Did you know that Flinders Station was the first ever railway station to be built in the whole of Australia? It came up in 1854 and since then has been the centre of hubbub in the city of Melbourne. Here are a few interesting facts about the place that will make you want to visit even more.
The former busiest station in the world
In the early 20th century, Flinders Station was deemed the busiest station in the world. The place has managed to out beat Grand Central Station in New York and Gare Saint-Lazare. It was once reported that about 200,000 passengers moved in and out of this station daily!
ACMI Exhibition Gallery
Back in 1980, the lines for Hurstbridge and Epping at the neighbouring railway station became a part of Flinders Station as platforms. This area was later converted to create the ACMI Exhibition Gallery and now holds amazing pieces of art. If you are staying at Citadines on Bourke Melbourne or any other apartment hotel Melbourne, this attraction is within easy reach.
The switch
Like most iconic places in Australia, the architectural design for Flinders Station was decided with a competition. Two designs won and one was to be built in India. Somehow, plans were switched and the design for the station in India is what you see in Melbourne today. The other station in India ended up being a gothic style one.
Haunted
Travellers have reported seeing a man on platform 10 standing around with fishing gear and looking blankly into the Yarra River before vanishing. Some people feel that the ghost has been around since before the settlement came up and others believe him to be the ghost of a man who drowned in the river due to a boat accident in 1902.
