Rookwood Cemetery railway line, Sydney

The Rookwood Cemetery Line used to be a part of the Sydney suburban network now known as CityRail. The line serviced Rookwood Cemetery and was built in 1864, opening on 22 October 1864 [http://www.allsaintsainslie.org.au/herit.htm Heritage] page from [http://www.allsaintsainslie.org.au/ All Saint's Church Ainslie website] ] [http://home.iprimus.com.au/bexleyboy/openings/text.html List of Opening Dates of N.S.W. Rail Lines Prior to June 1942: Compiled from listings in The Retired Rail and Tramwayman, 1942] ] .

With the closure of the Town Hall and Devonshire Cemeteries by the mid 1800's and an ever increasing population, a decision was made to purchase a huge area of land (250 acres) in 1862 to establish the Necropolis at Haslem’s Creek in 1867. [Ochert, M.S. (1998) The Mortuary Station to Rookwood in Locality, 9 (2) pp.23-26. ] The term Necropolis comes from the Greek 'nekropolis' or 'City of the Dead'.

As this location was some distance from the centre of Sydney and from the main-line train station at Haslem’s Creek, it was considered necessary to establish a railway station at the centre of the cemetery. This line would run as a spur line from the existing station at Haslem’s creek and allow easier movement into and out of the cemetery. The railway line construction began in November 1864 and from January 1 1865 trains began their run into the cemetery. [Ochert, M.S. (1998) ] However, The Sydney Morning Herald advertised the first regular services from 1st April 1867. The times advertised were for services at 8.30am and 4.15pm. Later this was changed to 9.15am and 3pm. [Singleton, C.C. (1989) The Rookwood Cemetery Line in The Sleeping City: The Story of Rookwood, Society of Australian Genealogists, NSW.] It stopped at prearranged stations on the journey from central Sydney in order to pick up mourners and coffins. [Ochert, M.S. (1998) ]

At the time of its opening the line went as far as Cemetery Station No. 1. On 26 May 1897 an extension of the line to Cemetery Station No. 3 was opened . The extension required the removal of a waiting room on the rear wall of the Cemetery Station No. 1, so the line could pass right through the building. A final extension, to Cemetery Station No. 4 opened on 19 June 1908. The line closed in 1948.

The last trains that ran funeral processions all but ceased in the late 1930’s. Following this they were only used for visitors on Sundays and Mother’s Day [ NSW Government Bulletin 1948 in Ochert, 1998. ] The service was briefly revived during World War II during petrol rationing. The last railway timetable was recorded in 1947 and read Sydney 2.17pm to Strathfield 2.33pm to Rookwood #1, 2.50pm [ Friends of Rookwood Inc (1996) RIP Rookwood in Profile – Newsletter of the Friends of Rookwood Inc, Vol 1, March, NSW. ]

On the 3rd of April, 1948 the service was officially terminated and the rails were pulled up. The spur was recorded as closed on the 29th December 1948 [ Archives of NSW Railway Historical Society in Ochert, 1998). ]

Rookwood Cemetery line stations

Station names are based on the current name of the station, or the name of the station when it was closed.

* Regents Street
* Cemetery Station No. 1
* Cemetery Station No. 2
* Cemetery Station No. 3
* Cemetery Station No. 4

References

Additional reading

"The Rookwood Cemetery Line" Singleton, C.C. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, February, 1960 pp17-28