Page 66 - Tropic Magazine Issue 28

TROPIC • REGIONAL HISTORY

Our Railways:

Part 1

MINERAL TRADE
Our Regional History column
revisits the boom and decline
of the Far North’s railways.

Words: Nicky Horstmann Workers standing at the Cairns railway tunnel entrance

It’s hard to imagine the very early days of port of Normanton was also undertaken private railway lines enabling his
European settlement in Queensland, let in the same year, the first train running investments to prosper.
alone what it was like in the far northern on the 20th July, 1889. He formed the Chillagoe Railway &
and western regions of the state. In summary, the years from 1886 through Mining Co and built a private line to
Distance was one of the biggest to 1893 saw government railroad building connect his smelter to the government
challenges for these pioneers but, in on a huge scale in the deep north and line in Mareeba. This opened in 1901, and
many ways, the farmers and pastoralists west of the state – all as a direct result of within eight years he constructed further
eventually benefitted from the mineral mineral discoveries. rail connections to join smelters at Mt
discoveries of the day. In response to the rapidly growing Garnet and Mt Molloy to the network.
Gold, copper, tin, lead and silver were demand for long-haul transport state- Moffat then went on to link Forsayth and
worth very little if left in situ. World wide, the Legislative Assembly had the Etheridge mining field to Almaden
markets needed to be accessed for profits sought the advice of experts as early in 1910, but his empire didn’t stop there.
to be made and, in a land where roads as 1863. When coal was discovered at Mt Mulligan,
didn’t exist, building railway lines seemed he built a line through to Dimbulah. All
to be the answer. in all, his company was responsible for
The discovery of the Thornborough creating some 510km of line.
gold fields in 1876 and tin deposits at ...anything was better than However, the world was changing and
Herberton four years later prompted a bullock track – the only WW1 played a big part in this. Copper
the state government to build our first prices dropped alarmingly and the
rail line. alternative available. Chillagoe Railway & Mining Co was taken
Cairns was selected to be the terminus/ over by the state in 1919. The reign of
port (in favour of Innisfail and Port John Moffat as a private railway owner
Douglas) and by 1891 the Kuranda line was over.
was open. It took another two years for Engineer Abraham Fitzgibbon had Sadly, the bulk of these railroads no
the rail to reach Mareeba, which was soon recommended adopting the cheaper longer exist. As mining profitability
to thrive as a transport hub. solution of building a railway with a declined and populations dwindled,
Meanwhile, the Palmer River goldfields narrower gauge (3ft 6ins) than other townships all but disappeared. The cost
on Cape York prompted the completion states. Yes, it did mean travel speeds of maintaining services could not
of the Cooktown to Palmer Road rail in would be slower, but anything was be sustained.
1885, and the service was well-supported better than a bullock track – the only However, two of these tracks have
by passengers and freight carriers alike. alternative available. remained and become significant
The link to Laura was accomplished Even though remoteness was being tourist attractions. The Gulflander still
by 1888, but the grand plan of running overcome by an ever-growing network runs on the Croydon – Normanton line
through to Maytown was never fulfilled. of rail, it wasn’t fast enough for and John Moffat’s legacy lives as The
The costs had become prohibitive. some entrepreneurs. Savannahlander makes its weekly trip
Building a rail connection from the Mining magnate, John Moffat, from Cairns to Forsayth on the
Croydon goldfields to the then closest was frustrated enough to establish Etheridge railroad.

66 • Tropic • Issue 28