Jordan Doherty
The new station at Keilor East is set to be built on Terror Street.
The eyebrow-raising name, comes with a history you might not expect. The Terror street station may conjure the image of a ghost train ride, but it actually gets its name from a famous Royal Navy ship.
Transport planner, cartographer and former councillor Phillip Mallis said,
“In the 1970s, many streets built in the area were given names associated with the Royal Navy.
The HMS Terror was a Royal Navy ship built in 1813, which was later re-fitted for polar exploration.
In 1845, Captain Sir John Franklin led the HMS Terror on its final, ill-fated voyage – later known as ‘Franklin’s lost expedition’ – through the notorious Northwest Passage.
“It was joined by the HMS Erebus, captained by James Fitzjames. When both ships became icebound, dozens aboard died, including Franklin. Second-in-command Francis Crozier took charge. Trapped by ice and with no end in sight, Crozier and Fitzjames set out on foot for the Canadian mainland with the remaining survivors, disappearing and presumably perishing in the punishing conditions.
Both shipwrecks were only discovered in 2016. So today we have Terror Street and Erebus Street next to each other in Keilor Park, as well as nearby Francis Street – a nod to this significant event in the Royal Navy’s history.”
