Old Townsville railway station

Old Townsville
Old Townsville railway station, 2006
Location	Flinders Street, Townsville
Coordinates	Coordinates: 19°15′50″S 146°48′52″E / 19.2638°S 146.8145°E / -19.2638; 146.8145
Owned by	Queensland Rail
Operated by	Traveltrain
Line(s)	North Coast
Construction
Structure type	Ground
History
Opened	24 December 1913
Closed	May 2003

Old Townsville railway station formerly the Great Northern railway station, is a three-storey, red brick structure on Flinders Street in Townsville CBD, Queensland, Australia. The original terminus for The Great Northern Railway, the station became an important in the economic growth of Townsville during the early 20th century. The building is featured in a number of famous photos taken at celebrations of victory following World War II. A new station to service Townsville was built in the early 21st century and the platform is used for displays of historical photographs and articles. The building still houses Queensland Rail administrative offices.

Constructed in a style similar to the great 19th century railway stations of Europe and Great Britain, the three-storey red brick structure sits on the corner of Flinders and Blackwood Streets at the western end of the Townsville CBD. The front facade of the building features balustraded verandas on the first and second storeys of the building's front facade with two prominent gabled extrusions from the main structure which identify the passenger and administrative entrances the building. The front facade of the building also features a large awning supported by large iron brackets. The main roof of the structure is hipped with a number of small side-structures at the eastern end of the building also featuring hipped roofs. A four-storey brick addition was attached to the western end of the building in 1965 and features a distinctly different architectural style to the rest of the structure.

Few of the building's original features remain intact. However, the former ticket hall features all its original fittings, including tiled floors and walls as well as an honour board for railway workers who died in World War I. The female toilets on ground floor also contain an original, though repainted, pressed metal ceiling. Most of the administrative areas of the building have been refitted over the years to assimilate to the needs of modern office usage. However, a large internal square stairwell with stick balustrading is still intact, as well as the large french doors with glass fanlights which open onto the verandas on the upper levels of the structure.