The region of the northern rivers, which includes Nambucca, was first explored by John Oxley in 1820. The cutting of Australian red cedar had started in the area by 1842. It is believed that the first house was built in 1867, when about 50 people had settled in the valley to cut cedar or raise corn. The site of Nambucca Heads was surveyed in 1874 and the first hotel and school were both established in 1884. It was proclaimed a village in 1885. The North Coast railway was extended from Taree to south Grafton in 1915, but the station at Nambucca Heads was not opened until 1923. The single line from Macksville to Urunga opened on 3 December 1923. The Macksville to Coffs Harbour section was constructed by the Public Works Department, with work commencing on 8 March 1912. The contract was taken over by Messrs Norton Griffith on 24 April 1915. The contract was cancelled on 15 May 1917 and work was reverted to the Public Works Department. The station was opened on 3 December 1923, and was renamed Nambucca in October 1925, before reverting back to the original name on 21 June 1964. On 18 November 1989 the station was closed, and re-opened as a Countrylink stop (Forsyth, 2009).
STATION BUILDING (1943) The station building is a large, linear, painted brick structure with a hipped roof clad in Marseille-pattern terra cotta tiles. The architectural aesthetic is of an interwar, domestic style with Stripped Functionalist form and detailing. The building is curved in plan and features contrasting brickwork with stretcher bond and header courses; steel framed windows; horizontal banding, and includes a cantilevered awning covering the platform. The original plan also included glass bricks, which have since been removed. Entry to the station is via a ramp through a porch with a curved corners and timber fascia.
The internal layout features toilets; a parcels office; signal box; meal room; booking office; waiting rooms; station master’s office, and a store room.
PLATFORM (c1945?) Straight side platform. Steel rail post and concrete panel cast in situ. Located 565.10 kms from Central Station in Sydney, The railway Station has one platform on the Eastern side and is serviced by three XPT trains per day in each direction. Cache has been placed out of sight.
Container is a black plastic container.
Please place camo back when finished.