Luna Park Sidings 

In addition to a terminus at Milson's Point, two intermediate stations were built at Edwards Road and Bays Road (later named Wollstonecraft and Waverton respectively), and the branch required the boring of two tunnels. The first of these tunnels was situated immediately north of the station at Bays Road, being 165-yards in length; the second was ¾-mile further south, prior to the terminus' approaches, and extended for 337-yards. On exiting the eastern portal of the second mentioned tunnel, the line, still on the descent, almost immediately embarked on a six-arch red brick viaduct, built in the English Bond Brick style.

Saturday 29th April 1893 is noted as the line's official inauguration, although normal services seem to have commenced on 1st of the following month. The terminus at Milson's Point has a somewhat complex history, for it has been re-sited a few times within the space of about thirty years, making the varying track and platform formations difficult to ascertain. The layout in general at all sites appears to have centred on a three track affair, separating two platform faces, the latter being protected by traditional triangular-shaped canopies for most of their length. A signal box of timber construction could be found at the end of the station's western platform and, indeed, it was right behind this surface that the ferries from the South Shore docked. Mr Thomas Dawes was noted as the Station Master at Milson's Point (ref: Evening News, Sydney, NSW, 6th September 1893).

The Sydney Morning Herald: 1st May 1893

At Milson's Point the station buildings are now in course of erection, and comprise booking and parcels offices, waiting-rooms, etc. There will be two covered platforms, each 418ft. 6in. x 20ft. A covered way will also be provided to connect the station buildings with the ferry boats. The approach to the goods yard will be from Milson's Point, and a small goods shed, 40ft. x 16ft., is being provided. All these station buildings will be of timber. Between the passenger platforms three lines will be laid, and north of the platforms two additional sidings—one to the goods shed, and one to a carriage dock.

In 1915, authorisation for a bridge across the harbour was on the cards and, on 13th May of that year, the branch line was taken a very short distance beyond the station at Milson's Point, to a new Lavender Bay terminus. This had been done in preparation for the new crossing; however, six weeks later, the Government confirmed that the scheme, known as the "North Shore Bridge", would not proceed, so trains reverted to using the previous Milson's Point terminus (ref: Evening News, Sydney, NSW, 28th July 1924). This arrangement lasted for little under a decade: in December 1920, what became today's Sydney Harbour Bridge was authorised by the Government at an estimated cost of £5,000,000. Construction of this colossal structure formally commenced on 28th July 1923 and, as part of the works, the site of the Milson's Point terminus needed to be commandeered by the building contractor. Here, workshops were to be established, within which parts for the Harbour Bridge would be fabricated. As a result, a second station by the name of Milson's Point was completed on the night of 28th July 1924, again on the edge of Lavender Bay, a short distance north of the previous terminus (ref: The Border Watch, 19th January 1928). This final incarnation is shown in period photographs to have four platform faces of the terminating island arrangement.

The entire stretch of line from Hornsby to Milson's Point had been electrified in 1927, the first such trains commencing on 15th August of that year. Sydney Harbour Bridge was brought into use on 19th March 1932, which saw the opening of a southward extension of the North Shore Line to Central Station, via sites at Wynyard and Town Hall. This departed the original course of the Milson's Point Extension Railway immediately south of Waverton station, assuming an elevated heading to the Harbour Bridge. New stations were opened on the North Shore, these being named North Sydney and Milson's Point, the latter being a direct replacement for the terminus at Lavender Bay.

What was the fate of the original branch line down the hillside to the edge of the North Shore? Although retained, the line was singled and connections with the then new route through to North Sydney were arranged so that the branch could only be accessed by means of a head shunt manoeuvre into a siding. The latter was situated behind the Hornsby-bound platform at Waverton, laid at a higher level than the adjacent running lines and, as per the rest of the North Shore Line, was electrified with overhead wires. The site of the terminus at Milson's Point briefly served as a railway goods yard, but was eventually used to berth passenger rolling stock. The station structures were demolished, but even today, earth mounds remain as indicators of where the platforms formerly stood. On completion of the Harbour Bridge, the building contractor's workshops, which were erected on the site of the first Milson's Point terminus, were taken down, and the area was subsequently used to host Sydney's "Luna Park".

Luna Park Opening

The Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 28th September 1935

Luna Park, Sydney's new amusement centre, will be opened by Mr Buttenshaw, M.L.A., on Friday next, 8 p.m. The new enterprise will include many novelties entirely new to this city. Amonsgt the many features of the park will be the Big Dipper, the Ghost Train, the River Caves, the Tumble Bug, the French Chateau, and the Goofy House. A ferry service will link the park with Circular Quay, and this, together with the railway and tramway services via Milson's Point, will render the park easy of access.

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