Locals proudly gathered at Violet Town railway station on Monday, March 20, to celebrate 150 years since the railway opened, connecting Melbourne, the Goulburn Valley and north-east Victoria.
The connection between Violet Town and Wodonga was completed a few months later.
Brian Garrett, from the Violet Town History Group, said the north-east line provided an important link to regional Victoria.
“The Violet Town Goods Shed was the closest freight hub to Shepparton for seven years,” Mr Garrett said.
“So (it) was quite important in the early development of Shepparton and surrounding districts at that time, particularly up until the 1880s.’’
Violet Town historian Bruce Cumming said the line, which was then broad-gauge, opened a connection to within a few kilometres of the NSW border.
“It would be another 10 years before the NSW railway to Albury and the interstate linking bridge over the Murray River was completed,” Mr Cumming said.
“The connection across the river allowed both passengers and freight to be transferred directly between the two state railway systems at the newly built Albury station.”
In 1962 a standard-gauge line through Victoria beside the existing line allowed non-stop connection between Sydney and Melbourne.
To celebrate this anniversary, the Violet Town History Group and the local museum have installed a new exhibition.
It includes photos, models, information boards and historic items, and visitors are encouraged to pop in and have a chat about their experiences on the railway.
Railway enthusiasts, often affectionately known as ‘gunzels’, have visited Violet Town in recent months, particularly to spend time at the award-winning Southern Aurora Memorial Garden, learning about the rescue efforts in 1969, and paying tribute to the many hundreds involved and affected.