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Melbourne transport

MATHS stations

The stations between Malvern and South Yarra are colloquially known as the MATHS stations.

Malvern
Armadale
Toorak
Hawksburn
South Yarra

The first four of them (that would be MATH) also match architecturally. I’m assuming they were all built around 1915 when the line was quadruplicated.

I can’t think of any other station group names of this type around the place, apart from more official terms such as the City Loop.

(This is one of those times when I feel like briefly writing about something which I suspect is widely known, but doesn’t appear to be definitively online anywhere. And I’m going to link back to it in a later post.)

By Daniel Bowen

Transport blogger / campaigner and spokesperson for the Public Transport Users Association / professional geek.
Bunurong land, Melbourne, Australia.
Opinions on this blog are all mine.

14 replies on “MATHS stations”

Architecturally you can add Camberwell to the group – built in the same style as the MATH Stations.

The work was essentially part of the electrification project which was delayed due to WWI. The original line through this area was two tracks and had many level crossings as it was at ground level.

Mark Bau’s VR website has some interesting photos of the area:
The original Malvern Station can be seen here:
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/suburb/gal04/malvern.html

A steam train on the original line between Hawsburn and Toorak looking ‘Down’. Interestingly amidst the graffiti and mess today the Straw Hat factory is still there painted white. Today’s line is about level with the base of this building.
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/suburb/mccelst.html

The line was lowered just before quadruplication. Here is the ‘new’ Armadale with a siding ready for quadruplication:
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/suburb/arma01.html

Someone taught me this as a kid and I was so pleased with myself that I could remember the order of a few stations that I went on to memorize the rest of the line. Good times.

I travelled for years on the Frankston line, but I never noticed nor heard of the pattern of the names forming MATHS. I love it! I’ve always had a sense of certain stations belonging to “families” consecutive stations with a similar “feel”. Also Glenhuntly to Bentleigh; Aspendale to Kananook.

That would have saved me learning them by rote as a kid. I think why many don’t work it out, is that it sort of goes backwards. I, at least, tend think of stations in an outward direction.

Not quite completely off topic – someone at school was Jason D … whose name incidentally was on each and every calendar (July, August, September, October, November, December)

Glenferrie and Auburn stations are also virtually architecturally identical apart from the fact that Glenferrie is manned and Auburn is not. I recently walked past the Glenferrie station when it’s door was open next to the ticket office, to see a MASSIVE empty space inside! who knew there was so much room in there!

Glenferrie and Auburn were raised and Camberwell lowered in a similar project after the South Yarra-Caulfield project which was also built quadruplication compatible.

Actually I knew that….. but I’m pretty sure I only knew it because I’d read it on your diary previously!

Good luck finding it!

Andrew S, some great pictures there, thanks.

Nathan, yeah same style, but of course Glenferrie and Auburn are 3 platforms, not 4, and raised above the road, not lowered. MATH are all just about identical in layout. Yeah the old stations have heaps of internal office space. Once upon a time they would have had a lot more staff than nowadays.

Shell, I’ve used the term in passing before, yeah.

Hawthorn station – correct me if I’m wrong – but isn’t the roof structure originally from Flinders Street Station – or is that an urban myth?

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