This old station was constructed about 1920, and once consisted of a railway station, a platform and refreshment rooms. Obviously not everything remains! It has been registered (in 1995) with the Grey District Council as an historic place. The registration states:
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Historical Significance: Ruru station is important as a representative example of the many hundreds of shelter sheds which were built in New Zealand, few of which now remain on site.
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Aesthetic: The simplicity and purity of this structure , a box with a pitched roof, is a considerable part of its appeal. It occupies a picturesque but narrow site between regenerating native bush and the track; and the remnants of an associated sawmill are still evident on the other side of the railway. The building is on the route of the Tranz-Alpine tourist train.
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Architectural: Ruru is an important as a representative example of the simplest of railway stations, the shelter shed. Timber framed and clad with rusticated weatherboards, it has a corrugated iron roof and few embellishments except perhaps the bargeboards. It is virtually unaltered and in excellent condition. Plan 8849 in the 1914 railway engineers’ pocket book gives dimensions for stations like Ruru.
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Technological: Late last century designs for railway stations around New Zealand were standardised, as part of new philosophies for the management of the railway industry. The Ruru station is the simplest of these standard designs.
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Cultural/Social: The site on which the Ruru Railway Station is located was once the site of a siding to the Brownlee Sawmill Co. at Moana
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This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Recommendation for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration.
The following comments are made in relation to the criteria identified under S.23(2) of the Historic Places Act 1993.
The extent to which the place reflects important or representative aspects of New Zealand history:
This simple shelter shed, thought to have been built some time around 1920, is an example of what was New Zealand’s most common type of railway station building. It is thought to be the finest survivor of an estimated 600 standard shelter sheds which were built before 1945. Julius Vogel, Minister of Railways late 19th Century, adopted pragmatic American design philosophies for the New Zealand Railway industry, including standardising of railway stations and shelters. This standardisation was continued into the 20th century, and Ruru is an example of the shelter shed that succeeded the Class 7 shed of the Vogel era.
The importance of identifying rare types of historic places: This shelter shed is a survivor of what was the most common type of railway station built by New Zealand Railways, and they accounted for 44% of all stations built in the country. Of an estimated 600 built before 1945, few remain on site, and Ruru is thought to be the finest surviving example.
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Conclusion: Ruru Railway Station, Grey District, is recommended for registration as a Category I as a place of special and outstanding historical and cultural heritage significance and value. It is the finest example of a once common type of railway structure, and represents and era of expansion and development of the national Railway industry.
Reference:
www.historic.org.nz/TheRegister/RegisterSearch/RegisterRe…
