The arrival of the Adelaide to Gawler railway was importantto the town of Smithfield. The stationwas opened on June 1st, 1857. The building was constructed in 1856 and was one of the oldest of its type in the state.
The line was constructed to connect the Adelaide with copper resources at Kapunda and Burra, as well as to provide passenger and freight services to the new town of Gawler. Originally running through rural land, the line is now surrounded by suburbs and has developed into a suburban commuter line. The line is three tracks between Adelaide and Salisbury (two broad gauge and one standard gauge), two tracks between Salisbury and Gawler (both broad gauge), and a single broad gauge track between Gawler and Gawler Central.
At the time of construction the train ran from Adelaide to Dry Creek, Salisbury then to Smithfield. There were three trains per day, the first to Smithfield left Adelaide at 7:45 and arrived at Smithfield at 8:40. Other trains left Adelaide at 11:45 and 3:45. From Smithfield to Adelaide, the first train left at 9:30, 1:30 and 5:30, a 55 minute journey.
The Smithfield Railway Station was open 24 hours a day and had a resident stationmaster and four staff. The farming community had kept staff busy loading and unloading sheep, cattle and bagged cereal crops to and from the district.
Many of the old cottage in the township of Smithfield were owned by people who worked on the railways. The Railway even built several cottages were the station Masters and other workers could live. These still stand today in Graeber road, Smithfield.
In 1931 the Railways did not think it necessary to employ a Station Master. However in 1945 with the construction of the Explosive Magazine area, the building of military storage sheds, a Station Master was reappointed. Their job was to issue tickets and deal with parcels.
When the station closed 1975 it was leased to the Munno Para Council by the State Transport Authority. It was used as by a youth employment group as a training base for young jobless. When they moved the building was left vacant and was heavily vandalised. The Council was faced with huge costs of repairs and updating facilities, they could find no new use for the building.
The station was placed on the National Trust Heritage Register in May 1978.
The building was demolished in June 1987.
Amazingly a selection of telegraph messages and notes have been preserved relating to the Smithfield railway station. The earliest dates from 1841 but the majority are from the 1880’s.
The Station masters life must be extremely busy, the station served as a telegraph station, a goods receiving and dispatching station as well as all the passenger movement.
There is a wide assortment of handwritten notes, asking the stationmaster to forward goods arriving on the train, or giving goods to the bearer of the note. It is interesting to see what types of goods were purchased, everything from barrels of wine to animal skins. More interesting is the handwriting and signatures that are found at the bottom of each note.
OTH July 28, 1883
To the Station master, Smithfield
Dear Sir,
Please let the bearer T. Kennewell have the oats and potatoes for me from Hokett.
Robert Davy
The majority of telegraph messages relate to the loss of a loved one, or calling family to come quickly as someone is near death.
Grandfather died this morning buried tomorrow three thirty Zoar
