Visitors can now step back in time at Bullarto Station with new heritage features at the historic destination.
Minister for Rural and Regional Development Michaela Settle and Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas today visited Bullarto, near Daylesford, to mark completion of the upgrades.
This was supported by $42,000 from the Government’s Tiny Towns Fund.
Bullarto Station is part of the Daylesford Spa Country Railway, where volunteers preserve and operate the historic rail line through the Wombat State Forest to Daylesford.
Works have installed heritage-style cabinetry in the Station Master’s Office, new furniture for the Lamp Room waiting area and constructed picket fencing around the station grounds.
The funds are supporting the installation of floodlighting to improve visibility and safety around the station grounds.
A water tank has also been installed and will provide a new water supply to the site.
These are the latest improvements in a multi-year redevelopment of Bullarto Station that’s received more than $500,000 from the Carroll Labor Government.
Previous works constructed the station’s replica buildings and historical exhibits, and the Van Goods Shed, which has become a popular wedding and events venue.
These works have helped increase visitor numbers by over 10 per cent since 2024 and supported the volunteer activities offered by The Daylesford Spa Country Railway.
The upgrades will help position Hepburn Shire as a must-see destination and complements upgrades to Daylesford’s Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, which have rejuvenated the Victorian-era parkland.
More than $50 billion has been delivered through the Carroll Labor Government over the past decade to make our regions even better places to live, work, visit and study.
As stated by Minister for Rural and Regional Development Michaela Settle
“Bullarto Station is one of the hidden gems of regional Victoria, and these upgrades will help preserve its unique heritage, and support the volunteers who keep its history alive.”
“This is exactly the kind of project the Tiny Towns Fund was created for – helping small communities shine.”
As stated by Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas
“Bullarto Station is a much-loved part of our region’s history, and these upgrades will ensure it continues to be enjoyed by locals, visitors and future generations.”
“Only Labor backs regional communities with the funding and support they need to bring local projects to life, creating better places for people to visit, work and live.”
As stated by Barry Fell, Director Daylesford Railway
“The station building at Bullarto is the foundation for the railway to develop a destination for our patrons.”
“The internal fit out of the building that was funded by the Tiny Towns grant allows us to tell them the story of the Victorian Railways employees who worked at similar stations all over the state, and of the small communities which they served, whose daily economic and social life revolved around the arrival of the train.”
