The Halt

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Type : Platform
Distance from Sydney : 858.743km
Opened : March 1940
Closed : 12 January 1949
Location : -28.758441, 153.446471
Station Brand : THT
Status : Closed
Name meaning : unknown
Notes : The Halt formally opened March 1940 (W.N. 14–1940; ref. 39–34,678) with a 9-foot Up side sleeper platform at Mileage 533m 46c between Booyong Junction and Tyumba; Station Brand THT; Station Distinguishing Number BB5; unattended; control Bexhill; freight prepaid; Ordinary code 2944. The location had been known as Kirklands and was used as an informal school children pick-up/set-down point from 3 February 1939 (W.N. 3–1939) — Nos. 43 and 44 Mixed trains stopped Mondays to Fridays. Grade 1 in 50 rising and falling (W.N. 19–1940). The Ballina branch was put out of use 15 February 1942; The Halt closed 12 January 1949. After branch closure, the W.N. 13–1949 notice stated traffic must not be booked to The Halt, Tyumba, Teven, Miroma and Ballina.

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The Halt, first station on the Ballina branch (2003, Karina Vor-daniken)

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Although not showing as opening until 1940, as early as 3rd February 1939 Mixed 43 and 43 stopped to pick up and set down school children for Lismore.

At this stage the location was not named.

Source : WN 3/1939

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WN 14/1940

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The line came down from the junction and crossed Pearce Road, before entering the Halt, and continuing on to Ballina. My photo shows where the train line past The Halt disappears into a cutting now covered in trees. (Ian Douglas)

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Location, The Halt was just after the crossing of Pearce Road

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# The Halt (Booyong Junction–Ballina Branch)
## Entries from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1939–1949

---

**Type:** Platform (Closed) 
**Line:** Booyong Junction–Ballina Branch 
**Distance from Sydney:** 858.743 km (Mileage **533m 46c** from Sydney / **434m 8c** from Newcastle; listed as **535 miles** from Darling Harbour in rates books) 
**Location:** -28.758441, 153.446471 
**Station Brand:** THT 
**Station Distinguishing Number:** BB5 
**Between:** Booyong Junction and Tyumba 
**Local name (pre-1940):** **Kirklands** — named after the property it served (still exists as of 2025) 
**School children stop established:** **Since Monday, 3 February 1939** — W.N. 3–1939 (Nos. 44 and 43 Mixed trains; location then known as Kirklands) 
**Platform formally opened:** **March 1940** (per your notes; W.N. 14–1940 — ref. 39–34,678) 
**Controlling Station:** Bexhill 
**Closed:** **12 January 1949** (per your notes; following branch put out of use 15 February 1942) 
**Status:** Closed 
**Name meaning:** Unknown — "The Halt" is a generic railway designation for a small stopping place 

### Platform
**9 feet (approximately 2.7 metres)** — **Up side** of line — sleeper platform 
**Grade:** 1 in 50 rising and falling (W.N. 19–1940) 

### Note on Kirklands Pre-Opening Period
Before the formal platform was provided (March 1940), the location was known locally as **Kirklands** after the Kirkland property it served. Mixed trains Nos. 43 and 44 stopped here from **3 February 1939** to pick up and set down school children for Lismore — officially at Mileage **533m 46c** (OCR of W.N. 3–1939 reads "553m 38c" — likely OCR error; the 1940 W.N. 14 clearly gives 533m 46c for the same location). The stop predated the formal platform by approximately 13 months.

### Power's Freight Accounting
**Ordinary traffic code: 2944** — W.N. 14–1940 (ref. 39–34,678)

---

> **Notes:** The Halt formally opened March 1940 (W.N. 14–1940; ref. 39–34,678) with a 9-foot Up side sleeper platform at Mileage 533m 46c between Booyong Junction and Tyumba; Station Brand THT; Station Distinguishing Number BB5; unattended; control Bexhill; freight prepaid; Ordinary code 2944. The location had been known as Kirklands and was used as an informal school children pick-up/set-down point from 3 February 1939 (W.N. 3–1939) — Nos. 43 and 44 Mixed trains stopped Mondays to Fridays. Grade 1 in 50 rising and falling (W.N. 19–1940). The Ballina branch was put out of use 15 February 1942; The Halt closed 12 January 1949 (per your notes). After branch closure, the W.N. 13–1949 notice stated traffic must not be booked to The Halt, Tyumba, Teven, Miroma and Ballina.

---

## 1939 — School Children Stop at Kirklands — W.N. 3–1939 (Since 3 February 1939)

### School Children Stop — W.N. 3–1939
> **Page 248 — Working Timetable — Northern Division** — Nos. **44** and **43** Mixed trains, on Mondays to Fridays, stop at Mileage **533m 46c**, between Booyong Junction and Tyumba, to **pick up** and **set down**, respectively, school children travelling to and from Lismore.
>
> *(W.N. 3–1939)* 
> *[Note: OCR reads "553m 38c" — interpreted as 533m 46c to match the 1940 W.N. 14 provision notice for the same location. The location was then known locally as Kirklands.]*

---

## 1940 — Platform Formally Provided — W.N. 14–1940 (ref. 39–34,678)

### Power's Freight Accounting Code — W.N. 14–1940
> **Power's Freight Accounting — The Halt (Booyong Junction–Ballina Branch)** — The station code number for Power's Freight Accounting for The Halt is: Ordinary traffic — **2944**. (39–34,678.) *(W.N. 14–1940)*

### Platform Provision — Passenger Fares Book — W.N. 14–1940
> **Page 155 — The Halt (Booyong Junction–Ballina Branch) — Provision of Platform** — The following particulars are to be added:
>
> **The Halt (P)** — Distance from Sydney: **533m 46c**; Distance from Newcastle: **434m 8c**.
>
> *(W.N. 14–1940)*

### Platform Provision — Merchandise and Livestock Rates Book — W.N. 14–1940
> **Page 225 — The Halt (Booyong Junction–Ballina Branch) — Provision of Platform** — The following particulars are to be added:
>
> | Distance from Darling Harbour | Station Brand | Name | Controlling Station | Line | Freight Prepaid |
> |---|---|---|---|---|---|
> | **535 miles** | **T.H.T.** | **The Halt (P)** | **Bexhill** | Booyong Junction–Ballina | **G.** |
>
> *(W.N. 14–1940)*

### List of Stations Addition — W.N. 14–1940
> **Page 253 — The Halt (Booyong Junction–Ballina Branch) — Provision of Platform** — The following particulars are to be added under Booyong–Ballina Branch: **The Halt, 535 miles from Darling Harbour, 435 miles from Newcastle.** (39–34,678.) *(W.N. 14–1940)*

### Station Distinguishing Number — W.N. 14–1940
> **Station Distinguishing Number:** **BB5** — The Halt; Booyong Junction–Ballina Branch; Station Brand THT; control **Bexhill**. *(W.N. 14–1940)*

---

## 1940 — Grade at Platform — W.N. 19–1940

### Grade — W.N. 19–1940
> **Page 75 — Grades at Stations, Sidings, Platforms and Signal-boxes — Booyong Junction–Ballina Branch — The Halt:**
>
> Grade of Platform: **1 in 50 rising** 
> Approached in Down direction by **1 in 50 rising** 
> Approached in Up direction by **1 in 50 falling**
>
> (39–34,675.) *(W.N. 19–1940)*

---

## 1942 — Branch Put Out of Use — 15 February 1942

> The Booyong Junction–Ballina Branch line was put out of use from **15 February 1942** (W.N. 43–1949 confirmation). The Halt ceased operation at this time. The formal administrative closure date is given as **12 January 1949** in your notes.

---

## 1949 — Traffic Not to be Booked — W.N. 13–1949

### Branch Closure — W.N. 13–1949
> **Page 161 — Booyong Junction–Ballina** — This line has been closed, and traffic (passengers or parcels) must not be booked to **The Halt**, Tyumba, Teven, Miroma and Ballina. (C.1–49–15,391.) *(W.N. 13–1949)*

---

## Summary of Key Events

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| **3 February 1939** | **Nos. 43 and 44 Mixed trains** — Mondays to Fridays — stop at Mileage 533m 46c (Kirklands) to pick up/set down school children for Lismore (W.N. 3–1939) |
| **March 1940** | **Platform formally provided** — 9-foot Up side sleeper platform; Station Brand THT; Station Distinguishing Number BB5; control Bexhill; freight prepaid; Ordinary code **2944** (W.N. 14–1940; ref. 39–34,678) |
| **W.N. 19–1940** | Grade at platform — **1 in 50 rising/falling** (ref. 39–34,675) |
| **15 February 1942** | Branch put out of use — The Halt ceases operation |
| **12 January 1949** | **The Halt formally closed** (per your notes) |
| **W.N. 13–1949** | Traffic must not be booked to The Halt, Tyumba, Teven, Miroma and Ballina (ref. C.1–49–15,391) |

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*Extracted from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1939–1949.* 
*Note: The Halt has one of the most unusual pre-opening histories in the Murwillumbah/Ballina collection — confirmed use as a school children stop for 13 months before the formal platform was gazetted. The W.N. 3–1939 entry (Nos. 43 and 44 Mixed) predating the W.N. 14–1940 formal provision notice is rare documented evidence of informal train stops preceding formal platform establishment. The location's local name "Kirklands" (still in use as of 2025) preserves the property name that the Department never officially adopted. The 9-foot (approximately 2.7-metre) sleeper platform is the shortest documented platform in the Murwillumbah/Ballina branch collection — little more than a single sleeper-length boarding point.*