FORMER ALLANSFORD RAILWAY STATION

 The Former Allansford Railway Station site meets the definition of archaeological site under the Heritage Act, as a site that is likely to contain artefacts, deposits or features 75 or more years old, that would provide information about the former use of the site, that requires archaeological methods to reveal such information. There are numerous surface features related to former structures at the site. There is limited historical documentation about the site, no site plans and only indicative layouts found to date. The limited amount of ground disturbance across the platforms indicates there is potential for archaeological features and potentially artefacts to be present. 

 As there is limited historical information about the Former Allansford Railway Station site, archaeological investigation and detailed recording could provide information not available elsewhere, particularly in relation to its layout and usage. The limited historical information suggests it was a very minor stopping point, but the number of structures suggest otherwise. Regardless of its size, archaeological investigation could provide information about smaller but still important stations along the Warrnambool line, particularly related to the transport of goods and how this has changed over time. 

 The site is likely to contribute to an understanding of early small Victorian railway stations, particularly related to the operation of dairy goods transportation. As such, the Former Allansford Railway Station meets Threshold A (archaeology). The site is significant in a local context under the ‘linking Victorians by rail’ (Theme 3.3) in Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (Heritage Council of Victoria 2010). As such, the Former Allansford Railway Station site meets Threshold B (place history).