List of tramways in Queensland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of tramways in Queensland provides three separate lists, each in alphabetical order of the key identifier. They are:

  • Non sugar cane tramways, ordered by Tramway Name as contained in Wikipedia articles.
  • Sugar cane tramways, ordered by Sugar Mill Name, of which not all mills have a Wikipedia article.
  • Miscellaneous tramways for which only limited information is available, ordered by Enterprise Name as contained in Wikipedia articles

This list article does not include the Brisbane tramway network, the Brisbane Tramway Museum, the Gold Coast light rail, or the Rockhampton steam tram network.

The information listed is derived from the references and from the wikilinked articles (including those in “See also”)

Except where shown otherwise these tramways had a gauge of 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). They were regarded as tramways because of their lighter construction, and because they did not compete with government railways. The Mapleton Tramway, a former sugar cane tramway, is included in this list because it has its own article, and is heritage listed.

Tramway lengths are shown in miles to conform to other Australian railway articles. Where the source shows the distance in kilometres some small difference may occur due to rounding.

Tramway name[1] Owner / operator From locality To locality From year To year Length Gauge Notes
Aramac Aramac Shire Aramac Barcaldine 1913 1975 41 mi (66 km) 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Now a heritage listed station and museum at Aramac.
Ballara Hampton mine Devoncourt (former train station) Ballara (former mining town) 1915 1926 21.8 mi (35 km) 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Served the “Wee Macgregor” mine, in the locality of Kuridala.
This line joined a 1.85 mi (3 km) tramway, with 2 ft (610 mm) gauge.
Barakula Queensland Railway Department Chinchilla Barakula State Forest 1911 1970 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) The tramway transported railway sleepers made from logs taken from the state forest at Barakula and milled at the Barakula sawmill (approx 26°25′40″S 150°30′16″E / 26.4279°S 150.5044°E / -26.4279; 150.5044 (Barakula sawmill (former))). The route of the Barakula tramway was based on an earlier plan to construct a railway line from Chinchilla to Taroom that was subsequently abandoned in favour of a railway line from Miles to Taroom.[2][3][4][5]
Beaudesert Shire Beaudesert Shire Beaudesert Lamington and
Rathdowney		 1903 1944 39.36 mi (63.34 km) 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) With a branch line from Tabooba to Rathdowney.
Belmont Belmont Shire Norman Park Belmont 1912 1926 4.3 mi (6.9 km) 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Passenger tramway.
Big Pineapple The Big Pineapple Loop around the property 1971 N/A 0.6 mi (1.0 km) 2 ft (610 mm) Tourist tramway.
Buderim Maroochy Shire Palmwoods railway station Buderim 1914 1935 7.2 mi (11.6 km) 2 ft (610 mm) Built to carry farm produce from Buderim.
Now heritage listed remnants at Buderim.
Cooloola Brisbane Saw Mills Broutha Scrub, Cooloola Poverty Point, Cooloola 1874 1884 8.5 mi (13.7 km) 2 ft (610 mm) (assumed) Built to carry timber to Tin Can Bay.
Now heritage listed remnants[6] in Great Sandy National Park.
Innisfail Johnstone Shire Mourilyan Harbour Mourilyan 1883 1997 6.8 mi (11 km) 2 ft (610 mm) Built to carry materials from Mourilyan Harbour to build the Mourilyan sugar mill.
Later expanded into a sugar cane tramway network to service the Mourilyan mill.
Laheys Laheys Sawmill Canungra Upper Coomera 1900 1933 16.5 mi (26.6 km) 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Now a heritage listed tunnel at Canungra.
Mapleton Moreton Central Sugar Mill Nambour Mapleton 1897 2003 26.1 mi (42.0 km) 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Expanded to a network of lines converging on Nambour.
Now a heritage listed tramway segment in Nambour, and
Tramway Lift Bridge over Maroochy River..
Mill Point McGhie, Luya and Co. Near Kin Kin Creek Mill Point sawmill, Como 1870s 1890s 4 mi (6.4 km) 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Timber haulage near Lake Cootharaba, originally using timber rails.
Heritage listed remnants at Como.
Stannary Hills Stannary Hills Mines and Tramway Company Boonmoo[7] Stannary Hills 1902 1941 Unknown 2 ft (610 mm) Built for tin mining.
Now heritage listed remnants at Irvinebank, and a rail trail to Boonmoo.[8]
Refer to Chillagoe Railway & Mining Co. for a map showing Boonmoo, Stannary Hills, Irvinebank and Rocky Bluff, and the tramways between them.
Stannary Hills[9] Irvinebank 1907 1936 7.5 mi (12.1 km)(est)
Stannary Hills Rocky Bluff (a former mining town in the locality of Watsonville) 1902 1926 6.8 mi (10.9 km)

Sugar cane tramways

With the exception of the Oaklands and Pioneer mill tramways, with a gauge of 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm), and the Morayfield line (3 ft (914 mm)), these tramways have a gauge of 2 ft (610 mm). None of these tramways have their own article, but some of the mills have articles in which the associated tramway network is mentioned. Most of the locality articles contain some information about the associated sugar mill/s.

Mill name[1]' Mill locality Mill open year Mill close year Notes
Babinda Babinda 1915 2011 Dates from ref.[10]
Bingera South Kolan 1885[11] N/A
Bloomfield Bloomfield 1885 1890 Tramway was 10 miles (16 km) long, built from portable track. Mill closed 1890.
Cattle Creek Finch Hatton 1906 1990 Tramway absorbed by Marian mill.
Fairymead Fairymead 1884 2004/5 Tramway absorbed by Bingera mill.
Farleigh Farleigh 1883 N/A Tramway built 1956 to 1961.[12]
Gin Gin Wallaville 1896 1974 Tramway absorbed by Bingera mill.
Goondi Goondi 1883 1987 Tramway absorbed by Babinda and Mourilyan mills.
Habana Habana 1883 1901 Heritage listed remains at Habana.
Hambleton Edmonton 1895 1992 Tramway, built in 1897, absorbed by Mulgrave mill.
Inkerman Home Hill 1914 N/A
Invicta Giru 1918 N/A
Isis Cordalba 1896 N/A
Kalamia Brandon N/A
Macknade Macknade 1874 N/A
Marian Marian 1885 / 1895[13] N/A
Millaquin Bundaberg North 1882[14] N/A
Morayfield Morayfield 1867 1889 A 3 miles (4.8 km), 3 ft (914 mm) gauge line. Tram initially horse-drawn; later by an 8-ton locomotive.
Heritage listed ruins, including tramway rails.
Moreton Nambour 1897 2003 Mill demolished in 2006 and most lines removed.
See Mapleton tramway in the above table for further details.
Mossman Mossman 1894 2024 Mossman Mill entered voluntary administration in November 2023 and liquidation in February 2024, with it closing the sugar cane tramway.
Mourilyan[15] Mourilyan 1884 2006 Mill destroyed by Cyclone Larry.
Mulgrave Gordonvale 1896 N/A See also Cairns-Mulgrave Tramway, a 31 miles (50 km), 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge line incorporated into Queensland Rail In 1911.
North Eton North Eton 1888 1989 Tramway absorbed by Marian, Pleystowe and Racecourse mills.
Pioneer Brandon N/A
Plane Creek Sarina 1896 N/A
Pleystowe Pleystowe 1872 2009 Absorbed by Racecourse Sugar Mill 2009.
Proserpine Proserpine 1897 N/A
Qunaba Qunaba pre-1900 1985 Tramway absorbed by Millaquin and Fairymead mills.
Racecourse Racecourse 1889[16] N/A
Richmond Richmond 1881 1895 Heritage listed remnants at Richmond.
Rocky Point Steiglitz 1924 1951 Rocky Point Sugar Mill is still operational. The Fowler locomotive is on display at the Beenleigh Historical Village.[17][18][19]
South Johnstone South Johnstone 1916[20] N/A
Tully Tully 1925 N/A
Victoria Victoria Plantation 1883[21] N/A

Shared sugar cane tramways

The following mills, through common ownership arrangements, share their tramway networks:[1]

  • Cattle Creek, Farleigh, Marian, North Eton, Pleystowe and Racecourse;
  • Macknade and Victoria;
  • Babinda, Mourilyan and South Johnstone;
  • Invicta and Kalamia (via a dual gauge track over the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Pioneer line)

Other early tramways

See also

References

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