Architecture
A Troup Gable station, Rangiora is a timber-framed structure with a corrugated-iron roof and an appended verandah. There have been few changes to this building, apart from a small gabled addition and the 1948 subdivision of the parcels office into a storeroom, cloakroom and parcels room. The windows are largely either double-hung sash, defined by decorative half-timbering, and by fanlights above the numerous doors on the platform elevation. Large wrought-iron hoops decorate the verandah supports. On the road elevation some elegance is imparted by the eave brackets, on this side of the building only.
History
The Main North Line from Christchurch reached Rangiora in 1872 and the first station may have dated from then. From 1879 until 1959 Rangiora was the junction for the Oxford branch line, and the northern terminus for Christchurch suburban train services until the mid 1960s. The Minister of Railways approved a new station for Rangiora in early 1908. It was earmarked for the following year but after estimates were prepared for both the building and verandah the work was proceeded with almost immediately. General Manager T. M. Ronayne asked for a building "similar to Kaiapoi but without so much ornamentation." The cost was estimated at £1,400 for the building and £200 for the verandah. Following a complaint from the General Manager that the station building presented a very "barn-like" appearance, Chief Draughtsman George Troup was asked to continue the verandah around the ends of the building. Troup considered this would not improve a building that was deliberately kept plain to cut costs, and in June 1909 the verandah extension was turned down. The verandah issue was revived in 1913 but not pursued. In 1948 the parcels office was subdivided into a storeroom, parcels office and cloakroom at a cost of £443. By 1977 it was decided the Marseilles-tiled roof had to be replaced and the less costly option of corrugated iron was chosen. Since 1986 Rangiora has been open to full wagonload traffic and passengers.
Architectural Significance
Rangiora is a fine original example of a Troup Vintage station. The verandah was erected with the station building and the building is remarkably intact, apart from the loss of the Marseilles-tile roof. Although not as ornate as some station buildings it has its own decorative embellishments which help distinguish it from plainer station designs.
Historical Significance
Rangiora has served one of the larger district centres in North Canterbury for well over 80 years. Its regional importance was illustrated by its role both as the terminus for Christchurch suburban trains and as the junction for the Oxford branch line.
Town / Landscape Value
Now without its distinctive Marseilles-tile roof, the station’s impact on the Rangiora townscape is limited.
