Talofa

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Type : Station
Line : Murwillumbah Branch
Distance from Sydney : 874.283km
Opened :
Closed : 1973 (per WN 40/1973)
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Talofa is a salutation or greeting in the Samoan language of the Samoan Islands.
Notes : Never a timetabled stop, only a request stop. Likely little more than a small siding to service the local farms. A short 105' siding existed but was removed 8/9/1903, the siding was on the Down side of the line. The Up side platform was 27.4 metres long and was damaged in a 1923 fire.

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Location of the station (Six Maps)

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Looking over the location of Talofa (Murwillumbah branch) in 2025, the line has been completely obliterated by regrowth. Talofa closed in 1973.

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# Talofa (Murwillumbah Branch)
## Entries from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1924–1975

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**Type:** Platform (Closed)
**Line:** Murwillumbah Branch (Casino–Murwillumbah; within Bangalow–Byron Bay section post-1957)
**Distance from Sydney:** 874.283 km (Mileage approximately **543m 53c** — per 1973 speed board entry "Talofa–St Helena 543m 53c")
**Location:** Between Bangalow (south/west) and St Helena (north/east)
**Opened:** Unknown (per your notes — no WN opening notice found; never a timetabled stop)
**Short 105-foot Down side siding removed:** **8 September 1903** (per your notes; no WN notice found)
**Platform damaged in fire:** **1923** (per your notes; Up side 27.4-metre platform)
**Closed:** **1973** — W.N. 40–1973 (ref. C.1–73–4,538–LON)
**Status:** Closed
**Name meaning:** "Talofa" is a salutation or greeting in the Samoan language

### Platform and Siding
**Platform:** **27.4 metres (90 feet)** — **Up side**; damaged in 1923 fire
**Siding (removed):** **105-foot dead-end siding** — **Down side** of line; removed 8 September 1903 (per your notes)
**Always a request stop** — never a timetabled stop; likely served local farms

> **Notes:** Talofa is one of the most minimal platforms in the Murwillumbah branch collection — a request-only stop with a 27.4-metre Up side platform, never timetabled. A 105-foot Down side siding was removed 8 September 1903. The platform was damaged in a fire in 1923. Listed as Talofa (P) — unattended platform — in 1924 between Bangalow and St Helena (P). Closed 1973 (W.N. 40–1973; listed alongside Stokers); accommodation and Grades table references deleted W.N. 26–1975.

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## 1924 — Unattended Platform

> **Talofa (P)** — unattended platform; between Bangalow and St Helena (P). *(Source: 1924 Weekly Notices)*

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## 1973 — Passenger Services Ceased — W.N. 40–1973

> **Page 73 — Talofa and Stokers** [listed among stations where passenger services have ceased — Casino–Murwillumbah Branch]. (C.1–73–4,538–LON.) *(W.N. 40–1973)*

> **Talofa–St Helena:** Mileage **543m 53c** [speed board location]. *(Source: 1973 Weekly Notices)*

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## 1975 — All References Deleted — W.N. 26–1975

> **Page 88 — Accommodation Provided** — Delete all reference to Woodlawn College, Bexhill, Eltham, Booyong, **Talofa**, St Helena, Sleeper Platform and Myocum. (A1 73 77209.) *(W.N. 26–1975)*

> **Page 104 — Grades table — Casino–Murwillumbah Branch** — Delete Booyong, **Talofa** and St Helena. (A1 73 77203.) *(W.N. 26–1975)*

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## Summary of Key Events

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| Unknown | **Opened** — Up side 27.4-metre platform; request stop only; no WN opening notice found |
| **8 September 1903** | **105-foot Down side siding removed** (per your notes) |
| **1923** | **Platform damaged in fire** (per your notes) |
| By 1924 | **Talofa (P)** — unattended; between Bangalow and St Helena (P) |
| **1973** | **Services ceased** — W.N. 40–1973 alongside Stokers (ref. C.1–73–4,538–LON) |
| **W.N. 26–1975** | All accommodation (A1 73 77209) and Grades (A1 73 77203) references deleted |

*Extracted from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1924–1975.*
*Note: Talofa's name — a Samoan greeting — is unique in the NSW railway network, likely reflecting a connection to the Pacific through the property owner. The request-only status throughout its documented life, early siding removal (1903) and 1923 fire damage suggest a facility that was always marginal.*