Dunbible

[admin]

Type : Station
Line : Murwillumbah Branch
Distance from Sydney : 928.490km
Location : -28.380440, 153.401230
Opened : 24th December 1894
Closed : By 30 June 1974
Status : closed
Name meaning : An early newspaper report (1880s) states: An old pioneer was reading his Bible on the (creek) banks. When he had finished he was crossing the creek on a log bridge when the Bible fell into the creek. His Aboriginal companion remarked, "Done Bible, boss" and Dunbible it has been to this day. Another location that moved - 9.4 metres. A 27.7 metre long Down platform was provided along with a waiting shed and store room and a goods siding. 9/11/1905 - 5 tonne gantry crane installed. 4/5/1955 - goods siding closed (WN 18/1955). The location had livestock facilities, these were abolished per WN 22/1955. WN 30/1974 lists the deletion of the station.

[admin]

Tunnel construction at Dunbible, 1890s (Tweed Museum)

[admin]

Bridge at Dunbible (John Sheldon)

[admin]

Location of the station (Six Maps)

[admin]

Construction crew at Dunbible

[admin]

Friday 25.04.1969. Photo by Peter Neve

[admin]

NRR train approaching Dunbible (photo take from the station location)

(Chris Sim)

[admin]

Location of the station (Melissa Darnley)

[admin]

Signboard at the location of the station (Melissa Darnley)

[admin]

# Dunbible (Casino–Murwillumbah Branch)
## Entries from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1894–1974

---

**Type:** Station (later Platform) 
**Line:** Murwillumbah Branch (Casino–Murwillumbah) 
**Distance from Sydney:** 928.490 km 
**Location:** -28.380440, 153.401230 
**Mileage (Working TT):** 576m 75c (M. 576.75 ch.) 
**Between:** Stokers and Murwillumbah 
**Opened:** 24 December 1894 
**Closed:** 30 June 1974 
**Status:** Closed 
**Name meaning:** From an early pioneer story — an old settler was reading his Bible on the creek banks, and when crossing on a log bridge the Bible fell into the creek. His Aboriginal companion remarked "Done Bible, boss" — and Dunbible it has been ever since. (Reported in an 1880s newspaper.) 

---

> **Notes:** Dunbible opened with the line on 24 December 1894. A 27.7-metre long Down platform was provided along with a waiting shed, storeroom and goods siding. A 5-tonne gantry crane was installed on **9 November 1905**. The location was moved **9.4 metres** during its life. The goods siding was abolished on **4 May 1955** (not 4 May 1965 as per some records — see note below), with the station reclassified to Platform (P). The final deletion from all publications was in 1974, consistent with the 30 June 1974 closure date.
>
> **Note on goods siding closure date:** Your notes record the goods siding closed **4/5/1965**. The Weekly Notices clearly document the siding abolished on **Wednesday, 4th May 1955** (W.N. 18–1955). The date 4/5/1955 and 4/5/1965 are easily confused — the Weekly Notice evidence strongly supports **1955**, not 1965.

---

## 1894 — Opening

> Dunbible opened on **24 December 1894** with the Casino–Murwillumbah line.

*(Per external records — no specific Weekly Notice entry found for the opening. Date confirmed in notes.)*

---

## 1905 — Gantry Crane Installed

> A **5-tonne gantry crane** was installed at Dunbible on **9 November 1905**.

*(Per external records — the crane appears in accommodation tables through to 1955 when the siding was abolished.)*

---

## 1913 — Ground Frame Installed

### Siding Points Worked from Ground Frame — 4 September 1913
> **Dunbible (Grafton–Tweed Line)** — On Thursday, **4th September, 1913**, the Siding Points, which are facing on the Up journey, Facing Point Lock to same, and the Catch-points in the Siding will be worked from a **Ground Frame fixed near the Main Line Points**, and must be operated in accordance with Regulation D on page 27 of the General Appendix.
>
> The Facing Point Lock Lever will be unlocked by **key on the Ordinary Train Staff for the section Burringbar–Murwillumbah**.

*(Source: 1913 Weekly Notices)*

---

## 1925 — Cream Traffic; Station Listed in Timetable

### Cream Lifted at Dunbible
> No. 35 (Mixed) lifts cream at Mooball and all intermediate stations and sidings from Yelgun to **Dunbible**, inclusive, for Murwillumbah.

*(Source: 1925 Weekly Notices — repeated in multiple issues)*

### Timetable Extract — Up Train
> Murwillumbah dep. 8.25 a.m., **Dunbible arr. 8.37 a.m. dep. 8.47 a.m.** (10-minute dwell), Stokers arr. 8.52 a.m. dep. 9.2 a.m., Upper Burringbar [thence to Mullumbimby].

*(Source: 1925 Working Timetable extract)*

---

## 1926 — Down and Up Timetable Times

### Down and Up Timetable Times
> Down: Stokers dep. 1.26 p.m., **Dunbible arr. 1.31 p.m. dep. 1.36 p.m.** (5-minute dwell), Murwillumbah arr. 1.45 p.m.
>
> Up: Murwillumbah dep. 8.25 a.m., **Dunbible arr. 8.37 a.m. dep. 8.47 a.m.** (10-minute dwell), Stokers arr. 9.2 a.m.

*(Source: 1926 Working Timetable — repeated in multiple issues)*

> **Note:** The asymmetric dwell times — 5 minutes Down and 10 minutes Up — suggest goods loading (cream, produce) was primarily in the Up direction (towards Murwillumbah), which is consistent with outgoing farm produce.

---

## 1927 — Reserved Seat Bookings

### Reserved Seats — Dunbible to Grafton
> Applications for **reserved seats** received at stations **Dunbible and Kyogle** to Grafton, and vice versa.

*(Source: 1927 Weekly Notices)*

> **Note:** The provision of reserved seat booking at Dunbible confirms it was a proper staffed or at least attended station capable of handling passenger booking services in 1927.

---

## 1931 — Working Time Allowances; Timetable Times

### Working Allowances
> **No. 57** (cream train, 75% load): **3 minutes Dunbible** for work.
> **No. 50** (Up goods): **1 minute Dunbible** for work.
> **No. 55** (goods): lifts cream traffic from Yelgun to **Dunbible**, inclusive.

*(Source: 1931 Weekly Notices)*

### Timetable Times — Up Goods
> Stoker's dep. [time], **Dunbible arr. 10.34 dep. 10.38 (10.39)**, Murwillumbah arr. 10.47.

*(Source: 1931 Working Timetable extract)*

---

## 1932 — Listed in Station Sequence and Distance Table

### Station Sequence
> Upper Burringbar (P) — Stokers (P) — **Dunbible (P)** — Murwillumbah.

### Distance Table
> **Stokers — 578 [miles]**; **Dunbible — 582 [miles]**; Murwillumbah — 582 [miles].
>
> *(Also listed at 582 miles: North Coast Steam Navigation Co.'s Siding, Tweed River Co-operative Butter Co.'s Shed, Colonial Sugar Refining Co. sidings — all at Murwillumbah.)*

*(Source: 1932 Working Timetable listing)*

---

## 1933 — Timetable Correction

### Timetable Type Correction
> **Page 211** — Type dropped in column for No. 62 should read:
> Murwillumbah dep., **Dunbible** [arr./dep.], Stokers [arr./dep.], Upper Burringbar [arr.], Burringbar arr./dep.

*(W.N. — 1933)*

---

## 1947 — Shire of Tweed Boundary

### Shire of Tweed — Crabbe's Creek to Dunbible
> **Shire of Tweed — Crabbe's Creek to Dunbible, inclusive.**

*(Source: 1947 Weekly Notices — Public Holiday schedules; repeated 1948 and 1949)*

---

## 1955 — Goods Siding Abolished; Reclassified to Platform

### Goods Siding Abolished — 4 May 1955
> **Dunbible (Casino–Murwillumbah) — Abolition of Siding** — On Wednesday, **4th May, 1955**, between 8.0 a.m. and 4.0 p.m., the points and crossing in the Main Line leading to the siding at **577m 02c** will be removed and the siding abolished.
>
> Frame "A" and connections will be removed.
>
> *(Flagmen required at Dunbible during the alteration, as well as at St. Mary's, Penrith and Uranquinty.)*

*(W.N. 18–1955.)*

### Intermediate Sidings — References Deleted
> **Dunbible (Casino–Murwillumbah)** — The references to Dunbible are to be deleted [from Intermediate Sidings — System of Working]. (S. & T.E. Comm. 54–553,902–W. & M.) *(W.N. 18–1955.)*
>
> **Dunbible (Casino–Murwillumbah)** — The references to Dunbible so far as the Siding is concerned are to be deleted [from Stations, Platforms and Sidings]. (S. & T.E. Comm. 54–553,902–W. & M.) *(W.N. 18–1955.)*

### Reclassified to Platform; Livestock Facilities Deleted
> **Dunbible (Casino–Murwillumbah Branch)** — The Goods Siding at Dunbible has been abolished. **Insert (P)** after station name. Delete "Pt" under heading "Sheep, Pig and Cattle Races." (B. 2–55–22,405.) *(W.N. 22–1955.)*
>
> **Dunbible (Casino–Murwillumbah Branch)** — Delete "L" in column "Goods and Live Stock Freight to be Prepaid." (B. 2–55–22,405.) *(W.N. 22–1955.)*

> **Note:** The concurrent deletion of the livestock races designation ("Pt" — pigs and cattle) and the "L" (livestock prepaid) column confirms that Dunbible had active livestock handling facilities in addition to the goods siding — both abolished together with the siding in 1955.

---

## 1959 — Load Restrictions

### Load Restrictions — Upper Burringbar–Dunbible and Dunbible–Murwillumbah
> **Upper Burringbar–Dunbible**: load restriction code **b28a** applies.
> **Dunbible–Murwillumbah**: load restriction code **6a** and **13a** applies.

*(Source: 1959 Working Timetable — load restriction table)*

---

## 1962 — Speed Reference

### Speed Board — Dunbible–Murwillumbah
> **Dunbible–Murwillumbah**: 30 mph. *(W.N. 47–1962.)*

---

## 1963 — Speed Board Sections

### Speed Board Sections
> **Dunbible–Murwillumbah**: 577m 40c — 30/40 mph; 578m 40c; 579m 18c; 579m 48c; 580m 48c; 580m 54c.

*(Source: 1963 Working Timetable — speed boards)*

---

## 1964 — Deleted from Border Station Listings

### Deleted from Casino–Murwillumbah Line Border Station List
> Delete **Crabbe's Creek and Dunbible** [from Casino–Murwillumbah Line Border Station listings]. (C. 1–64–25,471–2.) *(W.N. 42–1964.)*

---

## 1971 — Speed Board Reference

### Speed Board — Dunbible–Murwillumbah
> **Dunbible–Murwillumbah**: 577m 40c (30 mph), 578m 40c, 579m 18c, 579m 48c, 580m 48c, 580m 54c.

*(Source: 1971 Working Timetable — speed boards)*

---

## 1973 — Local Appendix; Deletion Review

### Local Appendix — Page 64
> **Page 64 — Dunbible and Eltham** — listed in Local Appendix, Northern Division. *(W.N. 40–1973.)*

### Listed for Deletion — 1973
> **Woodlawn College, St Helena, Dunbible** — listed together in deletion schedule. *(W.N. 40–1973.)*

---

## 1974 — Closed; Deleted from All Publications

### Deleted from Multiple Publications
> **List of Stations, Sidings, and Platforms — Casino–Murwillumbah Branch** — Delete Dunbible and relevant particulars. *(W.N. 29–1974.)*
>
> **Alphabetical List of Stations** — Delete Dunbible and relevant particulars. *(W.N. 30–1974.)*
>
> **List of Stations, etc.** — Delete Dunbible and relevant particulars. (Pages 190–192.) *(W.N. 30–1974.)*
>
> **Stations, Platforms and Sidings — Accommodation Provided — Casino–Murwillumbah Branch** — Delete M. 576.75 ch. Dunbible and relevant particulars. *(W.N. 44–1974.)*
>
> **DUNBIBLE** — Delete station name and relevant particulars. *(W.N. 44–1974.)*
>
> **Grades at Stations, Sidings, Platforms and Signal-boxes — Casino–Murwillumbah Branch** — Delete Dunbible and relevant particulars. *(W.N. 44–1974.)*

*(W.N. 29, 30 and 44–1974)*

---

## Summary of Key Events

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| 24 December 1894 | **Opened** — Down platform 27.7m long; waiting shed, storeroom and goods siding provided |
| 9 November 1905 | **5-tonne gantry crane installed** |
| 4 September 1913 | Ground frame installed at siding — unlocked by Burringbar–Murwillumbah train staff (W.N. — 1913) |
| 1925 | Cream lifted at Dunbible for Murwillumbah; 10-minute Up dwell in timetable |
| 1926 | Down timetable: arr. 1.31 p.m. dep. 1.36 p.m. (5-minute dwell) |
| 1927 | Reserved seat bookings accepted at Dunbible to/from Grafton |
| 1931 | 1–3 minutes allowed for goods/cream work |
| **4 May 1955** | **Goods siding abolished** at 577m 02c — Frame A removed; livestock facilities deleted; reclassified to Platform (P) (W.N. 18 and 22–1955) |
| W.N. 42–1964 | Deleted from Border Station listings |
| **30 June 1974** | **Station closed** |
| W.N. 29, 30 and 44–1974 | Deleted from all publications |

---

*Extracted from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1894–1974.* 
*Note: The goods siding closure date of 4 May 1955 (W.N. 18–1955) supersedes the external record date of 4/5/1965 — the Weekly Notice evidence is unambiguous.*