A piece of Victorian rail history has been uncovered by Inland Rail workers at Benalla Station.
A coping stone, laid in 1873 on the west track platform, carries the original surveyors’ distance marker.
The stone indicated its distance from Spencer St Station, now known as Southern Cross Station.
That distance being 121 miles, 25 chains and 83 links.
One mile is 1609 metres. One chain is 22 yards — a cricket pitch measurement, which is equal to 20.12m. One link is 20.12cm.
Work to upgrade the station to facilitate double stacked freight trains as part of the Inland Rail Project is ongoing.
Who knows what else workers might find during the project?