THE TRAIN STATION & RAILWAY SILOS

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RAILWAY FOR THE COLBINABBIN DISTRICT:

The original German settlers established farms along the Mount Camel Range, (the top of the hill to the west of our township) and built a school, a post office and a community hall to serve their families.

In August 1881 a Colbinabbin Railway League consisting of farmers agitated for a railway line to enable the transportation of produce and livestock to Melbourne. In 1913 construction of the line was completed.

It extended from Rushworth to Colbinabbin West of the Cornella Creek costing 42,970 pounds for the 12.5 miles of track. It took sixty men to build 1 mile of railway line per week. The line was then extended to the current site of the silos.

The Colbinabbin West community realised that it would be impossible to run the train tracks up and over the hill to the town, so it was decided to establish the township in a more suitable location down on the plain, to be known as Colbinabbin East. Thus, Colbinabbin Village settlement was established in 1893 and by 1913, was a bustling township. This is the present site of our township.

The first trucks of grain left Colbinabbin Railway Station in February 1914.