Oamaru Railway station open day attracts hundreds

It was a nostalgic day for many people at Oamaru Railway Station on Saturday as the doors reopened to the public.

In conjunction with Dunedin Railways' sell-out steam train trip, the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust opened the station building for the day as an opportunity for the public to gain some understanding of the possibilities and challenges associated with the historic building.

Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust chairman Peter Garvan said of the hundreds who looked through the building, many had worked there, or had family who had done so.

''A lot of people have an association with the railway station ... It used to be a very busy tearooms in its heyday.''

The station was vacated in September, after the tenants were given notice under the terms of a sale, which went unconditional on July 24 last year.

The sale fell through, and Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust board members will meet later in the month to discuss their next steps.

''We'd look at sale proposals or leasing proposals and we'll assess things in a couple of weeks' time after getting feedback from the open day,'' Mr Garvan said.

-rebecca.ryan@odt.co.nz

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