Mt Spec Road and Little Crystal Creek Bridge

Mount Spec Road is one of the earliest declared tourist roads in Queensland. It began as an access road to the tin deposits discovered west of Paluma in 1875. The beauty of this mountain location began drawing tourists from as early as 1902. In 1913, the North Queensland Register suggested the declaration of a township at Cloudy Clearing (Paluma), with the joint purpose of protecting the forest and developing a sanatorium. The tin miners recognised the region’s natural beauty with its waterfalls and forest. The area became a popular weekend destination for Townsville and Ingham residents after WWI, and a series of guesthouses were built, despite the poor access road. Following the formation of the Main Roads Board in 1920, standards for road construction were established and road projects prioritised. Seven tourist roads were declared by 1930 and Mt Spec was one of these. Its construction was a Depression era unemployment relief project which included construction of the picturesque Little Crystal Creek Bridge. It is a masonry arch dressed in stone; considered an extravagance at the time. The Mt Spec Tourist Road was officially opened on 18 July 1937 and the beautiful stone bridge remains a tourist attraction.