Tuesday, 2 August 2022

Frankston signal box centenary

Mr EDBROOKE (Frankston) (19:23): (6465) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public Transport, and the action I seek is for the minister to attend the Frankston signal box centenary birthday celebrations in Frankston this month. The signal box, which is located at the north end of the station and adjacent to the Beach Street pedestrian crossing, was built in 1922 and at the time it controlled the station, the stabling yard, the Stony Point line and the Long Island junction as well. It is interesting because the Frankston signal box and Flinders Street station actually have something in common, and that is that they share the same architect, James Fawcett. James Fawcett, of Fawcett and Ashworth, was an English-born architect. He was first hired by the then Victorian Railways in 1889 and eventually became the chief architect in 1919. He was a contributor to the arts and crafts movement, and Fawcett also designed the pressed metal ceilings that were heavily incorporated into the construction of Flinders Street station and can still be seen in the station today. Fawcett and Ashworth won the competition held for the detailed design of Melbourne’s Flinders Street station, but not without some controversy as both architects were employed by Victorian Railways at the time and some felt that this had given them an unfair advantage. I know that my community would love the minister to join us in ringing in the next chapter of history at the 100th birthday celebration of the Frankston signal box.