NSWRail & telegraph
Werris Creek
A town created where railway routes split.
1877Rail junction chosen
WHAT STARTED IT
Werris Creek grew because railways needed a junction and depot. Here trains could continue north or branch towards Gunnedah and the north-west, creating work in operating, maintaining and supplying the network.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
The junction decision in 1877 established the town’s central role. Station refreshment rooms, railway housing and a depot supported both travellers and employees. Changes in railway technology and staffing later reduced the scale of the railway community.
TURNING POINTS
1877The government chooses Werris Creek as a junction and depot.
1879The north-west branch opens and makes Werris Creek an operating railway junction.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A small town whose station, Rail Journeys museum and Australian Railway Monument retain a strong national railway identity.