Today’s then and now features the Hillcrest Railway Station taken from a picture on a blog of the province’s railway history by Graham Leslie McCallum.
Writing in the Highway Mail, KZN Railway History Society chairperson Adrian Rowe gave his insight into the early days of the station.
In 1895 Ernest Acutt agreed to lease slightly over 500 acres of William Gillitt’s farm to the west of the old wagon road, now called Old Main Road. Acutt began subdividing and letting properties and the village came into being. One was let to the Rev John Oxland, on which he founded the private boarding school, Delamore.
“The then-Natal Government Railway (NGR) arranged for trains to stop at the Delamore Halt which was close to the wagon track for children to get to the school. This was situated behind the Hillcrest Shopping Centre,” writes Rowe.
In 1898, the NGR started planning for the new station to serve the community as the Delamore Halt was not suitable for use as a crossing station.
“It was decided to move the location 500 metres north-west to where the station currently stands. In 1898, work commenced on building a platform, shelter and ladies’ waiting room. By 1899, the platform was extended and railway sidings were completed. Some station buildings were erected. In 1901, a goods shed and the station master’s house had been completed, and a water supply from Gillitts had been laid on.
“In 1902, the new brick station building, as we see it today, was completed. It is situated 44.8km from Durban Station and is at an altitude of 629m above sea level.”
Today the station building is a bar and restaurant called Sam’s Social House. The roof of the old station has been replaced, losing the little tower as photographer Shelley Kjonstad’s pictures taken this week show.
The Independent on Saturday