Rail in Dannevirke is over. The odd freight train rumbles through but none stop. If they were to stop they would find a 1983 railway station oddly paired with a canopy from 1903. It is this (George Troup) canopy with it's wrought Iron detailing that is subject to Heritage protection. It used to match a station of the same year that replaced the first, basic, timber station house, which would have greeted the Scandinavian migrants to the town who arrived in the 1870s and 1880s.
Similar to many early 1900s New Zealand Railway Stations, a bit of decoration was added to the ends of the canopy, during the 'age of elegance' in railways.
And that is all that is left here. The odd person visits the 600 metre grassy platform to see the wrought iron leaves and fronds, and there is plenty of heritage information held at the Dannevirke Gallery of History.
Image Credits: Auckland Libraries Heritage Images - A busy Scene Loading Wool at Dannevirke Railway station, a new station planned for Dannevirke,
and New Zealand Graphic:
"About the year 1870 a movement was made by the Government of the day in this Dominion to induce immigration from Norway and Denmark as the residents * it was considered would * it was considered, would make good settlers for a young 'country like New Zealand. Special land was set aside for these settlers and about 1872 the first settlers from Denmark arrived, and were located all together at this place, which was named from their own country's nomenclature—Dannevirke The *had its adverse times but it has, survived them'all. and is now a prosperous and rising locality.
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