The town of Picton was named by Major Antill after Sir Thomas Picton in 1841. The location was previously known as "Stonequarry". The Duke of Wellington described Picton as a "rough foul-mouthed devil as ever lived" but very capable. He was "respected for his courage and feared for his irrascible temperament". He was chiefly remembered for his exploits under Wellington in the Iberinan Peninsular War displaying great barvery and persistence. He was killed at the Battle of Waterloo and was the most senior officer to die there. He was buried in the family vault at St. George's, Hanover Square in London. In 1859 Picton was re-interred in St. Paul's Cathedral, London, lying close to the body of the Duke of Wellington. Following the construction of a new alignment via Bargo in 1919, Picton became a junction station with the original line being retained as a branch line. These trains departed from a dock platform at the southern end of Platform 2. Picton previously had an extensive yard north of the station including locomotive servicing facilities and a turntable. A passing loop ran behind Platform 2 until 2011, when it was removed to allow a lift to be installed. Picton is a destination for NSW Rail Museumsteam trains from Thirlmere, although with the elimination of Picton yard, these now require a locomotive at each end.
The railway station complex managed by RailCorp includes a type 3, second class station building, erected in 1863; a footbridge, erected ; and a two-storey, timber signal box with a hipped roof, erected in 1919. Other items includes the remains of an engine shed located at from Central, at a site managed by the ARTC.
Station building (1863)
The Station Building is a simple single-storey Victorian Georgian style building. The building sits on a stone plinth with painted brickwork walls and a symmetrical front elevation with 2 x 6 pane double hung timber framed sash windows. The building has a linear arrangement with attached parapeted wings at each end containing toilets in one wing and lamp room in the other. The other facilities in the building include a ladies waiting room, telegraph office, booking office and clerks office and baggage office. Access to the platform is through the central booking office. The building features a hipped slate roof with a major awning to the platform rebuilt at an unknown period and originally supported on columns. The street frontage has a hipped verandah supported on timber posts. An indication of the individuality of railway station gardens is given by a hanging wall-mounted specimen of stag's horn fern Platycerium superbum) attached to the station building wall at Picton.
Footbridge ()
The station Footbridge was rebuilt in with new steel girders and concrete deck.
This is a large signal box located on the platform and was constructed in 1919. It is a timber structure with windows on three sides of the upper level. Access is from the platform via an external stair with WC on the landing. The roof is hipped, clad in corrugated iron overhanging on all sides to shade the upper windows. This is one of a small number of similar boxes remaining in the state.
As at 30 November 2010, Picton Railway Precinct is of state significance as one of the earliest surviving railway locations in NSW, opening in 1863 only eight years after the first line from Sydney to Parramatta in 1855. Picton Railway Precinct is significant as the terminus of the Southern line until 1867 prior to the extension of the Great Southern Line through to Mittagong, Goulburn and on to Albury. The construction of the line to Picton is significant for its association with John Whitton, Engineer-in-Chief of the NSWGR, and was one of his early achievements during his long career. The design of the Picton station building is also attributed to Whitton and is a fine example of a simple Victorian Georgian style station building that remains substantially intact. The signal box built in 1919 is a good example of an elevated timber signal box, representative of other similar structures in the network. Picton railway station was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria. The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. This item is assessed as historically rare. This item is assessed as scientifically rare. This item is assessed as arch. rare. This item is assessed as socially rare.
