Oamaru's long wooden station, designed by Railways Department architect George Troup and completed in 1900, was typical of the new stations built in major provincial centres around the turn of the 20th century.
Oamaru station was particularly famous for its dining room (situated at the southern or far end of the building), which was capable of seating 250 diners at long tables. The Christchurch–Dunedin express made a regular 22-minute dinner (lunch) stop here, and for a set price of 2s 6d, travellers could sample delights such as ‘stewed tripe and oysters’, ‘smoked fish with butter sauce’, ‘roast sirloin of beef with Yorkshire pudding’ and ‘compote of pears with boiled custard’.
Community contributions