Cannon Hill Railway Station

Prior to the construction of a railway station at Cannon Hill the residents in the area had requested one be built. In response, the Commissioner for Railways inspected a proposed site for the construction of a new railway station at Cannon Hill, “for the purpose of urging the claims of residents along the Cleveland line, between Coorparoo and Murarrie, to additional facilities in the shape of stations at Cannon Hill and Norman Park”1. The Commissioner acknowledged the advantage to having a station at Cannon Hill as it would encourage suburban development. He continued by stating “the request for a station at Cannon Hill was a reasonable one. The site was suitable in every way”1. The station was constructed in 1910 and officially opened in July 1910. The gable ended timber station house still retains many original features such as sash windows and decorative brackets.

The Cannon Hill Railway Station was not only important for the local residents it also played a major role in the growth of industry in the area. In 1913 a large siding was constructed from the station that led down to the Brisbane River where the recently established Swift’s Meat Works had established an abattoir.  The livestock would be transported through the Cannon Hill station toward Lytton Road where the cattle would be unloaded into holding yards. In 1915 this siding was extended further to reach the abattoir wharf. The siding also provided transport for the meat workers. The meat works was credited as providing the only passenger rail service for its workers in Brisbane. 

In 1913 the newly erected Cannon Hill Railway Station played host to an experiment carried out by the Railway Department. The first set of ‘boom’ barriers in Queensland were installed at the station. This important addition to the level crossing was reported in January 1914:

An experiment has been made by the Railway Department at Cannon Hill, on the Cleveland line. At this station, the ordinary gates have been discarded in favour of a long boom, which tilts up to allow vehicular traffic to pass through and descends across the roadway when trains are due.1

The new ‘boom’ system would provide greater safety for both the trains and the crossing vehicular traffic. This increased protection was heralded a success as it reduced the number of serious accidents caused by the crossing gates closing prematurely on passing trains, endangering the lives of engine drivers, passengers,  station workers and crossing motorists. The new boom gates ran parallel to the rail tracks rather than cross over them and “can be either lowered into a horizontal position so as to barricade the road or raised perpendicularly in order to leave the road clear”1.

In 1914 a footbridge was built across the line at the Cannon Hill Railway Station costing £297.  This timber structure remains at the station and is noted as significant in the Queensland Rail Heritage Management Survey for demonstrating the Queensland Government Railway’s response to passenger safety in this period.  

In 1930 the Cannon Hill Saleyards were constructed and in November 1931 the first sale was carried out at the yards. The saleyards sat adjacent to the Cannon Hill Railway Station and the siding to the abattoir ran past the saleyards. The Cannon Hill Station was an integral part of the industry as the trains that were filled with livestock would go through the station to the adjacent saleyards. The station played a role in the transportation of workers to the saleyards. 

The Cannon Hill Railway Station retains its 1910 timber station building and 1913 footbridge. The station is historically significant to the area as its construction heralded the increased suburban growth in Cannon Hill. The station is also important as a reminder of the suburb’s central role as a leader in Queensland’s meat industry throughout the twentieth century.

1. The Brisbane Courier, Friday 3 September 1909, p2

2. The Brisbane Courier, Friday 3 September 1909, p2

3. The Brisbane Courier, Wednesday 7 January 1914, p4

4. Morning Bulletin, Friday 16 January 1914

5. Historic Titles, Department of Environment and Resource Management

6. Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Survey Map

7. Richard Apperly (et al), A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian architecture Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1989

8. University of Queensland, ‘Queensland Places: Cannon Hill”

9. Cannon Hill School of Arts: 75th Anniversary 1923-1998, Cannon Hill Community Association, 1998

10. Brisbane City Council Building Cards

11. John Kerr, “The Evolving Railways of Brisbane”, Public, Practical, Personal, Brisbane History Group Papers, 1981

12. A Heritage Management Survey for Queensland Railways, Metropolitan South Part 1, Bruce Buchanan Architects, 2002

13. The Brisbane Courier, Tuesday 8 September 1914, p6

14. The Brisbane Courier, Wednesday 8 July 1914, p4

15. The Brisbane Courier, Saturday 3 May 1913, p4