Serviceton Railway

The town of Serviceton (named after former Victorian Premier - Sir James Service) was gazetted on 1st January 1887. In the early years in had general stores, bakery, butcher, blacksmith, boarding houses and livery stables, temperance hotel, coffee palace and wine bar.

It became a major border crossing and an important customs station for goods passing between the colonies of South Australia and Victoria.

A Late Victorian railway station was built in 1887 of red bricks transported from Horsham. The building opened in 1889.

From the front, it had a central two storey symmetrical neo-Classical polychromatic brick station building accommodating former residential functions with flanking office wings.

The ground floor level consists of 15 main rooms, and accommodated toilets, waiting rooms, dining and sitting room, bar and kitchen, offices, lobby and customs office.

The Refreshment Room is 52 feet long with high ceilings, it is still used today for functions.

Upstairs Refreshment Manager's Bedroom

The extensive underground storage and service area was equipped with a mortuary for bodies being shipped across the border and there is a dungeon lock-up furnished with iron rings fastened to the walls, which was used for criminals captured in the disputed area or to be held over until the next train and prisoners who were being transported interstate.

The Cellar

The enormous 70-metre platform with cast iron posted verandah of standard design faces the running lines and is the largest example of its type, the platform was the longest in the State, until a portion was removed in the late 1980s.

The outbuilding/staff hostel, van goods shed, lamp room signal box goods shed and platform have all been removed.
There were two engine sheds but, with the lack of local water, the original water reservoir for the trains was constructed astride the boundary line.

The Guards Rooms

The customs office set up shop in the railway station to ensure duty was paid for goods taken interstate but the law was difficult to enforce as the town was in the 'Disputed Territory', a strip of land 4.5 km in width which stretched along the length of the state border.

The station was closed in 1986.

The Customs Store Rooms