It is considered crown land and managed by community group Helensburgh Landcare, who in early 2019, restricted access to the tunnel for the conservation of the glow worm colony.[2]
History
The Helensburgh Glow Worm tunnel was opened on 1 January 1889 and formed part of the town's first railway station. The original station was made up of two single-line tunnels; a short ‘Helensburgh tunnel’ that ran 80 metres (88yd) in length; and the ‘Metropolitan tunnel’ which was 624 metres (682yd) long.[3][4] The latter is what is now locally known as the ‘Helensburgh Glow Worm tunnel’. The Metropolitan tunnel connected the local colliery to Helensburgh station as a way to transport mining produce uphill where it could be transported to suburbs to the north of Helensburgh.[5]
Old Helensburgh railway station, circa 1890–1905
The tunnels and station were closed in 1915 when the train line was duplicated and moved to combine and simplify the Sutherland to Wollongong journey; a necessity due to the increased coal mining operations from Helensburgh and down the South Coast.[6] With the two tunnels no longer in use, the colliery turned the Metropolitan tunnel into a reservoir for mining purposes. In May 1928 a concrete plug was installed at the southern end of the tunnel which allowed the mine to control the water that would flood the tunnel from the northern end.[5]
In April 1995, Metropolitan Colliery chose to clear years of debris and overgrowth at the northern entrance of the tunnel. After removing 2 metres (7ft) of soil, several bricks from the original station platform were found. Helensburgh Landcare sought to excavate the site and was granted permission by the colliery to dig down to the original train track level.[5]
In 2001, Helensburgh Landcare was awarded a Centenary of Federation grant allowing them to transform the site into a historical attraction. To recreate a realistic tunnel, the ground was laid with ballast and then parts of the original train track taken from the colliery side of the tunnel were put down in place of the original line. Landcare also restored what was left of the original ‘Helensburgh Station’ sign, found in a gully close to the area.[5]
Over the years, the site became frequented by locals, historians, tourists, and photographers as well as colonies of glow worms. In 2012, the station sign was vandalised and removed, restored, and reinstalled in 2015. Within 18 months the sign was vandalised again.[5]
In June 2018, a fence and gate were installed at the site in response to complaints made to the NSW Department of Industry, to discourage vandalism and destruction of the site and glow worm colony.[2]
On 21 December 2018 a new reserve was issued by the NSW Government that marked the Metropolitan Tunnel and Helensburgh Tunnel had been set aside for "passive recreation, heritage purposes, environmental protection". Whilst Crown Lands retained ownership of the tunnels, this reserve appointed Helensburgh and District Landcare Group Inc as crown land managers, giving the group responsibility for the tunnels. Their first act as land management was to officially name the reserve, ‘Helensburgh Station Reserve’.[7]
In early 2019, the group decided to close the Metropolitan Tunnel off from would-be visitors from 7 January to 3 February, by locking the fence and blocking access to the tunnel for conservation purposes.
Local superstitions
The Metropolitan and Helensburgh tunnels have become a popular attraction for those who believe in the paranormal. Some visitors report eerie feelings and supernatural encounters upon returning from either tunnel.[8] These are purported to be related to the death of Robert Hails on 13 June 1895. Hails, a miner, died in a train tunnel after he was run over and split in two by a train whilst trying to pass through the tunnel on foot. It is unknown in which of the seven tunnels on the line the accident occurred, as multiple news sources were inconsistent when reporting the location of his demise.
The jury returned the following verdict – ‘That deceased came to his death by injuries accidentally received on the 13th of May through being run over by a passing train – No.67 – in No. 2 tunnel on the Illawarra line."
At the time, the extended Helensburgh rail area had eight tunnels in total. The No. 2 tunnel was also known as the Cawley tunnel and is located to the north of the old Helensburgh station.
"He had stayed rather late in the township and on going home had to pass through the tunnel where the accident occurred."[9]
The Cawley township was in the opposite direction of Hailes’ home in the suburb of Clifton. At the time, Cawley railway station was being used to receive goods for work on the railway and to deliver supplies to the colliery. The township of Cawley had begun to disappear in 1888 when the Cawley post office closed down.[6] The reason for its closure was a lack of business; 7 years had passed since work had finished on that section of the line and workers had moved further down to work on the Otford and Clifton sections of the line. Although it is possible he was visiting a friend who remained in the township, there is speculation that Robert having died in the Cawley tunnel is incorrect.[10]
There is reason to suggest that he may have travelled through either of the two Lilyvale tunnels, or the Metropolitan or Helensburgh tunnel. West Helensburgh had started to become a developed town which could have been a reason for him to go through the Metropolitan and Helensburgh tunnels. It is also argued that like many residents at the time, he may have used either of the two Lilyvale tunnels which lead to the neighbouring suburb of Bulgo. An article from the Australian Star, published on 14 June 1895 gives an alternate view of events to its Illawarra Mercury counterpart:[11]
"A wire from Wollongong says: — News is just to hand of a train fatality which occurred in the first tunnel this side of Helensburgh this morning…"
offAs this news came from Wollongong, then "this side of Helensburgh" would refer only to tunnels south of Helensburgh; which would discount the Cawley tunnel. Interpretations of this may mean any of the four tunnels aforementioned. Another article by the South Australian Chronicle, published on 15 June 1895 stated:[12]
“He had apparently gone to sleep on the line in a short tunnel as he was returning home late last night from work.”
Local historians believe ‘short tunnel’ would imply that he either met his death in the Lilyvale tunnel or the Helensburgh tunnel, which are both 80 metres in length.[10] However, ‘short’ is relative and it remains a mystery as to the true location of Hailes' death place. Out of these conflicting reports, a local legend that one can hear the footsteps of Robert Hailes trying to outrun the trains was conceived. The main Metropolitan tunnel and its companion the Helensburgh tunnel have since become a great source for ghost-tour operators in the south coast.[8]
Glow worms
Glow worms in the tunnel
After the Metropolitan Tunnel was restored, a colony of glow worms began to inhabit the inner part of the 24-metre (79ft) stretch of excavated tunnel. These glow worms, also known as Fungus Gnats are famous for their bioluminescence.[1] It is the blue-green light that the worms emit, that attracts many visitors to the tunnel. It is also this light that lures the glow worm's prey – small invertebrates, for example, mosquitoes.
In June 2018 a fence was constructed at the base of the entrance to the old station by Don Campbell and Norm Purdy after "The [NSW Department of Industry] received reports of damage to heritage items on the platform, and there are concerns about the impact of light, noise, and pollution on the glow worms in the tunnel,".[2]
The glow-worm populations have been reduced[2] in recent[when?] years by spectators of the tunnel, interrupting the worms feeding processes by visitors’ beaming flashlights onto the roof of the tunnel, sending up flares and firecrackers for photography purposes, and graffitiing the inner tunnel wall. Access to the tunnels is at the discretion of the Helensburgh Landcare group. The group blocked the entrance to the tunnel for four weeks in January 2019 during the breeding season in an effort to allow the glow worm population to recover from years of poor treatment.[5] When the gate is locked, trespassers who enter the tunnel may be liable for prosecution under the Inclosed Lands Protection Act (NSW) 1901.
Wollongong is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound of the sea'. Wollongong lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 85 kilometres south of central Sydney. Wollongong had an estimated urban population of 302,739 at June 2018, making it the third-largest city in New South Wales after Sydney and Newcastle and the tenth-largest city in Australia by population. The city's current Lord Mayor is Tania Brown who was elected in 2024.
The Illawarra is a coastal region in the southeast of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour and the coastal town of Kiama. Wollongong is the largest city of the Illawarra with a population of 240,000, then Shellharbour with a population of 70,000 and Kiama with a population of 10,000. These three cities have their own suburbs. Wollongong stretches from Otford in the north to Windang in the south, with Maddens Plains and Cordeaux in the west.
The Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line is a commuter railway line on the Sydney Trains network in the eastern and southern suburbs of Sydney. The line was constructed in the 1880s to Wollongong to take advantage of agricultural and mining potentials in the Illawarra area. In March 1926, it became the first railway in New South Wales to run electric train services.
The South Coast Railway is a passenger and freight railway line from Sydney to Wollongong and Bomaderry in New South Wales, Australia. Beginning at the Illawarra Junction, the line services the Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales.
Otford is a village in the Otford Valley located 55 km south of the Sydney and 30 km north of the Wollongong CBD in New South Wales, Australia. Otford is within the local government area of the City of Wollongong.
The South Coast Line (SCO) is an intercity rail service that services the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The service runs from Central, and runs the entire length of the eponymous South Coast railway line to Bomaderry. The service also runs along the Eastern Suburbs railway line at peak hours and the Port Kembla railway line to Port Kembla. It is operated with Sydney Trains H sets and T sets, with Endeavour railcars operating the service on the non-electrified line between Kiama and Bomaderry.
Oak Flats railway station is a single-platform intercity train station located in Oak Flats, New South Wales, Australia, on the South Coast railway line. The station serves NSW TrainLink trains travelling south to Kiama and north to Wollongong and Sydney. Together with the Dunmore and later Shellharbour Junction stations, Oak Flats has long served as the rail connection for the coastal suburbs of the City of Shellharbour.
Kembla Grange railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located in Kembla Grange, New South Wales, Australia, on the South Coast railway line. The station serves NSW TrainLink trains travelling south to Kiama and north to Wollongong and Sydney. The station ranked equal last for patronage on the metropolitan network in 2012, and was one of 23 on the metropolitan rail network to record an average of fewer than one passenger per day in 2014.
Helensburgh railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the South Coast railway line in New South Wales, Australia. It serves the town of Helensburgh. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Scarborough railway station is a heritage-listed railway station on the South Coast railway line in New South Wales, Australia. It serves the seaside village of Scarborough. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Coalcliff is a town on the coast of New South Wales, Australia, between Sydney and Wollongong.
Helensburgh is a small town, located 45 kilometres (28 mi) south of Sydney and 35 kilometres (22 mi) north of Wollongong and north and above the Illawarra escarpment and region. Helensburgh is in the Wollongong City Council local government area. It is surrounded by bushland reserves adjacent to the southern end of the Royal National Park and Garawarra State Conservation Area and the Woronora reservoir water catchment is to its west.
Scarborough is a small northern seaside suburb of Wollongong on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. It sits in the northern Illawarra region on a narrow stretch between the Illawarra escarpment and sea cliffs.
Lilyvale railway station was a railway station on the South Coast railway line serving the small former village of Lilyvale, New South Wales, Australia.
Stanwell Tops is an exurban locality between the cities of Sydney and Wollongong on the New South Wales, Australia coastline. It lies northwest of Stanwell Park and southwest of Otford.
Lilyvale is a locality in New South Wales on the northern periphery of the Wollongong local government area, south of Sydney. Most of the locality is now in the Royal National Park and Garawarra State Conservation Area. The former Lilyvale village centre, which at one stage had a population of about 200 people, was at Lilyvale railway station on the South Coast railway between Helensburgh and Otford.
Premier Transport Group is an Australian operator of bus and coach services in New South Wales and Queensland. Its origins can be traced back to December 1987 when John King purchased Nowra Coaches. It has since expanded through a number of acquisitions.
The Otford railway tunnel is a heritage-listed former railway tunnel on the Illawarra railway line at Otford, City of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by the New South Wales Government Railways, and built by W. Rowe and W. Smith (tunnel) and Mr. McDonald. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Lilyvale railway tunnels are heritage-listed railway tunnels on the Illawarra railway line at Lilyvale, City of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed and built by the then-New South Wales Government Railways. The property is owned by RailCorp, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
The Metropolitan Colliery is a coal mine located near Helensburgh, New South Wales owned by Peabody Energy. It was opened by in 1887 by the Cumberland Coal & Iron Mining Company. In 1965, the mine was purchased by Australian Iron & Steel. A proposed sale to South32 in 2016 was abandoned after the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission refused to approve it.
1 2 "A FATAL ACCIDENT". Illawarra Mercury. Vol.XL, no.109. New South Wales, Australia. 15 June 1895. p.2. Retrieved 17 May 2019– via National Library of Australia.
↑ "RAILWAY FATALITY". The Australian Star. No.2295. New South Wales, Australia. 14 June 1895. p.6. Retrieved 17 May 2019– via National Library of Australia.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
