Railways and Tramways of Australia

The first section of what is today the North Coast line in Queensland was opened in 1867. However, it was not until 1924 that the line from Brisbane to Cairns was finally completed. Various sections were built that were disconnected from the rest of the network and this created a number of isolated railways. Some of the railways which opened to the inland included sections that would eventually become part of the North Coast line.

 

First sections opened

The first section of what would become the North Coast line was opened on 17 September 1867 as part of the 52-km line opened from Rockhampton to Westwood. It included an 8-km section between Rockhampton and Rocklands, which later became part of the North Coast line.

 

Various railways opened in Queensland where needs were determined. In 1910 the North Coast Railway Act was passed by Queensland’s parliament. It authorised the construction of the further 731 km of railways required to complete the North Coast Line between Brisbane and Cairns. The remaining sections to be completed required the construction of bridges over streams and rivers, and this resulted in considerable time and financial investment.

 

The line completed

The North Coast line was finally completed in December 1924 with the opening of the Daradgee Bridge, near Innisfail. An official opening was held on 8 December, involving Premier Ted Theodore driving C17 Class locomotive No. 253, which was hauling the first train across the bridge. Thousands of people arrived on special trains from Cairns, Townsville and the Atherton Tableland, to witness the historic event. It was finally possible to make an uninterrupted train journey between Brisbane and Cairns. Regular traffic commenced on 10 December 1924.

 

In December 1924 the population of Queensland was 800,000, whereas today it is over five million. The completion of the North Coast line was indeed an important factor in the development of North Queensland, the state and the nation.

 

Queensland North Coast line opening dates, by section from south to north

Each of the sections of the North Coast line has been listed below in order from north to south, along with its opening date. The numbers following in parentheses are a listing of the chronological order of opening for each section. Thus, (1) was the first section to be opened, through to (59), the last. The mixed order of the numbers indicates that construction was not systematic and that many isolated sections were built. Sections from Roma Street to Central and Central to Mayne are indicated as (4a) and (4b) because they provided a new route as an alternative to the original Roma Street to Mayne section via Normanby.

• Roma Street-Mayne–Northgate, 11 May 1882 (4).

• Roma Street–Central, 18 August 1889 (4a). Completion of this section opened the railway into the centre of Brisbane.

• Central–Mayne, 1 November 1890 (4b). Completion of this section provided a shorter route to the North Coast than the original route via Normanby.

• Northgate–Petrie, 1 March 1888 (9).

• Petrie–Caboolture, 11 June 1888 (10).

• Caboolture–Landsborough, 1 February 1890 (12).

• Landsborough–Yandina, 1 January 1891 (14).

• Yandina–Cooroy, 17 July 1891 (17). Completion of this section linked Gympie and Bundaberg and Brisbane.

• Cooroy–Cooran, 1 April 1891 (15).

• Cooran–Gympie, 10 June 1889 (11).

• Gympie–Maryborough, 6 August 1881 (3).

• Baddow (Maryborough Junction)–Howard, 30 March 1883 (5).

• Howard–Goodwood, 15 August 1887 (7).

• Goodwood–Bundaberg, 20 February 1888 (8).

• Bundaberg–North Bundaberg, 15 June 1891 (16).

• North Bundaberg–Rosedale, 1 July 1892 (19).

• Rosedale–Iveragh, 1 October 1897 (22).

• Iveragh–Gladstone, 1 August 1896 (20).

• Gladstone–Rocklands, 18 December 1903 (27). Completion of this section linked Rockhampton and Brisbane.

• Rocklands–Rockhampton, 17 September 1867 (1). This short section was part of the line opened to Westwood, later extended inland to Longreach and Winton.

• Rockhampton–Glenmore Junction, 6 November 1899 (24).

• Glenmore Junction–Milman, 1 July 1913 (33).

• Milman–Yaamba, 1 October 1913 (36).

• Yaamba–Kunwarara, 3 August 1915 (40).

• Kunwarara–Marlborough, 31 March 1917 (41).

• Marlborough–Styx, 5 June 1919 (46).

• Styx–Wumalgi, 9 August 1920 (50).

• Wumalgi–St Lawrence, 4 June 1921 (53).

• St Lawrence–Carmila, 24 September 1921 (54). Completion of this section linked Mackay and Brisbane.

• Carmila–Koumala, 10 August 1920 (51).

• Koumala–Sarina, 20 July 1915 (39).

• Sarina–Mackay, 1 July 1913 (32).

• Mackay–Mackay (Paget Junction), 10 August 1885 (6). This short section was part of the branch line opened to Mirani, later extended to Netherdale.

• Mackay–Farleigh, 19 April 1918 (43).

• Farleigh–Proserpine, 1 December 1923 (56). Completion of this section linked Townsville and Brisbane.

• Proserpine–Bowen, 1 July 1910 (29). This section was opened by Bowen Proserpine Joint Tramway Board (BPJTB) and taken over by Queensland Railways 1 July 1917.

• Bowen–Guthalungra, 1 May 1890 (13).

• Guthalungra–Bobawaba, 1 October 1891 (18).

• Bobawaba–Home Hill, 3 July 1913 (34).

• Home Hill–Carstairs, 1 September 1913 (35).

• Carstairs–Ayr, 30 June 1913 (31).

• Ayr–Stuart, 27 March 1901 (25). This section was opened by Ayr Tramway Joint Board and purchased by Queensland Railways on 1 January 1911.

• Stuart–Townsville, 20 December 1880 (2). This short section was part of the line opened to Reid River, later extended inland to Mount Isa.

• Townsville–Kurukan, 14 April 1914 (37).

• Kurukan–Rollingstone, 5 April 1915 (38).

• Rollingstone–Moongobulla, 2 May 1917 (42).

• Moongobulla–Coolbie, 29 July 1918 (44).

• Coolbie–Bambaroo, 26 December 1918 (45).

• Bambaroo–Toobanna, 21 July 1919 (47).

• Toobanna–Ingham, 1 December 1919 (49).

• Ingham–Lilypond, 10 January 1921 (52).

• Lilypond–Feluga, 10 December 1924 (59). The section from Lilypond to Feluga via Cardwell was opened on 10 December 1924 following the official completion of the North Coast line with the opening of the Daradgee Bridge on 8 December 1924.

• Feluga–El Arish, 3 December 1923 (57).

• El Arish–Innisfail, 18 December 1922 (55).

• Innisfail–Daradgee, 10 December 1924 (58). The opening of this section, including the Daradgee Bridge, marked the official completion of the North Coast line linking Cairns with Brisbane. The official opening was on 8 December 1924 and regular services commenced on 10 December.

• Daradgee–Pawngilly, 13 September 1919 (48).

• Pawngilly–Babinda, 9 December 1912 (30).

• Babinda–Harvey Creek, February 1910 (28). Opened as part of the Cairns–Mulgrave Tramway operated by Cairns Divisional Board (later Cairns Shire Council); taken over by Queensland Railways on 1 July 1911.

• Harvey Creek–Aloomba, 12 June 1903 (26). Part of the Cairns–Mulgrave Tramway; taken over by Queensland Railways on 1 July 1911.

• Aloomba–Gordonvale, August 1898 (23). Part of the Cairns–Mulgrave Tramway; taken over by Queensland Railways on 1 July 1911.

• Gordonvale–Cairns, 3 May 1897 (21). Part of the Cairns–Mulgrave Tramway; taken over by Queensland Railways on 1 July 1911.

 

References

Armstrong, J & J Kerr, Sunshine route jubilee, Australian Railway Historical Society, Queensland Division, Brisbane, 1975.

Burke, D, Chasing the sunshine: the story of Queensland’s Sunshine Express, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, 2009.

‘Daradgee bridge’, Northern Herald, 10 December 1924, p. 6.

Kerr, J, Triumph of narrow gauge: a history of Queensland railways, Boolarong, Brisbane, 1990.

North Coast line, Queensland chronological opening dates

     <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Coast_line,_Queensland_chronological_opening_dates>.

North Coast line, Queensland sectional opening dates <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Coast_line, Queensland_sectional_opening_dates>.

Quinlan, H & JH Newland, Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division, Sydney, 2000.