Main Range Railway

The Main Range, part of Australia’s Great Dividing Range, presented a challenging geological barrier for trade in Queensland following the 1840s settlement of the Darling Downs. Following the passing of the 1863 Railways Bill, Irish engineer Abraham Fitzgibbon – later Queensland’s first Commissioner of Railways - recommended the establishment of a light railway with a narrow gauge to combat the ascent to the Main Range. The Main Range Railway - from Murphy’s Creek to the outskirts of Toowoomba - was constructed from 1865-1867 and divided into five sections. Works were overseen by railway builders Peto, Brassey and Betts. Due to the large-scale construction of the line, the Queensland government advertised internationally for skilled and unskilled workers. By April 1866, 1009 workmen, or ‘navvies’, were working on one section alone. The navvies resided in a number of camps located along the line, which operated as temporary townships. The Main Range Railway was one of Queensland’s most important early public works and a major infrastructure investment. It includes some of Australia’s earliest tunnels. The first train arrived in Toowoomba on 12 April 1867. Today, the line is largely used for freight with some tourist steam train excursions operating during Toowoomba’s Carnival of Flowers.