Warragai Creek

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Type : Station
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 717.410
Location : -29.550368, 152.988373
Opened : 3 April 1905
Closed : 5 May 1974
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Aboriginal word meaning "plenty of sand", alternate name for Sandy Creek
Notes: Despite repeated requests (attested to in newspaper reports), the platform and shelter was constantly denied by the NSWGR until 1912. A small platform of 36.9 metres in length with a shelter (B1) located on the Down side of the line just south of the road crossing. 16/5/1974 - platform removed. Telephone connected in 1930.

Warragai Creek opened 3 April 1905 under Construction Branch control as one of the original stations on the Grafton–Casino line. Early services were Tuesdays and Fridays only, with the Construction Branch running one Down and one Up train each operating day. The station appeared in the 1926 No. 68 North telephone circuit listing between Kyarran and Gurranang, confirming its position in the section after the 1926 loop opened. The No. 83 North telephone previously at Warragai Creek was transferred to Koolkhan Tool House in 1945 — suggesting Warragai Creek's telephone facilities were being rationalised at that time. Closed 5 May 1974; deleted from border tables W.N. 29–1974; all accommodation references deleted W.N. 26–1975.

Conveyance of Traffic over the Extension from Grafton to Casino — Commencing on Monday, 3rd April, 1905, the Construction Department will convey passenger and goods traffic between Grafton and Casino on Tuesdays and Fridays in each week, running one Up and one Down train on each of those days; the Down Train leaving Grafton at 8 a.m. and arriving at Casino at 12 noon, and the Up Train leaving Casino at 1 p.m. and arriving at Grafton at 5 p.m.

The following is a list of the stations and sidings, with their mileages from Grafton: Grafton — Solferino Road — Warragai Creek — Sportsman's Creek — Lawrence Road — Banyabba — Camira Creek — Kytle Creek — Deep Creek Platform — Wooroowoolgan — Casino.

Goods and passenger traffic will be booked at ordinary tariff rates as laid down in the rate books. (W.N. — 1905)

Page 174 — Stations and Platforms, etc. — Maitland–Queensland Border — Delete Koolkhan, Warragai Creek, Gurranang, Banyabba, Whiporie, Camira Creek, Ampdale, Clearfield, Coombell, Amarina, Leeville, Shannonbrook, Fairy Hill, Kilgra, Wiangaree, The Risk, Mt Lion, Loadstone. (C.1–74.) (W.N. 29–1974)

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From 1907, refusal of a station building at Warragai Creek and refusal of a siding at Sportsman's Creek

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By 1912, they still had no siding - but got a landing platform as a consolation.

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Malah Rd crossing looking south (Ian Douglas)

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Location of the Station from Six Maps - the rubble from the demolition was pushed into the scrub to the right of this image.

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Warragai Creek, 1928

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#9 Gang, Warragai Creek, 1928

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# Warragai Creek (North Coast Line)
## Entries from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1905–1975

---

**Type:** Station (Closed) 
**Line:** North Coast Line (Kyarran–Gurranang section from 1926; Grafton–Gurranang prior) 
**Distance from Sydney:** 717.410 km (approximately Mileage **11 miles from Grafton** at opening; Mileage **447m–448m**) 
**Location:** -29.550368, 152.988373 
**Between:** Kyarran (south, from 1926) and Gurranang (north) 
**Opened:** **Monday, 3 April 1905** — Grafton to Casino (Construction Branch); first services on Tuesdays and Fridays only 
**Closed:** **5 May 1974** (per your notes) 
**Status:** Closed 

### Early Opening — Construction Branch Control (April 1905)
**First services:** Commencing Monday 3 April 1905 — Construction Branch conveys passengers and goods traffic between **Grafton and Casino** on **Tuesdays and Fridays** only; one Down train (Grafton 8 a.m., Casino 12 noon) and one Up train (Casino 1 p.m., Grafton 5 p.m.); goods and passengers at ordinary tariff rates 
**Original station list (mileage from Grafton, 1905):** 
Grafton (0) — Solferino Road [Koolkhan] (~4 miles) — **Warragai Creek** (~11 miles) — Sportsman's Creek (~15 miles) — Lawrence Road (~18 miles) — Banyabba (~23 miles) — Camira Creek (~27 miles) — Kytle Creek (~36 miles) — Deep Creek Platform (~46 miles) — Wooroowoolgan (~61 miles [OCR: 59 or 61]) — Casino (~65 miles) 

**Note:** The station was at approximately Mileage 11 miles from Grafton at opening — the OCR of the 1905 mileage table is unclear on the exact figure but places Warragai Creek between Koolkhan (~4 miles) and Sportsman's Creek (~15 miles).

### New Sleeper Platform — Between Warragai and Sportsman's Creek — 1907
**New platform at Mileage 15.64 from Grafton** (between Warragai and Sportsman's Creek) — a new sleeper platform provided (W.N. — 1907; ref. 3–12,142). Note: this platform was between Warragai Creek and Sportsman's Creek stations, not at Warragai Creek itself.

### Telephone
**No. 83 Circuit North** — Warragai Creek was on the No. 83 North telephone circuit; telephone transferred to Koolkhan Tool House on **30 July 1945** (W.N. 35–1945; code call (m) unchanged) 
**No. 68 North Circuit (from 1926):** Warragai Creek appears in the No. 68 North Circuit listing at Kyarran's opening — between Kyarran and Gurranang in the circuit sequence 

### Key Administrative Events
**Telephone transferred from Warragai Creek — 30 July 1945:** No. 83 North Circuit telephone previously at Warragai Creek transferred to Koolkhan Tool House (439m 30c); code call (m) unchanged (W.N. 35–1945) 
**Station closed: 5 May 1974** (per your notes) 
**Deleted from tables — W.N. 29–1974:** Warragai Creek deleted from border stations and horses/vehicles loading tables alongside Koolkhan, Gurranang, Banyabba, Whiporie, Camira Creek and other North Coast intermediate stations (ref. C.1–74) 
**All accommodation references deleted — W.N. 26–1975:** Delete all reference to Warragai Creek, Lawrence Road, Ampdale, Coombell, Amarina and Shannon Brook from Accommodation Provided table (page 84) (ref. A1 73 77203) 

---

> **Notes:** Warragai Creek opened 3 April 1905 under Construction Branch control as one of the original stations on the Grafton–Casino line. Early services were Tuesdays and Fridays only, with the Construction Branch running one Down and one Up train each operating day. A new sleeper platform was provided in 1907 between Warragai Creek and Sportsman's Creek (Mileage 15.64 from Grafton) — not at Warragai Creek itself. The station appeared in the 1926 No. 68 North telephone circuit listing between Kyarran and Gurranang, confirming its position in the section after the 1926 loop opened. The No. 83 North telephone previously at Warragai Creek was transferred to Koolkhan Tool House in 1945 — suggesting Warragai Creek's telephone facilities were being rationalised at that time. Closed 5 May 1974; deleted from border tables W.N. 29–1974; all accommodation references deleted W.N. 26–1975.

---

## 1905 — Opened 3 April 1905; Construction Branch; Tuesdays and Fridays Only

### Opening — W.N. — 1905
> **Conveyance of Traffic over the Extension from Grafton to Casino** — Commencing on **Monday, 3rd April, 1905**, the Construction Department will convey passenger and goods traffic between Grafton and Casino on **Tuesdays and Fridays** in each week, running one Up and one Down train on each of those days; the Down Train leaving Grafton at **8 a.m.** and arriving at Casino at **12 noon**, and the Up Train leaving Casino at **1 p.m.** and arriving at Grafton at **5 p.m.**
>
> The following is a list of the stations and sidings, with their mileages from Grafton: Grafton — Solferino Road — **Warragai Creek** — Sportsman's Creek — Lawrence Road — Banyabba — Camira Creek — Kytle Creek — Deep Creek Platform — Wooroowoolgan — Casino.
>
> Goods and passenger traffic will be booked at ordinary tariff rates as laid down in the rate books. *(W.N. — 1905)*

---

## 1907 — New Sleeper Platform Between Warragai and Sportsman's Creek

### New Platform — W.N. — 1907
> **New Platform Between Warragai and Sportsman's Creek, Grafton–Casino Extension** — A new sleeper platform has been provided at Mileage **15.64** from Grafton (between Warragai and Sportsman's Creek). (3–12,142.) *(W.N. — 1907)*

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## 1926 — Telephone Circuit No. 68 North; Kyarran Opening Confirms Position

### No. 68 North Telephone Circuit — 1926
> **No. 68 North Telephone Circuit** (at Kyarran opening, W.N. — 1926) — sequence: Kyarran — **Warragai Creek** — Gurranang — Lawrence Road — Banyabba — Camira Creek. *(Source: 1926 Weekly Notices — Kyarran opening notice circuit listing)*

---

## 1945 — Telephone Transferred to Koolkhan Tool House — W.N. 35–1945

### Telephone Transferred — W.N. 35–1945
> **Page 96 — No. 83 Telephone Circuit, North** — On **30th July, 1945**, the telephone previously installed at **"Warragai Creek"** was transferred to **"Koolkhan Tool House," 439m 30c**. The code call **(m)** will remain unaltered. *(W.N. 35–1945)*

---

## 1974 — Deleted from Tables — W.N. 29–1974

### Tables Deleted — W.N. 29–1974
> **Page 174 — Stations and Platforms, etc. — Maitland–Queensland Border** — Delete Koolkhan, **Warragai Creek**, Gurranang, Banyabba, Whiporie, Camira Creek, Ampdale, Clearfield, Coombell, Amarina, Leeville, Shannonbrook, Fairy Hill, Kilgra, Wiangaree, The Risk, Mt Lion, Loadstone. (C.1–74.) *(W.N. 29–1974)*

> **Page 186 — Stations at which Horses and Vehicles may be loaded and unloaded** — Delete Koolkhan, **Warragai Creek**, Gurranang, Banyabba, Whiporie, Camira Creek, Coombell, Leeville, South Casino, Fairy Hill, Wiangaree, The Risk, Nana Glen, Shannonbrook. (C.1–74.) *(W.N. 29–1974)*

---

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

### Accommodation Table Deleted — W.N. 26–1975
> **Page 84 — Stations, Sidings and Platforms — Accommodation Provided** — Delete all reference to **Warragai Creek**, Lawrence Road, Ampdale, Coombell, Amarina and Shannon Brook. (A1 73 77203.) *(W.N. 26–1975)*

---

## Summary of Key Events

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| Pre-1905 | Search of 1900–1904 WN volumes — no pre-opening references found in OCR |
| **3 April 1905** | **Opened** — Construction Branch; Tuesdays and Fridays only; one Down (Grafton 8 a.m.–Casino 12 noon) and one Up (Casino 1 p.m.–Grafton 5 p.m.) train; ordinary tariff rates |
| **1907** | Sleeper platform provided at Mileage 15.64 from Grafton — between Warragai Creek and Sportsman's Creek (not at Warragai Creek) |
| **21 October 1926** | Kyarran loop opened — Grafton–Gurranang section split; Warragai Creek within new **Kyarran–Gurranang** section |
| **30 July 1945** | Telephone on No. 83 North Circuit transferred from Warragai Creek to Koolkhan Tool House (439m 30c); code call (m) unchanged (W.N. 35–1945) |
| **5 May 1974** | **Station closed** |
| **W.N. 29–1974** | Deleted from border stations and horses/vehicles loading tables (ref. C.1–74) |
| **W.N. 26–1975** | All accommodation references deleted alongside Lawrence Road, Ampdale, Coombell, Amarina and Shannon Brook (ref. A1 73 77203) |

---

*Extracted from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1905–1975.* 
*Note: Warragai Creek is one of the original stations on the Grafton–Casino line, opening under Construction Branch control on 3 April 1905 — making it one of the earliest-dated openings in the North Coast WN collection (predating the main Glenreagh–South Grafton section by a decade). The 1905 opening notice uses "Solferino Road" for what became Koolkhan, confirming the construction name was still in use at opening. The 1907 new sleeper platform at Mileage 15.64 from Grafton is between Warragai Creek and Sportsman's Creek — a notable intermediate point that does not appear to have subsequently become a named station. The search of 1900–1904 WN volumes found no pre-opening references to Warragai Creek, consistent with the Grafton–Casino line being under construction during this period without formal operational notices.*