The Tyers family outside Whitelaw gatekeeper’s house and gates. They operated these crossing gates for quite some years
By Janet Wilson
The gatehouse was situated on the north side of the railway line at Whitelaw. Little remains now of how this used to be. In the area where Jumbunna Road leaves the present highway which wasn’t there in the days of the gates. There is an area on the other side of the road and that is where the road and railway crossing complete with gates used to be. The road continued on up the hill to join Bena-Korumburra Road.
The James family may have been the first family at the gatehouse, the photo of them is thought to have been taken in the early 1900s. We don’t know how long they stayed. The next family we know of is that of Ray and Eunice Steele who were there in the mid forties. After the Steeles came the Doak family and it is thought that Bob and Betty Barnes were the next keepers of the gates. Betty Barnes will be remembered by some of us coming out to open the gates. Betty and Bob lived at Whitelaw for some time, settling earlier for a short time at Bena, and moving to Whitelaw in 1956.
The crossing at the gates was closed to traffic from 1 October 1963. Tenders for the removal of the railway building were called in mid 1971. The opening of the “by pass” section of the South Gippsland Highway took place on 29 May, 1961.
This is a patchy account of this section of our history. We could do to know more, so if you are reading this and can fill in some detail please contact us.
A sepia photograph of the Whitelaw Railway Gate House. Sign reads “Beware of Trains, Look Both Ways Before Crossing” Lady Unknown.
Whitelaw Railway gates. Gate-keeper’s house in background, shadowy female figure in foreground. Description states that the woman was nursing a white cockatoo but not visible in photo
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