The Anniversary Trail - Shenley Section - former Outer Circle Railway

Site of former Roystead station, Mont Albert Rd bridge

Near the Ruben's Rd bridge

1943 pic - goods train at Shenley station,
Canterbury Rd bridge in distance

Canterbury Rd bridge

Shenley Station site,  preserved platform section at left

Action on the Trail!

These pix were taken on Sunday October 23, 2011, on the Shenley Section of the Anniversary Trail, Canterbury, about 12 km east of central Melbourne.

The trail follows the alignment of the former Outer Circle Railway for 19 km, between Fairfield and Hughesdale. It's shared-use by walkers, cyclists, and joggers, and was constructed as a joint venture between Parks Victoria and the Booroondare Shire.

It was so-named to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the building of the railway.

The Outer Circle Railway system brought the Government-owned Gippsland line from Sale into the city from its terminus at Oakleigh, without using the privately owned tracks to Flinders Street Station.

The Victorian Railways built a line north from Oakleigh in a circle through Camberwell and Kew and over the Yarra River at Fairfield, to join the government line at Fulham Grange. It began life in 1890 as a 12-mile (19 km) cross-country link with few passengers and little freight.

In 1893 the Fulham Grange (Fairfield) to Deepdene section closed. By 1897 the entire Outer Circle Line had been closed. It came to life again when the Ashburton to Camberwell section reopened on 4 July 1898.

In 1900 the line from Deepdene to the new station at East Camberwell also reopened, with a train known as the Deepdene Dasher. The Camberwell to Ashburton section was electrified and became part of the Melbourne electric suburban network in 1924, with an extension to Alamein. The Deepdene section was not electrified and the Dasher made its last run in 1926.

By the 1990s most of the land once occupied by the Outer Circle Railway had become a linear park. The bridge over the Yarra had long been converted to a road bridge, as part of the Chandler Highway.

My exploration of this part of the Trail was from a starting point at the site of the former Shenley station, next to Canterbury Rd, with a turnabout at Abercrombie Rd.

At the Shenley station site, a section of the original platform has been preserved, bordering the small sports field and tennis courts.

See all of the Photos of this visit!