Normanton Railway Terminus

The town of Normanton was once an important port, dating to the late 1860s. In 1886, the Queensland Government decided to build a railway from Normanton to the copper mines of Cloncurry. In the interim, gold was discovered at Belmore Station, which was to become the town of Croydon. By the end of 1886, there were 2000 people here, and 6000 by the end of 1887. Transport was an issue, so the line was diverted to service the gold fields. Tenders were called in July 1887 and construction began in 1888. The terminus complex in Normanton comprised a station building with a telegraph office, station master's and traffic manager's offices, clerks' room, waiting room, parcels and cloak room, booking office, and a ladies' room (with a ramp to ladies-only earth closets). Attached to the station building, and sheltering the platform and three tracks, was an arcaded carriage shade with a curved roof. It also had a large goods shed with a crane, tanks, carpenter’s and blacksmith’s shop, timber shed, gantry and engine shed. The terminus now serves largely as a tourist attraction, where the Gulflander 1931 railmotor offers weekly trips to and from Croydon.