This geocache belongs to the SideTracked series that is popular in the UK and is now spreading around the world. SideTracked caches are designed to provide you with a relatively quick cache find around railway stations or, in this case, former railway stations. More information about the series can be found at the SideTracked website.
The Sandown line
Back in the 1880s, John Bennett, a renowned theatrical entrepreneur and a major horse racing afficionado, built Rosehill Racecourse on land that that once formed part of John Macarthur's Elizabeth Farm Estate. To enable more visitors to attend the race meetings being held there, he also constructed a private railway line that branched off main Western line at Clyde, with a platform named ‘Rosehill’ adjacent to the racecourse. The railway line did not, however, stop there ... it extended on to service industrial properties to the north of the racecourse and to a ferry wharf that had been built on the Parramatta River.
Subdivision of Elizabeth Farm c. 1900 depicting areas of residential land, Rosehill Racecourse and adjoining land for industrial purposes. It also shows Bennett's rail line. The area labelled “Rosehill Township” ended up also being developed as industrial land in the 20th century. Z/SP/P6/80 State Library of NSW
Throughout the 20th century, large industrial operations moved into the Camellia peninsula. In its heyday, the Sandown Line had four platforms, including the Hardies station (pictured), and several sidings to move workers and goods to and from the factories around Grand Avenue.
Photo credit: Oakes, J. (2011). Sydney’s Forgotten Industrial Railways. 2nd ed. New South Wales, Australian Railway Historical Society, p.180.
Passenger services on the line ended in the early 1990s, while freight services ceased in 2010.
A New Life
However, the abandoned Sandown Line is now coming back to life ... as a light rail track. The western section of the old line has been rebuilt to form part of the new Parramatta Light Rail project, and connects the main alignment with a new Stabling and Maintenance Facility at Camellia. If Stage 2 of the Light Rail Project (extension to Sydney Olympic Park via Ermington, Melrose Park and Wentworth Point) proceeds, the tram line will ultimately utilise the whole length of the Sandown line rail corridor before heading over the Parramatta River to Ermington.
Enjoy!