On a beautiful Spring day in September, the community of Gurley joined local dignitaries to unveil the restored original Gurley Station sign and a memorial to the old Gurley train station.
The old station was mostly dismantled in the early 2000s and fully demolished in 2021 as part of Inland Rail’s Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 upgrade works. When the Gurley community learnt about the works, they organised to have some of the bricks preserved, the sign restored and drew up plans to create a Gurley Railway Historical Park.
The station sign was carefully restored by Moree Powder Coaters and installed facing the rail line, so passing XPT passengers could reminisce about the old station.
Behind the sign, the old station platform bricks were rebuilt on a concrete platform facing the Newell Highway with a small plaque explaining their significance.
Inland Rail’s Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 Delivery Director, Peter Borrelli helped unveil the brick memorial.
“The Gurley train station was built in the late 1800s and it’s fantastic to see these original bricks and the sign preserved, and the railway history of Gurley accessible for future generations,” Borrelli said while attending the community event.
The Gurley Railway Historical Park will be completed when a heritage interpretation sign detailing the Gurley village history is installed next to the memorial.
This restoration project was made possible through grant funding from Inland Rail and Trans4m Rail, as well as in kind work from Moree Powder Coaters, the Gurley Community and Moree Plains Shire Council.
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