Railways of Australia

Settlement of the Beverley district took several decades to take off from its modest beginnings. The coming of the government railway from Perth in 1886 began a period of growth in the town and surrounding farming areas that lasted until the middle of the 20th Century. With the extension of the railway to Albany in 1889, Beverley became an important railway centre. This is now just a memory, the last railway staff being transferred away from the town in 1984. In its heyday, the town sported a large railway complex with refreshment rooms, engine and goods sheds and a large workforce to operate the trains and maintain the line. In 1886, the Southern rail link from Perth was extended to Beverley, which was the terminus for three years until the connection to Albany was established. Built in 1886 in the Victorian Tudor style, the Beverley Railway Station was the hub of activity when Beverley was an important stop on the Perth to Albany passenger line. Closed in October 1984, the Railway Station fell into disrepair, but after much hard work by both the community and council was beautifully restored in 2006.