Serviceton Station Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Located at Serviceton, in the disputed border territory between South Australia and Victoria.
Serviceton was established after the South Australian and Victorian governments decided to build a junction station midway between their capital cities, when the broad gauge railway line was being built. Serviceton, named after Sir James Service, a former Victorian Premier, was gazetted on January 1st 1887. The township was to house and cater for railway employees to enable them to work within their own states.
The cost of this classified three level building was to be equally shared by Victoria and South Australia. It was constructed of Horsham made bricks on the then 'disputed territory', and was completed in 1889.
Following the surveying of the border, it was discovered that there was a discrepancy of up to two kilometres wide extending up to the Murray River, and down to the coast in the south. Both Victoria and South Australia claimed this area to be theirs.
The dispute was finally settled around 1914 in favour of Victoria.
Serviceton township was well equipped with businesses in the early years including general stores, bakery, butcher, blacksmith, boading houses and livery stables, temperance hotel, coffee palace and wine bar.
The Serviceton Station itself has three levels, with the middle level occupied by a customs office, general waiting room, SA booking and parcels office, Vic booking and parcels office, dining room, refreshment room, kitchen area, Railway employees lavatory, public closets, ladies closets and a ladies waiting room. There is also a staircase leading up to a bedroom and bathroom in the attic.
The lower level housed a lamp room, prison area for when prisoners were being transferred across the border, cellars, guards rooms, porters rooms, customs store rooms and the purveyors storeroom. The lamp room also doubled as a mortuary when deceased persons were being transfered interstate.
The Serviceton Railway Station provides a fascinating look into the days gone by. In the golden age of steam powered locomotives, this would have been a great sight, with hundreds of people around this once thriving township. Now the station is visited by the diesel freight trains that power their way across the plains several times a day.
This is a small cache in a easy to locate place. Please stay away from the tracks, as the trains do pass through here regularly, and at high speed. There is a small fence to help keep you safe.
Think about what it was once like here when you visit. I hope you enjoy this cache.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Hc naq haqre