The station served the southern Wollongong suburb of Dunmore and indirectly Shellharbour and opened on 9 November 1887.

The awningless Platform 2 building is original (1887), the Out-of-room (aka old milk shed) was constructed in 1891 and extended in 1908.

[2][8] The 1887 Dunmore (Shellharbour) Station Master's residence is a relatively early brick example of the J2 design Station Master's residence, having been constructed in 1887 prior to the issue of the series of standard plans by the office of Henry Deane, Engineer-in-Chief for Railways Construction 1891–1901, for these buildings in 1899.

[11] As at 23 November 2010, The Dunmore (Shellharbour) Railway Station and residence is of state historical significance for its rare awningless 1887 platform building (only 2 other examples on the Illawarra line), 1891 milk shed/out-of-room and central section of Platform 2 (among the earliest surviving structures on the Illawarra line), and for its early (1887) brick example of a "J2" station masters residence design.

The 1925 signal box, Platform 1, Platform 2 extension and moveable items are of historical significance as evidence of later upgrading of the station since 1925, and the residence is also of historical significance as evidence of late 19th century railway operational requirements to accommodate railway station staff on site.

[2] Dunmore (Shellharbour) Railway Station is of aesthetic significance for its open setting affording views to the Illawarra escarpment, and for its collection of weatherboard buildings and platforms dating from 1887.

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

The later conversion of the 1891 milk shed to an Out-of-room illustrates the declining use of rail transport by the dairying industry in the 20th century.

[2] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

Dunmore (Shellharbour) Railway Station is of aesthetic significance for its open setting affording views to the Illawarra escarpment, for its collection of weatherboard buildings and platforms dating from 1887.

[2] The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

The 1891 milk shed (later extended and converted to an Out-of-room) is a rare survivor of this type of station building.

[2] The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales.

[2] This Wikipedia article contains material from Shellharbour Railway Station Group, entry number 01245 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 2 June 2018.