She's 140 years old and hasn't been lived in since 2000. but the Stationmaster's residence at Wallendbeen has been the subject of some attention by the Wallendbeen Community Association (WCA) recently.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The cottage, in King Street, was built in 1880, when the original, since demolished, Wallendbeen railway station was in front of it, just opposite where the silos now are.
It was also in the days when kitchens were built separately from the main house, to lessen fire risk.
There is a small weatherboard former kitchen at the rear, since joined to the main house with a lean-to hallway and extra bedroom.
Some of these extensions were built with old-fashioned fibro, which now carries an asbestos warning.
The house was opened for WCA members to look through on Saturday May 30, just after the covid-19 lockdown was eased.
Most agreed the main part was sound enough to warrant preservation, subject to an expert building assessment.
A well-attended meeting of WCA last Wednesday night authorised a member to continue negotiations with the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC, the building's owners).
ARTC have already indicated they could view favourably an application for the building to be leased to WCA for community purposes.
Ideas included relocating the current community postal agency from the Memorial Hall to the cottage and possibly combining it with a coffee shop/social club.
The cottage looks untidy from King Steet and it was suggested a long-term lease would at least enable WCA to get in there and make it presentable.
The last occupants of the cottage were the Llewllyn family, stationmaster Selwyn and his wife Ivy and their children.
Mrs Selwyn, who died in 1993, was reportedly a keen gardener and kept the garden beautifully. The area is now surrounded by suckers from the stately old elm trees in the main street.
ARTC is also apparently open to the "new" railway station, around 500 metres from the village centre northbound, being used for community purposes.
The WCA meeting also received the good news that the council has identified $90,000 available for works around the War Memorial and main street, and had invited WCA to submit a clear plan on priorities.
Sambafest 2020, a colourful dance street party which was to have been held outside the Wallendbeen pub at Easter, has been rescheduled for New Year's Eve.
The council is still holding funding for the painting of a mural on the silos, but so far WCA has been unable to get permission from Graincorp for the mural to proceed.
The silos have not been de-commissioned, and Graincorp apparently believes they should be kept in their current state in case of a bumper wheat harvest. There are also safety issues, but negotiations are continuing.
Other items discussed at the WCA meeting include proposals for a network of bike and walking paths in the village, and improving facilities for camping and caravans at the oval.