About This Cache
Please be aware of muggles as this area can be busy morning, afternoon and evening peak periods so discretion is advised.
About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breath taking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More Information can be found at the SideTracked Website
About St Leonards Station
Many commuters who frequent the popular North Shore line today, are unaware of historical significance and the politics that influenced the building of this line, and it that it wasn't solely built for reliable transport in the early years.
In 1936 the township of St Leonards (now North Sydney) was established as an urban settlement. Ferry services from circular quay moved people to the north side of the harbour, but as settlement expanded inland, people found it difficult to get over the rough terrain to the ferry terminal.
The Municipality of North Willoughby (now the City of Willoughby) was the first local goverment declared in October 1865. Prominent landowners saw the railway as a way to subdivide their land for residential development and politics around it ensued. In the 1870s the municipality was lobbying for construction of a line from Hornsby to the lower North Shore, but it was opposed by a local engineer who claimed a tramway would be sufficient.
This would have sufficed but Henry Parkes, who had been Premier four times, was in financial trouble and saw the railway as a way to address his situation and help give him political backing. Parkes successfully took the seat of St Leonards in 1885 against the incumbent and then Premier, George Dibbs. He subsequently formed a government and announced the new railway line from Hornsby to St Leonards which started construction in 1887.
St Leonards station opened in January 1890 and in May 1893, the line was extended south to Milsons Point. The station was temporary relocated to south of the pacific highwat in August 1989 to allow the station to be redeveloped. The redevelopment had financial issues and was dormant for a number of years, only to be completed in February 2000 when the Forum plaza was developed.
The new station was built with two island platforms to allow extra lines to be laid as part of a plan to quadruple the line. This doesn't seem to have ever happened, now that the Metro has been built.
About St Leonards
St Leonards is named after the British statesman Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney of St Leonards. Originally, St Leonards applied to the whole area from the present suburb of North Sydney to Gore Hill.