The Marshall Liberal Government has refused to commit to returning the historic rail canopy to the Gawler Railway Station site.
The canopy is a heritage item, which previously stood over one of the platforms at the Gawler Railway Station but was removed as part of the rail electrification project. The previous State Labor Government had committed to reinstalling the canopy on the Gawler Railway Station site.
Local Member of Parliament, Mr Tony Piccolo, recently raised the matter in State Parliament’s Public Works Committee and was advised by departmental officials that the Marshall Liberal Government was investigating other site locations.The departmental officer said: “We are still investigating all possible options with whether that will stay on the site or be relocated elsewhere due to its heritage value.”
“That is still under assessment. When that assessment is completed, we will be able to inform the committee of its final decision,” said the officer.
“It is a range of options we need to investigate with heritage advice of where it can be either installed on the site or elsewhere. There was one discussion about the National Railway Museum also, so it is fair to say that those discussions are still continuing, and when we have a final decision of where that will be located, we are happy to return to the committee.”
Mr Piccolo said the heritage value of the canopy derived from the fact that is was manufactured, constructed and installed in Gawler, where it should be reinstated.
“I would have thought its heritage value would be on that site because that is where it was in the first place,” said Mr Piccolo.
Mr Piccolo understands that the canopy frame was manufactured at the James Martin Foundry in Gawler.
“Locating the canopy at the National Railway Museum would be wrong, as it has no connection to that locality,” Mr Piccolo said.
“While the electrification of the line might prevent it from being reinstalled over the platform, the canopy should be rebuilt on an appropriate spot on the Gawler Railway Station site.”