A few years earlier, in c. 1875, the Minister for Works instructed the Engineer-in-Chief of the NSW Railways, John Whitton, to commence trial surveys for the planned extension of the Great Northern Line beyond Tamworth to at least as far as Tenterfield (and later to the Queensland border).

After much debate, in May 1878 the decision was made to construct the northern extension of the GNL via Armidale, with the proposed route incorporating what is now the town of Dumaresq.

[1] Dumaresq is one of a significant group of late nineteenth century railway buildings located along a section of the Northern Line between Armidale and the Queensland border.

It displays symmetry and some restrained decorative features and is closely linked to the early development of Dumaresq and surrounding districts, particularly in the late nineteenth century.

[1] Dumaresq Railway station was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.

The station building displays symmetry and some restrained decorative features, including bargeboards, pendants and a small but elegant veranda.