Serviceton, Victoria

Town in western Victoria, Australia

NOTOC
The recorded a population in Serviceton and the surrounding area of 120; there were 77 dwellings. The town is the subject of a Tom Waits song entitled "Town With No Cheer" from his album Swordfishtrombones. Serviceton Post Office opened in 1886; from 1908 to 1911 it was known as Serviceton Railway Station post office. A Serviceton South office was open in 1926–1927, and Serviceton North office, on the Western Highway, operated from 1911 until 1954. Golfers play at the course of the Serviceton Golf Club on the Western Highway.

The eastern border of South Australia was declared in 1834 to be the meridian of the 141st degree of east longitude. In 1847, however, owing to the limitations of technology used for the first survey, markers were placed in error. Subsequently, the border was understood by both colonies to be about 2.25 mile (4 km) west of the meridian. Nevertheless, a border was not formalised and it was reported that "a number of bad characters resort to this neutral ground, knowing that the police cannot interfere with them until the question of jurisdiction is determined."

The railway station was completed in 1889 as the point at which the Serviceton railway line of Victoria and the Adelaide Wolseley railway line of South Australia – together comprising the Inter colonial Railway line – joined. The station building, for which the cost was shared between the two colonies, had 15 main rooms, including a large refreshment room and two customs offices and two booking offices for the separate systems. When Australia federated in 1901, inter state customs collection ceased, but locomotives continued to be changed until the 1980s. As of the 2010s, the building was leased by V/Line to the Shire of West Wimmera and managed by a committee elected from the local community to voluntarily operate, maintain and preserve it.