Mundijong Railway Station
Mundijong, as you see it today, was once little more than its station.
Historical information
The area that would become Mundijong was settled gradually from around 1830 onwards. Those who moved here mostly farmed. That changed when the South Western Railway opened in 1893.
Before this time, the settlement doesn't appear to have had an official name. But after the station was built for the new railway, the village became known by the same name – Jarrahdale Junction.
The station was situated at the unique diamond junction of the Jarrahdale-Rockingham timber rail (1871) and the South Western Railway. It was a key location for the southwest's burgeoning timber trade, as well as the first efficient means to get farm produce to Perth markets. By 1902, a busy town had sprung up around the station. It was re-named Mundijong Junction to reflect an 1897 change to the settlement’s name (see ‘What’s in a name?’ below).
In 1999, the building was relocated from the eastern side of the railway line (Roman Road) to the western side (Paterson Street).
Physical description
The weatherboard station building has three rooms on top of the platform, where the original weigh bridge is also still in place. It’s believed that the front wall of the building was significantly modified at some point, as unlike the rest of the building, it uses asbestos sheeting.
Present day
Mundijong Railway Station is a reminder of the impact the railway once had on industry in Serpentine Jarrahdale, particularly the timber and dairy industries.
Although the 1999 relocation of the station buildings diminished some of their integrity, they are still of great historic and social significance as evidence of the heart around which the modern shire grew.
What’s in a name?
In 1895, Jarrahdale Junction was officially named Manjedal, as it was thought to be the name for the area. In 1897 this was found to be incorrect, and the name was changed to Mundijong.
Stories from the tracks
Working on the rail could be a dangerous job. Twenty-five-year-old Sydney Charles Mead (b.1888) was accidentally killed in Jarrahdale after he fell from a train carrying timber. His headstone, which you can still see in Serpentine Cemetery, is inscribed with this poem:
In blooming health from home he went
To earn his bread was his intent
He was called henceforth his God to meet
Struck he was and in a moment fell
No time to bid loved ones farewell.
Angels ever bright and fair,
Take O take him to thy care.
Further reading and references