BUILT at the turn of the 19th Century, Bellair Station was designed and developed to be admired.
“Bellair was probably the most elaborate of small stations. In its heyday it was quite exquisite,” said Robert Brusse, one of South Africa’s leading conservation architects who lives in the community that is served by the station.
Victorian
In 2001 Brusse penned a report on the building making recommendations for its future use and highlighting where the owners, as well as the Council of the Provincial Heritage Agency, Amafa, had failed to properly ensure the building is safeguarded as the National Monument it is.
In the report, he describes Bellair Station as “possibly the most significant Victorian station ‘still in use’ between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.”
He goes on to outline a fear that alterations which, at the time, were being made to the station, were not being carried out with due diligence to its integrity as an historic monument.
“In the past it has received a Conservation Award from the City of Durban,” stated Brusse in the introduction to his 2001 report.
History
“You have to understand exactly what this station meant to the people of the time in which it was built,” he said enthusiastically.
“Bellair Village was considered a smart area for upper class folk. Mr Charles Hitchens, then the Minister of Harbour Affairs, had bought land and established himself in the area.
He wanted to ensure that he could get to the city or travel to Pietermaritzburg without much fuss.
“The original railway line from Durban to the Reef ran through the hills of the south of Durban,” said Brusse.
“Along this line, the villages of Rossburgh, Seaview, Bellair, Malvern, Queensburgh, Escombe and Northdene developed. Over time each of these villages got a railway station at its village centre.”
“The train line roughly followed the old Voortrekker Road and, while it wasn’t the shortest, it was the least problematic,” explained Brusse.
“Of these stations Bellair was by far the most elaborate. Bellair Village centre reflects more clearly than any other, the importance of a Victorian station in its village setting,” he said in his report.
Brusse mentioned that during the 1970s and 80s it was the winner of a national Railways Garden competition several times.
“One of the things the railways used to do to incentivise the station masters to keep the stations beautiful was this competition,” he explained.
Later, at the station itself he indicated what was left of the once famed gardens. “This is all that is left,” he said sadly.
Criminal
“It is scandalous, it is a National Monument and the railways asked for it to be declared a national monument,” said Brusse.
“One of the conditions of a building being declared a National Monument is that you undertake to look after it, and whatever entity owns it now, simply hasn’t done so,” he said.
The failure by the mandated authority to look after the station is, in Brusse’s opinion, a criminal offence. It wastes a state asset and impoverishes yet another potential tourist attraction.
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“They have broken the law, we, the public, should be able to walk into the closest police station and lay a charge against Prasa or Metrorail.” he said. Repeated attempts by the Queensburgh News to get a comment from Transnet, Metrorail or PRASA have proved futile.
In addition Brusse said the so-called “upgrades” to the station at the turn of this century are crimes against people.
“Treating people, who are forced to use a public service, as though they are cattle is atrocious,” he exclaimed, referring to a turn stile entrance to the platforms, and “… making them stand on an open platform in the rain or in sunshine, when there is a perfectly good roofed arrivals area attached to the historic building is indicative of Prasa’s disinterest in the comfort of railway commuters”.
Future
Looking towards the future, Brusse said he strongly believes that unless people actually take legal action against owners and tenants of historical buildings that are willfully being neglected they will continue to decay.
“The problem is there are few legal precedents to apply to those who fail to comply with the laws made to conserve heritage buildings and the responsible authorities are loath to get involved.”
However, Brusse also said there is hope on the horizon in terms of an ongoing legal battle to save a school in Pietermaritzburg.
“Sadly, there is not much will,” he said, adding that the comment he has had thrown in his face is: “Whose heritage is it anyway?”
“The answer is it is every South African’s heritage, and needs to be protected,” he said.
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At the time of publication, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
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