Council & Business
13 November, 2023
Station redevelopment works revealed
Stage two works on the Maryborough Railway Station are complete, with an official celebration marking the occasion last week. The redevelopment included the upgrade of the visitor centre, including a digital animation telling the story of gold and...
Stage two works on the Maryborough Railway Station are complete, with an official celebration marking the occasion last week.
The redevelopment included the upgrade of the visitor centre, including a digital animation telling the story of gold and how its discovery has shaped our region — a replica of the famous Welcome Stranger gold nugget can also be viewed.
The project was jointly funded with $1.8 million from the Victorian Government’s Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund and $200,000 from the Central Goldfields Shire Council, and was delivered by Australian Indigenous construction company Barpa Pty Ltd.
“We’re incredibly fortunate to be home to the iconic Maryborough Railway Station and to have such a rich goldfields history in our region,” mayor Grace La Vella said.
“Maryborough is located at the centre of the unique Victorian Goldfields region and is pivotal to the Victorian Goldfields World Heritage Bid.
“The redevelopment celebrates this and has transformed the station into a local and visitor hub. Visitation is growing daily and the station, already an iconic attraction now has so much more to offer to our many visitors as well as our local community.
“It’s a really exciting time for us in the Central Goldfields. With our redeveloped Central Goldfields Art Gallery and the Indigenous Interpretive Garden still to come — together with the station project — we now have two fantastic major attractions bookending the town and showcasing the community’s story in creative ways by drawing visitors and locals through town.
“The station and garden honour our rich heritage and contribute to economic growth in the future. Both are public spaces for mixing, celebrating unique past and present stories, learning, understanding, healing, and reconciliation. Both are cornerstones of the growth of future tourism in the local area.”
Stage three of the project is still to come and will involve activation of the arts hub and sculpture courtyard.
“We will continue to advocate for a further $3 million for the next stage of the project — which will involve activation of the creative space and sculpture courtyard and further story telling capability,” Cr La Vella said.