Lineside Liaisons #26 Bridgetown

Abandoned Bridgetown Railway Station in Western Australia.

A little under 100 km by car south of Bunbury stands the abandoned railway station and goods yard of Bridgetown. Situated on the South Western Line to Northcliffe, the 1898 station building enjoyed a brief life as the local council Environment and Landcare Centre building until the discovery of asbestos in the walls. As you can see, the station building in the background was fenced off from the public during my visit in 2018. The town got its name from the two bridges that cross the Blackwood River at the southern end of town. One carried the now closed railway line, the other the South Western Highway. The above photo and my visit to this trendy stop on the highway inspired my poem Getting Down in Bridgetown, featured in my book Last Train to Bunbury.