The railway line from Melbourne commenced its eastward development in 1861 when it reached Hawthorn. It was extended to Camberwell in April 1882 and the final section, from Camberwell to Lilydale, opened as a whole in December 1882. The line to Ferntree Gully followed thereafter.
Reflecting the priorities of the time, the first main building at the station was a railway goods shed, built in 1887 to serve what would have been predominantly a goods, rather than passenger, railway.
The main station building, which still stands and is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) buildings in Ringwood, was built in 1889 at a cost of 1374 pounds.
The railway line was electrified in 1923.
May 3rd, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Am wondering what happened to the old steam engine that was at Ringwood Lake
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:20 am
I remember the engine as well, Darrin, probably around the 1970s/80s. It was located on the west side of the lake, near the front. I suppose it was the victim of health and safety regulations, as were many pieces of equipment that used to grace our playgrounds. Still the engine was great for climbing into the cabin area, and make believing that you were Casey Jones, zooming down the tracks.