THE rattle of train carriages winding their way through Mount Gambier and pulling into the roundhouse at the city’s railway yards is a distant memory.
While the heritage roundhouse was among the last remnants of the city’s once bustling rail sector, it has also now disappeared from our landscape.
Demolition contractors have now razed the 65-year-old towering railway shed that was built adjacent the rail corridor that cuts through the heart of the city.
The site now resembles a vacant allotment with its history swept away by heavy machinery and the State Government’s agenda to demolish the fire-damaged structure.
In the end, it took less than four days for the structure to be pulled down, which was one of only three left standing in South Australia.
While a group of campaigners and the National Trust of SA called for the demolition works to be stopped, the state’s transport department gave the green light for contractors to move onto the site.
An engineer’s report recommended the railway shed be demolished given it had been structurally damaged by fire, there was little scope for rehabilitation and the deteriorating shed posed a safety threat to the community.
Mount Gambier railway enthusiast Bill Towner – who was instrumental in running the Limestone Coast Tourist Railway between 1997 to 2006 – described the demolition of the roundhouse as the end of an era for the city’s rail infrastructure history.
Mr Towner – who spent significant time at the railway shed that housed the historic Red Hen train carriages – said it was an uphill battle during the Limestone Coast Railway operations to maintain the building.
He said the railway yards were a constant target for vandals.
“We even had our watchdog at the site poisoned in the end,” Mr Towner said.
Although a keen rail history buff, he said the writing was on the wall for the roundhouse.
“Unless they found a good use for it, it would have been difficult to keep it given the ongoing vandalism at the site,” Mr Towner said.
“While a few people were upset about its demolition, it was practically a tin shed.”
The Limestone Coast Railway – which meandered from Mount Gambier to Penola – was well supported in the community during its operations.
Unfortunately, sky-rocketing insurance premiums sounded the death-knell of the tourist train.
“It was good for the community and it was sad to see it go,” Mr Towner said.
He said he would like to see rail freight return to the South East.
A set of photographs documenting the site has been completed, which was a key condition of demolition approval.
The heavy Oregon timbers have also been salvaged, along with a piece of graffiti artwork.
The State Government is yet to indicate its plans for the sprawling site, which is believed to be around 14 acres.
Save the Roundhouse campaigners have expressed their disgust at the unkempt nature of the government-owned site.
