Cubawee

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Type : Platform
Line : Murwillumbah Branch
Distance from Sydney : 829.130km
Location : -28.796463, 153.206709
Opened : October 1946
Closed : 10 September 1966
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Probably an Aboriginal word
Notes: Cubawee opened October 1946 (W.N. 44–1946) with a 16-foot Down side platform at Mileage 513m 1c between Leycester and Tuncester. Unattended; passengers, parcels and small goods under siding and platform conditions; control Old Casino; station brand CWE; Power's codes OCR-garbled. Extended to 32 feet (9.75 metres) in 1950 (W.N. 18 and 28–1950; ref. V.49–62,196 and A.1–50–21,203). Through booking of parcels asterisk inserted W.N. 12–1947. Closed 10 September 1966; deleted from all publications W.N. 36 and 37–1966. The site is the location of the Cubawee Aboriginal Reserve; a school operated here as "Dunoon" in 1909 with a platform planned but not built at that time.

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Cubawee - undated (State Archives)

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Looking over the location of the one-time platform at Cubawee (2025)

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# Cubawee (Murwillumbah Branch)
## Entries from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1946–1966

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**Type:** Platform (Closed) 
**Line:** Murwillumbah Branch (Casino–Murwillumbah) 
**Distance from Sydney:** 829.130 km (Mileage **513m 1c** — per 1946 opening notice; between Leycester and Tuncester) 
**Location:** -28.796463, 153.206709 
**Between:** Leycester (south) and Tuncester (north) 
**Opened:** **October 1946** — W.N. 44–1946; 16-foot Down side platform; passengers, parcels and small goods 
**Platform extended:** **1950** — total length **32 feet (9.75 metres)** — W.N. 18–1950 and W.N. 28–1950 
**Closed:** **10 September 1966** — W.N. 36 and 37–1966 (ref. A.1–66–40,619 and B.2–66–21,882) 
**Status:** Closed 
**Name meaning:** Probably Aboriginal — the site of the Cubawee Aboriginal Reserve 

### Historical Note — Earlier Planned Platform
A school existed at this location in 1909 under the name "Dunoon." Construction plans noted "platform abolished" — suggesting a platform was planned but not implemented at that time. The 1946 platform was the eventual realisation. (Per your notes.)

### At Opening (W.N. 44–1946)
**Platform:** **16 feet (4.87 metres)** — **Down side** of line at Mileage **513m 1c** between Leycester and Tuncester; known as **CUBAWEE** 
**Traffic:** Passengers, parcels and small lots of goods — unattended; all traffic under **siding and platform conditions** 
**Control:** **Old Casino** 
**Power's Freight Accounting codes:** 
- Ordinary traffic: **2C11** (OCR garbled — possibly 2411 or similar) 
- Local traffic: **2C2–3** (OCR garbled — likely 2C2 series) 
**Station Brand:** **CWE** 

### Platform Extension (1950)
**W.N. 18–1950:** Platform extended to total length of **32 feet (9.75 metres)**; W.N. 44–1946 amended (ref. V.49–62,196) 
**W.N. 28–1950:** Same extension confirmed — total 32 feet (ref. A.1–50–21,203) 
*Note: Two separate WN entries confirm the same extension — published in different WNs through different administrative streams.*

### Through Booking of Parcels (1947)
**W.N. 12–1947:** Through Booking of Parcels, Perambulators, Etc. — Interstate Pamphlet (page 49) — insert **asterisk (*)** before Cubawee (ref. C.4–47–28,958) — indicating limited parcel service

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> **Notes:** Cubawee opened October 1946 (W.N. 44–1946) with a 16-foot Down side platform at Mileage 513m 1c between Leycester and Tuncester. Unattended; passengers, parcels and small goods under siding and platform conditions; control Old Casino; station brand CWE; Power's codes OCR-garbled. Extended to 32 feet (9.75 metres) in 1950 (W.N. 18 and 28–1950; ref. V.49–62,196 and A.1–50–21,203). Through booking of parcels asterisk inserted W.N. 12–1947. Closed 10 September 1966; deleted from all publications W.N. 36 and 37–1966. The site is the location of the Cubawee Aboriginal Reserve; a school operated here as "Dunoon" in 1909 with a platform planned but not built at that time.

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## 1946 — Opened October 1946 — W.N. 44–1946; 16 Feet Down Side; Mileage 513m 1c

### Opening — W.N. 44–1946
> **Page 63 — Cubawee (Casino–Murwillumbah) — Provision of Platform** — A platform, **16 feet** in length, situated on the **Down side** of the line at Mileage **513m 1c**, between Leycester and Tuncester, and known as **CUBAWEE**, is in use.
>
> Passengers, parcels and small lots of goods traffic may be accepted for Cubawee, which is **unattended** and under the control of **Old Casino**.
>
> All traffic must be dealt with under **siding and platform conditions**.
>
> **Power's Freight Accounting** — The code numbers for Power's Freight Accounting are: 
> Ordinary traffic: [2411 series — OCR garbled] 
> Local traffic: [2C2 series — OCR garbled]
>
> **Station Brand:** The station brand is **CWE**. *(W.N. 44–1946)*

### Cubawee (P) Listed — W.N. — 1946
> **Page 282 — Casino–Murwillumbah Branch** — Insert **Cubawee (P)** [and relevant mileage]. (B.2–46–60,974.) *(W.N. — 1946)*

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## 1947 — Through Booking of Parcels — W.N. 12–1947

### Parcels Pamphlet — W.N. 12–1947
> **Through Booking of Parcels, Perambulators, Etc. — Interstate Pamphlet — Page 49** — Insert **asterisk (*)** before **Cubawee**. (C.4–47–28,958.) *(W.N. 12–1947)*

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## 1950 — Platform Extended to 32 Feet — W.N. 18 and 28–1950

### Platform Extended — W.N. 18–1950
> **Page 63 — Stations, Platforms and Sidings — Accommodation Provided — Cubawee (Casino–Murwillumbah)** — The station platform has been extended to a total length of **32 feet**.
>
> The information as shown in Weekly Notice No. 44 of 1946 to be amended accordingly. (V.49–62,196.) *(W.N. 18–1950)*

### Platform Extension Confirmed — W.N. 28–1950
> **Page 63 — Stations, Platforms and Sidings — Accommodation Provided — Cubawee (Casino–Murwillumbah)** — The platform has been extended to a total length of **32 feet**. The information as shown in Weekly Notice No. 44 of 1946 to be amended accordingly. (A.1–50–21,203.) *(W.N. 28–1950)*

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## 1966 — Closed and Deleted — W.N. 36 and 37–1966

### Working Timetable and Public Timetable Deleted — W.N. 36–1966
> **Working Timetable — Northern Division — Pages 234 to 237** — Delete **Cubawee** and relative particulars. (A.1–66–40,619.) *(W.N. 36–1966)*

> **Public Timetable — Country — Pages 7 and 84** — Delete **Cubawee** and relative particulars. (A.1–66–40,619.) *(W.N. 36–1966)*

> **Alphabetical List of Stations, Platforms and Sidings Book — Page 28** — Delete **Cubawee** and relative particulars. (A.1–66–40,619.) *(W.N. 36–1966)*

> **Local Appendix — Page 87 — Stations, Platforms and Sidings — Accommodation Provided — Casino–Murwillumbah Branch** — Delete **Cubawee** and relative particulars. (A.1–66–40,619.) *(W.N. 36–1966)*

> **Local Appendix — Page 104 — Grades at Stations, Sidings, Platforms and Signal-boxes — Casino–Murwillumbah Branch** — Delete **Cubawee** and relative particulars. (A.1–66–40,619.) *(W.N. 36–1966)*

### Rates Books Deleted — W.N. 37–1966
> **Page 154 — List of Stations** — Delete **Cubawee** and relative particulars. (B.2–66–21,882.) *(W.N. 37–1966)*

> **Page 188 — Alphabetical List of Stations** — Delete **Cubawee** and relative particulars. (B.2–66–21,882.) *(W.N. 37–1966)*

> **Page 223 — List of Stations, Sidings, and Platforms on all Lines — Casino–Murwillumbah Line** — Delete **Cubawee** and relative particulars. (B.2–66–21,882.) *(W.N. 37–1966)*

> **Page 64 — New South Wales Stations** — Delete **Cubawee**. (C.1–66–20,843.) *(W.N. 37–1966)*

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## Summary of Key Events

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| 1909 | School at location under name "Dunoon"; platform planned but noted "abolished" in construction plans (per your notes) |
| **October 1946** | **Opened** — W.N. 44–1946; **16-foot (4.87 m)** Down side platform at Mileage **513m 1c** between Leycester and Tuncester; unattended; passengers, parcels, small goods; control Old Casino; station brand **CWE** |
| W.N. — 1946 | Listed as **Cubawee (P)** in Casino–Murwillumbah Line accommodation table (ref. B.2–46–60,974) |
| **W.N. 12–1947** | Insert * in Through Booking of Parcels pamphlet (ref. C.4–47–28,958) |
| **W.N. 18–1950** | Platform extended to **32 feet (9.75 metres)** — W.N. 44–1946 amended (ref. V.49–62,196) |
| **W.N. 28–1950** | Platform extension confirmed — same 32 feet (ref. A.1–50–21,203) |
| **10 September 1966** | **Platform closed** |
| **W.N. 36–1966** | Deleted from Working Timetable (pages 234–237), Public Timetable (pages 7 and 84), Alphabetical List (page 28), Accommodation (page 87), Grades (page 104) — ref. A.1–66–40,619 |
| **W.N. 37–1966** | Deleted from List of Stations (page 154), Alphabetical List (page 188), List of all Lines (page 223), NSW Stations (page 64) — refs B.2–66–21,882 and C.1–66–20,843 |

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*Extracted from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1946–1966.* 
*Note: Cubawee is one of the latest-opening platforms in the Murwillumbah branch collection — October 1946 — and one of the few platforms specifically associated with an Aboriginal Reserve. The dual 1950 extension entries (W.N. 18 and W.N. 28) under two different file references (V.49–62,196 and A.1–50–21,203) are unusual — the V-series reference (Works branch) and the A-series reference (Traffic/Operations) processed the same physical change through two separate administrative streams in the same year. The station brand "CWE" is one of the more distinctive three-letter codes in the branch collection. The 20-year operational life (1946–1966) and the doubling of platform length from 16 to 32 feet in just four years suggests the Reserve community's use of the platform grew significantly in the late 1940s.*