The Henley Line
Did you know that there was once a ‘street railway line’ right next to Military Road that ran all the way from Grange to Henley Beach terminating at Kent Street just past where the Henley Police Station is today? Both steam locomotives and later (from 1956) Redhen railcars operated on the line.
Map showing the Henley Lines 1940-1957
Image credit: Barrington R., (2022) “When Henley Had A Railway“, Modelling the Railways of South Australia Convention (MRSAC)
The line opened in February 1894 as a light rail extension of the existing Adelaide to Grange line. Stations with platforms and shelter sheds were built along Military Road at Kirkcaldy (adjacent to Grange Road), Marlborough Street, Main Street (known as Henley Beach Jetty Street) and a terminus where Military Road intersected with Henley Beach Road which was the site of the first Henley Beach station.
Henley Beach Station 1957
A three-car Redhen set departs Henley Beach on 27 January 1957. Beyond the leading car can be seen the then Methodist church, now occupied by the Henley Fulham Uniting Congregation. (Information and photo in “Barrington R., (2022) “When Henley Had A Railway”, Modelling the Railways of South Australia, source unknown, Photo: Doug Colquhoun, NRM Collection.)
Military Road circa 1905
Looking north along Military Road back in 1905 at the then Henley Beach Jetty Street Platform. The long-gone 100 ft (30m) platform is obscured by the train, nevertheless the three houses behind the train remain intact in 2022 at Nos. 202, 204 and 206 Military Road respectively. The large buildings to the left, remained until relatively recent times, but are now superseded by the Foodland supermarket. Notice the sand drift on Military Road. (Information and photo in “Barrington R., (2022) “When Henley Had A Railway”, Modelling the Railways of South Australia, source unknown, Peter Fehlberg Collection)
Kirkcaldy Railway Station circa 1950
The timber platform and station shelter at Kirkcaldy looking south along Military Road towards Henley Beach, c1950. The station was located on Military Road just south of Grange Road. (Information and photo in “Barrington R., (2022) “When Henley Had A Railway”, Modelling the Railways of South Australia, source unknown, Photo: Ralph Skewes, NRM Collection 32-257-0451.)
Henley Beach Railway Station
General view of Henley Beach station with a Redhen set in the platform (Information and photo in “Barrington R., (2022) “When Henley Had A Railway”, Modelling the Railways of South Australia, source unknown, Photo: Trevor Hosking, NRM Collection.)
When new transport competition in the form of electric trams from the Municipal Tramways Trust (MTT) coming from Adelaide and terminating opposite Henley Jetty began servicing Henley Beach in 1909 the South Australian Railways (SAR) built a direct connection to the Port Adelaide line to avoid passengers needing to change trains lines at Woodville to continue their journey to Grange and Henley and relocated the Henley Beach Station closer to the Jetty between Main Street and Kent Street.
However, over the years there was considerable unease from local residents about the operation of the Henley railway. Their concerns probably would have included the loud noises coming from freight trains shunting at all hours of the night, the heavy black smoke from the coal burning steam locomotives (before the introduction of the Redhens) and the general safety concerns for public safety with the railway line and Military Road being so close to each other.
Locomotive on Military Road
Oil buring F class locomotive running along Military Road after just crossing Reedie Street and now steaming toward Marlborough Street on 8 March 1957. (Information and photo in "Barrington R., (2022) "When Henley Had A Railway", Modelling the Railways of South Australia, source unknown, Photo: Geoff Grant, NRM Collection.)
In response to this, plans were made to relocate the line further inland and a reserve was created alongside Wright Street for this purpose which included a double track electrified line that would continue as far as Glenelg where it was to turn inland and follow the route of an earlier railway that ran from Glenelg to North Terrace! However, Adelaide was not ready for such a scheme at that time and sadly, the final solution was two new bus routes. As a result, the extension of the railway line from Grange to Henley Beach was closed in 1957.
Today there is still a station at Henley Beach, but it is a Police Station! A few of the houses on Military Road seen in some of the photographs here and in the Gallery section of the website still exist today (2023), though most have been demolished over time and new townhouses and apartments built in their place.
Acknowlegements
The text above has been largely sourced from an article by Barrington R., 2022, “When Henley had a Railway“, in Modelling the Railways of South Australia Convention, (MRSAC). Other articles about the railways of Grange and Henley Beach can be found in several of the H&GHS Journals.
Do you remember the Henley Line along Military Road when steam trains and Redhen railcars ran along it? Please share your memories.
My father was the Organist at Henley Beach Congregational Church in the early 1950s, when I was a toddler, and I can just remember the puffing of steam locomotives outside as we sang our hymns, and the sound of the bell which the driver (or fireman?) rang – for safety reasons, presumably – as the trains passed along the Military Road.
Our family moved to Henley South in October 1956.
We lived 50m from the viaduct, and had to duck our heads to go through the underpass.
Sadly, the trams ceased soon after, and we used buses thereafter.
My memory of the train from Henley to the city is vague, but your excellent article has cleared up the mystery.
I thought I could remember the railway station at Henley. I now know this was not a dream, although it was only in use for a short time after we moved to Henley South.
In my teen years (60s), a number of us took the train from Grange to Woodville to attend dances at the St Clair Youth Centre. That is another story!
In the 1950’s my mother would take my young brother and me to either the Grange Jetty or the Henley Beach Jetty (and swimming pool) for a day of swimming and fun the sun. We caught the train at Albert Park RS or Seaton RS. I loved it when we went all the way to Henley Beach, stopping at Kirkcaldy RS and Marlborough RS along the way. It was quite an adventure and to this very day I still love riding on trains. I was saddened when the line stopped at Grange.