[4] The Main Northern line between Sydney and Newcastle was constructed in two distinct stages and in the earliest years, was worked as two separate railway systems.

[4][5] Reflecting the confusion in the timetables, the station was known locally as Peats Ferry, Flat Rock, and Brooklyn in the early years, depending on whom one spoke to.

[4] Hawkesbury River became a popular destination for day trippers and fishermen, outstripping the capacity of the original timber platform building.

This was replaced in 1903 with the current brick building, which is of the type that had recently been adopted as the standard construction for island platforms.

[4] In subsequent years, increased rail traffic resulted in constant re-modelling, improvement and updating of railway facilities at Hawkesbury River to cater for bank engines (which assisted up trains from Hawkesbury River to Cowan) and longer and heavier trains.

As part of this scheme, the platforms, overbridges, underbridge, footbridges and other structures were modified or rebuilt to accommodate the wide electric rollingstock, planned to operate between Hornsby and Cowan.

However, the brick station building at Hawkesbury River is extant, although some additional awnings and structures have been added on the platform.

[4] In 1987, the station featured in Jimmy Barnes' Music Video of his song 'I'm Still on Your Side' from his album Freight Train Heart.

[10] This inconvenience was alleviated somewhat when the Woy Woy Tunnel was opened and the line extended south to a dead end named Mullet Creek, that was in the general vicinity of the present day Wondabyne station, in January 1889, as this meant the General Gordon only had to cross the Hawkesbury River and travel up Mullet Creek a few kilometres.

The station commands impressive views of the Hawkesbury River to the east and west and Long Island to the north.

The male and female lavatories retain their original configuration and timber partitions, with tiled finishes and fittings dating from c.1950.

It is a cast iron structure on a concrete base with a timber platform and sheet metal spout, pivoting on a gear mechanism with a counter weight.

[4] Moveable items include a World War II honour roll and cast iron drinking fountain on platforms, a collection of historic photographs in waiting room corridor, and an original cast iron safe in former Station Master's Office.

It has a particularly picturesque setting on the edge of the Hawkesbury, with views over the water to the east and west and to Long Island to the north.

The station affords a view of the land bridge between Brooklyn and Long Island and the portals of the current and former Long Island tunnels, providing a rare opportunity to easily view some of the technical achievements of the Short North line construction.

The station facilitated the development of Brooklyn as a settlement for workers constructing the line and the station forms part of an extensive railway landscape of outstanding significance clustered around the Hawkesbury River, which includes the Long Island tunnels and maintenance depot, the current and former Hawkesbury River railway bridges and worker accommodation in Brooklyn township.

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

As such it has historic associations with the rail linkage of Sydney and Newcastle, which was a major event in the history of NSW railways.

This is heightened by the presence of a water spout at the southern end of the station from the former days of steam powered railway travel and the jetty, which forms an interface between transport on land and sea.

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

It has a particularly picturesque setting on the edge of the Hawkesbury, with views over the water to the east and west and to Long Island to the north.

The station affords a view of the land bridge between Brooklyn and Long Island and the portals of the current and former Long Island tunnels, providing a rare opportunity to easily view some of the technical achievements of the Short North line construction.

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

[4] The station group also forms part of an unusual late nineteenth and early twentieth century railway landscape of outstanding significance clustered around the Hawkesbury River, which includes the Long Island tunnels and maintenance depot, the current and former Hawkesbury River railway bridges and worker accommodation in Brooklyn township.

[4] This Wikipedia article contains material from Hawkesbury River Railway Station group, entry number 01166 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.