Wiangaree

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Type : Station
Distance from Sydney : 846.804km
Location : -28.510205, 152.964728
Opened : January 1929 under Construction Branch control (WN4/1929)
Closed : 1974 (WN 29)
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the Parish it was located in.
Notes: Station building was a PC3 type and sited on a 75.3 metre Down platform. 1939 - 5 ton crane was relocated from Bentley. The station was sited just north of the Down side loop siding - it had a stockyard and loading bank. The sleeper siding was removed in 1980. 21st March 1932 - opened as a Booking Station. Fettler Kratz's residence appears in garden competition results from at least 1945. By 1954 the name changes to **Fettler Lane's Residence** in the competition listings, suggesting a change of fettler at Wiangaree between 1953 and 1954. Fettler Lane's Residence consistently won Group C prizes from 1962 through to at least 1971.
1960 - closed as a Booking Station (then again on 21 November 1969) but no matching reopening notice. 1971 stock races deleted and crane inoperative (deleted in 1972). Removed from all publications in 1975 along with Mt Lion, Loadstone, Flannagan's. Deletion of the sleeper siding entry in W.N. 3–1981.

"W.N. 3–1929 — "Commencing at once" — goods in full truckloads accepted to/from Wiangaree while under Construction Branch control; 8 miles 4 chains from Kyogle; mileage for freight purposes 8 miles from Kyogle; local rates apply; no responsibility for delays due to construction"

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Location of Wiangaree - nothing remains of the one-time station

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Wiangaree station, undated

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Location of Wiangaree (Six Maps)

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Wiangaree (1993, David Kratz)

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This is looking across from the location of the old Wiangaree gatekeepers cottage (long gone) where the line crossed Summerland Way towards the old goods loading bank.

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View of buildings opposite Wiangaree station, 1930s, pic taken from the station grounds.

Graeme Smith:

The house in the immediate foreground belonged to primary school teacher Mrs May Wilson, the house at the top of the hill, was owned by Mr Burton I believe, he was a cream carrier, the later Athol McQueen took over the role and lived in this house. During floods, we would put our pigs and cows up on our hill paddock and stay with Athol. The house on the extreme right belonged to Mr.Allen Herd who owned one of the butchers shops in Wiangaree before moving to Kyogle, it is now owned by my cousin David Alcorn. The other house at the top right, belonged to my uncle and aunt, Ben and Elva Smith, it now belongs to my cousin, Colin Graham. Not sure if that is a grave site, but I do remember there was a small garden there when I was going to school. We crossed the line at the northern end of the platform.

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Railway bridge at Wiangaree (Northern Sights)

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From Jeremy Williams, Wiangaree loading dock in Feb 2021.

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Wiangaree crossing and cottage, undated

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Site of the one-time station

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Wiangaree, diagram, 1930

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Wiangaree diagram

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Wiangaree - diagram of removal of siding, 1980

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Mountain Goat at Wiangaree

Photo : Julie Moore, (Peter Leonard's "A Real Railway")