The Sandridge Railway Trail follows the route of Australia's first steam railway from 1854 between Flinders Street Station and Port Melbourne. The trail can be done entirely on foot or combining walking and a light rail tram. It passes historical sites from Melbourne's early days as a major shipping port and trading hub. Key stops along the route include the former customs house, now the Immigration Museum, remnants of the original railway infrastructure, and remnants of Port Melbourne's industrial past.

1. SANDRIDGE
RAILWAY TRAIL
Follow the route of Australia’s
first steam railway, still evident after
150 years, and discover the early
heart of Melbourne. A self guided
walking and light rail trail from
Flinders Street Station to Sandridge,
now known as Port Melbourne.
RAILW
AN E AT
VICTORI
AY
150
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Y EA
AR
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IVER

2. INTRODUCTION
THE TRAIL You can follow the entire trail SERVICES
The Sandridge Railway on foot via Flinders Walk Tram Services on weekends
opened in 1854 to serve and the Sandridge Light Rail are every 10-12 minutes,
what was then Australia’s Trail which are both marked except before 11am on
on the map below. Sundays when they run every
busiest shipping port.
The terrain is flat following 30 minutes. On weekdays
This trail follows the original
a formed path with just a few trams run every 8 minutes
train route from Flinders
stairs as marked. and every 4 minutes during
Street Station to Port
DISABLED ACCESS peak periods. (The tram
Melbourne. Made up of three
Wheelchair users can follow journey from Spencer Street
sections, this trail involves
a walk, a tram ride, and an the trail from the start by to Port Melbourne on the
opportunity to explore. proceeding along Swanston 109 is within Zone 1). For
Street, and down Flinders further information call
1 Walk from Princes Bridge
Street to join Flinders Walk METLINK on 131 638 or visit
in the city to Spencer Street.
at Queens Bridge. All the www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au
2 Ride on the light rail 109 trams are wheelchair
tram, route 109 from Spencer TIME REQUIRED
friendly but must be joined
Street along the former The Flinders Walk section
at stop 125A just past
Sandridge railway line to takes approximately 15
Clarendon Street or
Port Melbourne. minutes and the tram section
alternately at the corner of
around 10 minutes. Spending
3 Explore the waterfront Swanston and Collins Streets.
approximately half an hour at
area of Beacon Cove and
the Port Melbourne end the
Port Melbourne.
entire return journey takes
Y MELBOURNE
one and a half to two hours.
A CONCERT HALL
R
R
A
E G
SOUTHBANK
BRID
CES
START HERE
PRIN
R
STEPS
FL I V SO
UT
FEDERATION SQUARE 1 IN
DE E R HB
AN
K
RS
ET
PR
OM
GE
STRE
W
AL ID EN
K T BR AD
E
OO
N
FLINDERS STREET F
NSTO
STATION SANDRIDGE RAILWAY
BRIDGE
SWA
ST PAULS
CATHEDRAL
BANANA
YOUNG AND FLIND ALLEY
JACKSON ERS
T
TREE
ETH S
B
ELIZA
REET
EET
N ST
IMMIGR
T STR
MUSEUM
QUEE
KE
MELBOURNE
MAR

3. 1 WALK FROM PRINCES BRIDGE TO SPENCER STREET
The trail begins on the After a hump in the path, shipping. The first customs
river side of Flinders Street where the former Elizabeth house was built in Flinders
Station where it meets Street Creek joins the Yarra, Street in 1840. It was rebuilt
Princes Bridge. Take the you will pass under the foot in 1876 and is now the
bridge to view the long, grey Immigration Museum.
Sandridge Railway Bridge.
It crosses the Yarra where a
rocky waterfall once provided
a dividing line between fresh
and salt water, and also
a barrier preventing ship
SANDSTONE ENTRANCE TO access further upstream.
FLINDERS WALK
SANDRIDGE RAILWAY BRIDGE
In 1835 John Fawkner,
bluestone steps down to
one of Melbourne’s The present Sandridge
Flinders Walk which follows
founding fathers, landed Railway Bridge was the
the platform where the
just below the waterfall third structure to carry the
Sandridge trains once
with his settlement party railway line over the river.
pulled in. Note this platform
in the ‘Enterprize’. Then in Built by David Munro & Co,
has retained its name
1837 Queens Wharf was and opened in 1888, it was
‘Melbourne’, the name of
established nearby. There the first railway bridge in
the Hobson Bay Railway
was a natural deep pool Victoria to use steel girders.
Co’s original terminus.
below the falls that provided It is to be redeveloped as a
an ideal anchorage and cycle and pedestrian link.
was later widened to form
a turning basin for larger
EET
N STR
ENDO
KINGS WAY
CLAR
MELBOURNE FLINDERS STREET FORMER 125
PLATFORM SIGN SANDRIDGE LINE
TEA HOUSE
124B
CROWN COMPLEX
GE
RID
RAILWAY VIADUCT
124A
SB
EN
E
IDG
E
QU
BR
STEPS TURNING BASIN
G
KIN
FORMER
QUEEN’S WHARF HELIPAD
MELBOURNE
AQUARIUM
BATMAN PARK Y A
ENTERPRIZE PARK R R
RATION
M
2
MELBOURNE
T
124
TREE
CONVENTION
QUEEN’S WHARF ROAD STRE CENTRE
ET
IAM S
WILL
ET
STRE
SPENCER STREET
KING
TRAM 109
TO BOX HILL

4. Cross the road at Queens
Bridge then Queens Wharf
Road (watch for trams). You’ll
see five huge figureheads
reminding us this was
formerly Queens Wharf
and the turning basin, now
BANANA ALLEY IMMIGRATION MUSEUM (FORMER
flanked by Enterprize Park. CUSTOMS HOUSE)
On your right you’ll pass Overhead to your right is the The museum is hosting an
the Banana Alley vaults railway viaduct from Flinders exhibition about Station Pier
(1891-92). Originally known Street to Spencer Street. (the original end of the
as the Viaduct Buildings, First built during 1888-91 Sandridge Railway), entitled
the vaults contained a and duplicated in 1913-15, ‘Station Pier – Gateway to a
banana store and numerous the viaduct provided the New Life’, from October 2004
produce agents. final link in Victoria’s railway till September 2005.
At the end of the vaults is network joining all lines Follow the riverbank around
Queens Bridge. If you look to the east, west and north the Aquarium, cross King
back to Sandridge Bridge of Melbourne. Street and proceed through
you can see how abruptly Behind the viaduct on the Batman Park (Batman was
it terminates, making way far side of Flinders Street another of Melbourne’s
for the city’s more recent you can just see the large founding fathers), to the tram
developments – Southbank classically designed former stop No.124 in Spencer Street.
and Crown. Customs House – now the Here you can join the 109
Immigration Museum. tram to Port Melbourne.
ET
STRE
ARS
WE
FERR
MONTA
ST
GA
TE
125A GLADSTONE STREET
12
NO
RM
SOUTHBANK TRAM DEPOT
AN
FR
BY
EE
MELBOURNE EXHIBITION CENTRE
WA
Y
ROAD
MONTAGUE
POLLY WOODSIDE
R A
R
IV
E
R WALK TRAIL LIGHT RAIL
(ON TRAM TRACK)
LIGHT RAIL
(ON ORIGINAL RAIL LINE)

5. 2 RIDE FROM SPENCER STREET TO PORT MELBOURNE
Joining the tram you’ll cross On the right is the Just past Montague the
the river then pass the red Southbank Tram Depot, tram follows the middle of
brick Tea House on your where a collection of early the Railway Reserve, which
right, a survivor of the Melbourne trams, including here retains it original
historic 19th century stores the Restaurant Tram, is 100m width. Locals initially
and warehouses in this area. usually on show. The tram used the ‘long paddocks’
The tram turns right off then stops at the former each side of the railway
Clarendon Street and joins Montague, North Port and tracks for grazing livestock.
the route of the original Graham railway stations The borough council later
Sandridge Railway line. before terminating at Port turned the paddocks into
Soon the tracks pass over Melbourne. ornamental gardens. They
the original railway ballast Montague, North Port and are now landscaped all the
and under overhead railway Graham stops all retain way to Port Melbourne.
stanchions installed when the red brick and bluestone
the railway was converted and asphalt ‘platforms’
from steam to electric more commonly associated
traction in 1919. with their earlier railway
station identity. The Port
Melbourne railway station
is still intact.
ROUTE 109 FEATURING RAILWAY
BALLAST AND STANCHIONS
STREET
STREET
STREET
AGUE NORTH PORT
STATION
RAILWAY
26 127
WOODGATE STREET
EVANS
BOUNDARY
RAGLAN
INGLES
125 126 0
METRES
OPTIONAL WALKING LIGHT RAIL TRAM STOP TRAM (STATION) WHEELCHAIR TOILETS
ROUTE TO TO BOX HILL STOP ACCESS
PORT MELBOURNE

6. 3 EXPLORE THE PORT MELBOURNE AREA
The tram crosses Beach Facing Rouse Street the
Street ‘pulling in’ alongside former Swallow and Ariell
the Port Melbourne station. Steam Biscuit Manufactuary,
now residential apartments,
commenced manufacturing
‘ships biscuits’ here in 1854,
the year the railway opened.
CENTENARY BRIDGE COLUMN
which carried traffic over
the pier railway sidings.
LIGHT RAIL TRAM PULLING INTO
PORT MELBOURNE STATION
It was demolished in 1991.
Station Pier is still a busy
You can explore the area
place hosting some twenty
behind Beach Street and
international cruise liners
Beacon Cove to discover SWALLOW AND ARIELL BUILDING
each summer, visiting naval
the new face of Port
Strategically located near ships and the daily Bass
Melbourne, especially
the Sandridge wharfs it Strait ferry.
along Bay Street, Stokes
was the first industrial Going home you can catch
Street and Rouse Street.
establishment of its kind a tram back or walk all or
in Victoria. some of the trail, from Port
East along Beach Street Melbourne. However if you
there is a relic of the 1934 have time, you might like
ROUS
Victorian Centenary Bridge,
ES
PORT MELBOURNE REET
ES ST
PRINC
STREET
GRAHAM
STREET
Y RESERVE
128
STREET
GRAHAM STREET
BRIDGE
SANDRIDGE LIGHT RAIL
TRAIL – SOUTHBANK
TO PORT MELBOURNE
250 500
S
E
W
N

7. to walk to Beacon Vista (see Produced by Museum Victoria
map) to see the ‘leading Designed by Heine Jones Design
light’ beacons erected All PROV images reproduced with the
permission of the Keeper of Public Records,
in 1924. These were to
Public Record Office Victoria, Australia
guide ships approaching ©State of Victoria
the pier. From Beacon Vista All contemporary images provided
you can see how they ‘line by Justin Francis, Museum Victoria
up.’ From there you can Funded by the Victorian Government
walk through the park back Supported by Yarra Trams
to Graham light rail stop.
LEADING LIGHT BEACONS
BEAC
H ST
REET
STATION PIER
FORMER SWALLOW
STRE
AND ARIELL FACTORY
ET
STATION PIER
CUSTOMS GATE
PORT MELBOURNE
WATERFRONT PLACE
BEAC
HOBSON’S BAY
H
129 3
LIGHT BEACON
ST
RE
E
T
ET BEACON COVE
STRE
LOW
SWAL
MORL
B
O
EY ST
A
R
D
W
REET
A
LK
TA
PRINCES PIER
THE
VIS
CR
ES
CE
NT
ON
AC
BE
LIGHT BEACON

8. TRAIN TO SANDRIDGE PORT
MELBOURNE (DETAIL)
WILLIAM BURN 1870
LA TROBE PICTURE COLLECTION STATE
LIBRARY OF VICTORIA

9. BACKGROUND RAILWAY However, by 1861, the
DEVELOPMENT Sandridge Railway was
In 1852, just one year
carrying over half a
after the Victorian Following the opening
million passengers and
gold rushes began, of the Sandridge line,
150,000 tons of freight
Victoria’s population Victoria entered a long
annually. In 1865, it
was exploding. Each railway boom. In 1857
merged with Melbourne’s
week dozens of ships the Hobson’s Bay Co
remaining private railway
were dropping anchor in built a branch line to
companies forming the
Hobson’s Bay offloading St Kilda. It was soon
Melbourne & Hobsons
thousands of diggers
Bay United Railway
and hundred of tons of
Company. In 1878,
cargo onto the beach at
this new company was
Sandridge.
inturn taken over by
As the Yarra River was the Victorian Railways
too narrow and shallow Department, becoming
for larger ships to pass part of a 1,600 kilometre
upstream, merchants SAILING SHIPS AT SANDRIDGE PIER network of railways
MUSEUM VICTORIA
and diggers were left to radiating from Melbourne.
pay huge sums to catch
joined by further private Railways had become a
a cart or a ferry to carry
railways to Hawthorn, great catalyst for economic
their luggage and goods
Brighton, Essendon and progress, carrying over
to Melbourne.
Geelong. With the five million passenger
Entrepreneurs saw
an opportunity to
take people and goods
direct from Sandridge
to the city and formed
the Hobson’s Bay
Railway Company. The
government set aside a
railway reserve, which
starting from Sandridge
Beach, curved initially
north-eastwards before
running in a direct line
to the city. It crossed
the Yarra River near
Queen Street to end
at what was to become exception of the journeys and a million
Flinders Street Station. Sandridge line, none tons of freight a year –
Construction of the of these railways from imports to locally
railway commenced were profitable and it manufactured goods and
in early 1853 and was fell to the Victorian farm produce. Within
completed in 18 months Government to continue the next two decades the
at a cost of £388,000. railway development. Victorian Railway system
would treble in size.

10. SOCIAL IMPACT Sandridge Railway THE FIRST TRAIN
continued to serve the
The Sandridge line On the morning of
Port Melbourne piers
had a social as well as 12 September 1854,
for over 120 years
an economic impact. thousands, including
but, with the decline
Thousands of troops officials in top hats and
travelled the line to of immigration by sea
stove pipe trousers and
sail from Station Pier after 1970 and the
colourful crinolined
(formerly Railway Pier) move to containerised ladies assembled along
and Princes Pier for cargo handling, the Flinders Street and the
the First World War importance of the railway route, to witness
battlefields. Later, at railway declined. It Melbourne’s first steam
the conclusion of the became a local passenger train. The Lieutenant-
Second World War, the service and was Governor Charles Hotham
line carried thousands converted to light-rail and Lady Hotham were
of displaced persons and tram operation in 1987. presented with copies of
assisted immigrants the train’s timetable and
from Europe and Britain the company’s by-laws
to start a new life in printed on silk.
Melbourne and beyond.
Behind a small locally-
The one-millionth
made engine were two
Australian post-war
first class carriages for
migrant arrived at
dignitaries, one second
Station Pier in 1955.
class carriage for other
guests and an open wagon
carrying a regimental
band. At precisely 12:20
pm, amid clouds of smoke,
steam, showers of sparks
and much tooting of the
whistle, the train pulled
out, completing the 2 mile
(4.5 km) journey in
just 10 minutes.
The press happily
observed
that the first
railway
journey in
THE CITY OF MELBOURNE 1855 Australia
N. WHITTOCK (HIGHLIGHTING
THE SANDRIDGE RAILWAY) had been
LA TROBE PICTURE COLLECTION
STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA accomplished
without loss of life,
limb or luggage!
COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL (1914)
MARKING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE OPENING OF AUSTRALIA’S
FIRST RAILWAY
PHOTOGRAPHER JON AUGIER
MUSEUM VICTORIA

11. EARLY then North Sandridge
DEVELOPMENT (1867) before adopting
ALONG THE its present name. By
LINE the 1870s it was in a
well settled residential
When the Montague
area, with the Lord
Street Station was
Raglan Hotel (1864)
opened (1883) it
and numerous local PORT MELBOURNE STATION ABOUT
serviced a residential 1890 (DETAIL)
tradespeople and shops. PROV 12800/PI H2820
neighbourhood which
Further away from the their way home or to the
had a few shops, the
station there were mostly North Port Station.
Golden Fleece Hotel,
State School No. 2784 empty mud flats except South of the station the
for the recreation reserve original Port Melbourne
(1874) and Kitchen’s loco depot was retained
Soap and Candle Works by the Victorian
in Ingles Street. Beyond Railways until 1888
Kitchen’s Soap Works when a new depot
there was an abattoir, was built at North
several boiling-down Melbourne and the old
works, and manure and site was demolished
FLINDERS STREET STATION IN 1854
LOOKING WEST (DETAIL) glue factories. for housing.
DRAWING BY S.T. GILL
PROV 12800/PI H4402
The recreation reserve Just past Graham
(1886) in Montague was the home of station is the Graham
Street and St Barnabas the formidable Port Street overpass, built
Anglican Church (1878). Melbourne Football Club. to avoid the bottleneck
A win on Saturday was caused by rail traffic.
Just north of the station
good for business at local
was the Montague
hotels as barrackers made
railway shipping and
customs shed (c.1919).
It was used for holding
cargo railed up from
Station Pier. The shed
later fell into disuse and
was demolished for the
Southbank Tram Depot.
The next station, North
Port was first named
Raglan Street (1859),

12. SANDRIDGE Queenscliff and other
AND PORT destinations around
MELBOURNE Port Phillip Bay. The
‘Bay’ steamers docked at
The Port Melbourne
two wing piers, one of
railway station building
which still exists. After
(1890) is a neatly
1945 Station Pier and
constructed suburban
railway was kept busy
red brick station, listed
receiving boatloads of
on the Victorian
immigrants.
Heritage Register.
When the railway
opened in 1854 it ran
beyond Port Melbourne
Station onto Railway
Pier, which extended
500m out into the deep-
water of Hobson’s Bay.
The large Station Pier
was rebuilt between
1922 and 1930.
Both piers handled cargo
ships, passenger ships
and a fleet of excursion
steamers that operated
trips to Sorrento,
COVER
FORMER PIER SHUNTING LOCO FROM
SANDRIDGE RAILWAY PIER (DETAIL)
PROV 12800/PI H1672
DISPLACED PERSONS ON BOARD
A TRAIN FROM PORT MELBOURNE
TO BONEGILLA 1947 (DETAIL)
THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND
MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS