Willison railway station is a commuter railway station on the Alamein line, part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the eastern Melbourne suburb of Camberwell in Victoria, Australia. Willison is a ground level unstaffed station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 8 June 1908, with the current station provided in 1954 and platforms in 1972.[4]
Initially opened as Golf Links, the station was given its current name of Willison on 23 July 1936.
History
Willison station was not part of the original Outer Circle line. It was provided for the convenience of members of the Riversdale Golf Club, which was originally adjacent to the site. It has been said that influential club members did not appreciate having to walk to either Riversdale or Hartwell, and pressed for a closer alternative.[5] That almost certainly explains why Willison was built so close to Riversdale, being only 400 metres away. The club moved from the site in 1927 and, on 23 July 1936, the station was renamed Willison, after A. J. Willison, a former member of Camberwell Council.[6][7]
The station was originally served by the so-called Deepdene Dasher, which ran a shuttle on the remnant of the Outer Circle line between Ashburton and Deepdene. After the Deepdene Dasher ceased operation in 1927, the station was served by Ashburton line trains. Twelve years later, on 28 June 1948, the line was extended from Ashburton to Alamein,[8] the service which still exists today.
In 1954, the current station platforms were provided when the line was duplicated between Riversdale and Hartwell.[4] In 1972, both platforms were extended at the down end, and a pedestrian crossing was relocated.[9]
