The Shire of Yalgoo’s Railway Building Project almost finished, with aim to use it as a tourist attraction

The Railway Building Project in Yalgoo is almost complete after works to refurbish it and give it the attention it deserves as part of the Shire’s heritage strategy. The Yalgoo railway station building was the largest on the Murchison line, built to keep pace with rapid population growth and the need to transport mineral ore, livestock and other goods. Acting CEO John Read said the Shire hoped to use the building for tourism in the future. It is currently used during the Yalgoo races. “It’s a historic building we want to keep in good repair. We have plans for it for future use as a tourist attraction in the town of Yalgoo,” he said. “It’s a beautiful old building and we’re spending money on improving it. We certainly have ideas in the future as a tourist attraction and perhaps a cafe.” Deputy CEO Thomas Gorman said revitalising the building would bring an opportunity for tourism and a place for visitors to stop and hear the geology, heritage and human stories of the town. “The coffee shop will offer kids a first run on their resume and give people a good reason to stop and hear our story, there’s heaps to tell,” he said. In a Facebook post, the Shire of Yalgoo said the project was coming along well, with repointing of the stonework almost complete. “We have some brick doorways to work on and blend to the stonework. That will be interesting to see them blended but keeping the overall contrast.” “We have secured a source of stone . . . we can work on quarrying that.” Other work includes refurbishing the metal bars to bring them “back to their former glory” and maintenance to restore the eaves to the front of the building. “One aspect that will be focused on will be bringing the doors and windows back to their glory days. Not sure how we will approach that at the moment but will when we start.”