Serviceton, Victoria
| Serviceton Victoria | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Platform side of Serviceton railway station | |||||||
  Serviceton | |||||||
| Coordinates | 36°22′0″S 140°59′0″E / 36.36667°S 140.98333°ECoordinates: 36°22′0″S 140°59′0″E / 36.36667°S 140.98333°E | ||||||
| Population | 270 (2011 census)[1] | ||||||
| Established | 1887 | ||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3420 | ||||||
| Elevation | 119 m (390 ft) | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
| LGA(s) | Shire of West Wimmera | ||||||
| State electorate(s) | Lowan | ||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Mallee | ||||||
| |||||||
Serviceton is a small town in Victoria, Australia, located near the Victorian-South Australian border, 437 kilometres north-west of Melbourne. The town was named after James Service, Premier of Victoria in 1880 and from 1883-86. At the 2011 census, Serviceton and the surrounding area had a population of 270.[1]
When the Victorian and South Australian railways were joined at the old border in 1887, a station was built on the border. The border was intended to be on the 141st meridian east but, owing to a surveying error, border markers were placed 3.6 km west of the meridian. Victoria finally succeeded in having the erroneously surveyed border declared to be the legal border in 1913, and therefore Serviceton is now fully in Victoria. The station is not used but The Overland passes through the town.[2] Nevertheless, the old South Australian Railways, and its successors, the Australian National Railways Commission, the National Rail Corporation and the Australian Rail Track Corporation have continued to own the railway to Serviceton outright. Serviceton Post Office opened on 16 September 1886, from 1908 to 1911 it was known as Serviceton Railway Station. A Serviceton North office on the Western Highway operated from 1911 until 1954 and a Serviceton South office was open briefly in 1926 and 1927.[3]
The town is the subject of a Tom Waits song entitled "Town With No Cheer" from his album Swordfishtrombones.[4]
Golfers play at the course of the Serviceton Golf Club on the Adelaide-Melbourne Highway.[5]
Serviceton railway station
The Serviceton railway station was erected as a junction station between the Serviceton railway line of Victoria and the Adelaide-Wolseley railway line of South Australia.[6]
The tender to build the station was accepted in 1887 at 8449 pounds and 9 shillings. The cost was equally shared between the two states.[6]
The building was completed in 1889 with Horsham made bricks used in construction.[6]
Upstairs and platform level consist of 15 main rooms with the basement level having a similar area for storage. The basement sections were known as Mortuary and Dungeons.[6]
The Serviceton Train Station was used as a Customs House until 3 March 1986 when it was closed down.[6]
The building was leased by the Shire of West Wimmera from VLine with a Committee of Management elected from the local community of Serviceton & District who voluntary operate, maintain and preserve it.[6]
Notes
- 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Serviceton (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- ↑ "Serviceton". Travel. The Sydney Morning Herald. February 8, 2004. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
- ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Retrieved 2008-04-11.
- ↑ "Swordfishtrombones - Lyrics". Ripcat. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
- ↑ Golf Select. "Serviceton". Retrieved 2009-05-11.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Serviceton Railway Station | West Wimmera Shire". www.westwimmera.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 2016-06-04.