New Bullarto station building officially opened

Published on 17 April 2024

A new building at the Bullarto Station Tourist Precinct was opened on 12 April by the Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas MP.

The building is a beautiful reproduction of the original 1920s station building. Daylesford Spa Country Railway (DSCR) manages the operation of the tourist rail, which runs restored heritage trains from Daylesford to Bullarto and back through farmland and the Wombat Forest.

Mayor, Cr Brian Hood, said Council was proud to support this project and he was thrilled to see this precinct come to life.

“The precinct will enhance the experience for locals, tourists and particularly train enthusiasts, who enjoy this part of the Hepburn Shire in a unique way,” he said.

“The popular weekend heritage train service begins and terminates at Daylesford’s 1882 heritage listed railway station, with Bullarto being their furthest point on the 9-kilometre journey. DSCR will also use the building to host events, further enhancing the appeal of the precinct.”

“Bullarto’s station and hall are close-by the main thoroughfare from Trentham to Daylesford, yet sit quietly nestled in the forest. It is a stunning part of our Shire and we are pleased to display it to its best advantage,” said Cr Hood.

Ian Fell has been involved with DSCR since the mid-1980s. “Bullarto is the second highest railway station in Victoria. It snows and it gets hot, the guests need somewhere to go. We are the only tourist railway in Victoria that is an accredited museum, so we’ve got rail safety accreditation to run the trains, but we’ve got museums accreditation as well. We’ve shown an accurate representation of what it used to be in the Victorian Railways.”

The project was made possible by a contribution of $184,000 from Council, together with funding from DSCR who provided $63,000, and the Victorian Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund, which contributed $500,000.