 8 January 1931
Closed : 1 August 1962
Status : Closed
Name meaning :
Notes : Paw Paw banana platform opened 8 January 1931 — 14-foot platform at Mileage 382.17, between North Coffs Harbour and Karangi. Named PAW PAW. Bananas only; not for passenger traffic. No. 52 Goods called Thursdays only. Power's code 2889 (ordinary traffic); under control of Coffs Harbour. Merchandise and Livestock Rates Book pages 186 and 215 amended. Abolished W.N. 26–1962 — pages 102 and 143 deleted (refs B.2–62–61,872 and B.2–62–61,848); grades table deleted W.N. 34–1962. A residual grades table reference to "Paw Paw Banana Stage" remained until W.N. 26–1975 when it was finally cleared in the mass deletion (ref. A1 73 77203).

Hollis

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 615.830km
Opened : 18 October 1934 as Mulhearn's
Closed : Unknown
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : Renamed from Mulhearn's Banana Platform to Hollis Banana Platform since 1 January 1935 (W.N. 5–1935; ref. 3-E-72,356) Deleted W.N. 26–1975 in the same batch as seven other banana stages (ref. A1 73 77203).

Emily

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 616.080km
Opened : 1 November 1955
Closed : Unknown
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : Emily banana stage opened 1 November 1955 — inserted in Local Appendix pages 46 and 66 as "Emily (Bananas only)" with Power's code 3375–12 (ordinary traffic). Deleted W.N. 26–1975 in the same batch as seven other banana stages (ref. A1 73 77203).

Rubbo

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 616.280km
Opened : 1 November 1955
Closed : 1975
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : Rubbo banana stage opened 1 November 1955 — inserted in Local Appendix pages 46 and 82 as "Rubbo (Bananas only)" with Power's code 3380–62. All accommodation table and grades table references deleted W.N. 26–1975.


Bartlett's

Type : Platform
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 616.378km
Opened : 1 November 1955
Closed : Unknown
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the property it served
Notes : WN opening notice not found, likely deleted in 1975

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Curves and gradients showing the platforms.