The Mungar Junction to Monto railway line is a
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
in
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia. Progressively opened in eleven stages between 1889 and 1928 the line branched from the
North Coast line at
Mungar Junction a short distance west of Maryborough and followed a westerly route towards
Biggenden and
Gayndah before turning north via
Mundubbera
Mundubbera ( ) is a town and a locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mundubbera had a population of 1261 people.
Mundubbera is the self-proclaimed "Citrus Capital of Queensland", although this is disputed by the n ...
and
Eidsvold to
Monto
Monto was the nickname for the one-time red light district in the northeast of Dublin, Ireland. The Monto was roughly the area bounded by Talbot Street, Amiens Street, Gardiner Street and Seán McDermott Street (formerly Gloucester Street) in ...
. It is also known as the Gayndah Monto Branch Railway.
History
Whilst
Bundaberg
Bundaberg is a city in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia, and is the tenth largest city in the state. Bundaberg's regional area has a population of 70,921, and is a major centre of the Wide Bay–Burnett geographical region. The Bun ...
was chosen as the port for a rail line to
Mount Perry,
Maryborough was selected as the port for a line to the Central and Upper
Burnett districts of Queensland, where
mineral
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ( ...
s had been found.
Opening
To Brooweena
The first section from Mungar Junction to
Brooweena was opened on 29 July 1889 and sidings were established at
Pilerwa,
Yerra
Yerra is a rural Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Yerra had a population of 102 people.
References
Fraser Coast Region
Localities in Queensland
{{Queensland-geo- ...
,
Thinoomba, Hunter's Hut and
Aramara. Originally called Teebar and later known as Clifton and then Woocoo,
Brooweena (perhaps an
Aboriginal
Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to:
*Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology
* Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area
*One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
word for "
crab
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...
" or "
crayfish
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the clade Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mu ...
") acquired that name in 1890. Brooweena has always relied heavily on the local
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
and the railway provided ready transport of timber.
To Boompa, Biggenden and Degilbo
Opened on 1 March 1891 the second stage brought the line a short distance to
Boompa and, on 13 April 1891, via
Lakeside
Lakeside or Lake Side may refer to:
Places Australia
* Lakeside College, Pakenham, Victoria
* Lakeside Joondalup Shopping City, Joondalup, Western Australia
* Lakeside, near Reservoir, Victoria
* Lakeside International Raceway, Pine Rivers, Quee ...
()
to the larger settlement of
Biggenden. The fourth stage saw the line opened a short distance west of Biggenden to
Degilbo (then known as Woowoonga) on 1 April 1893. A very busy railhead thrived and goods were reconsigned by wagon to the likes of Gayndah, Mundubbera and Eidsvold.
To Wetheron and Gayndah
The next two stages were opened to
Wetheron on 21 December 1905 and to
Gayndah on 16 December 1907. The line passed through small sidings at Muan, Chowey,
Didcot,
Gooroolba
Gooroolba is a rural locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Gooroolba had a population of 12 people.
Geography
Gooroolba is in the Wide Bay–Burnett region north of the state capital Brisbane.
History
The town's ...
and
Byrnestown en route to
Wetheron and at
Mount Lawless, Dappil and
Ideraway
Ideraway is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Ideraway had a population of 38 people.
Geography
The Burnett River forms the south-easter ...
en route to Gayndah. Gayndah apparently takes its name from the local Aboriginal word for "
thunder" and is at the heart of a large
citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...
growing area. It is Queensland's oldest provincial town and was once favoured to be the state capital.
The heritage-listed
Deep Creek Railway Bridge is between the Muan and Chowey sidings, designed while
William Pagan was Chief Engineer.
To Boomerang and Mundubbera
Some six years passed before the seventh stage to
Boomerang was opened on 1 November 1913 passing through Banapan,
Dirnbir
Dirnbir is a rural locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Dirnbir had a population of 49 people.
Geography
The Burnett River forms the southern boundary of the locality at an elevation of while Reid Creek (a tri ...
,
Mount Debateable and
Humphery
Humphery is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Bobby Humphery (born 1961), American football player
*Frederick Humphery (1841–1908), Australian politician
*William Humphery (1827–1909), British politician
See also
*Humfrey, ...
. The next stage saw the opening of the line to Philpott Creek and
Mundubbera
Mundubbera ( ) is a town and a locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mundubbera had a population of 1261 people.
Mundubbera is the self-proclaimed "Citrus Capital of Queensland", although this is disputed by the n ...
on 3 February 1914. Freight transport increased as two sawmills consigned timber east and frequent shipments of
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
and
pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus s ...
s occurred.
To Ceratodus, Mulgildie and Monto
The balance of the line to Monto was opened in three stages – to Ceratodus on 26 April 1924, to
Mulgildie
Mulgildie (formerly Mulgeldie) is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mulgildie had a population of 174 people.
Geography
The town is located by road fro ...
on 20 June 1927 and finally to
Monto
Monto was the nickname for the one-time red light district in the northeast of Dublin, Ireland. The Monto was roughly the area bounded by Talbot Street, Amiens Street, Gardiner Street and Seán McDermott Street (formerly Gloucester Street) in ...
on 15 September 1928. Stops were established at Lacon,
Riverleigh
Riverleigh is a rural locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Riverleigh had a population of 80 people.
Geography
The locality is bounded to the north, west and south by the Burnett River. The land is used for fa ...
,
O’Bil Bil,
Malmoe,
Grosvenor
Grosvenor may refer to:
People
* Grosvenor (surname)
* Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster
* Grosvenor Francis (1873–1944), Australian politician
* Grosvenor Hodgkinson (1818–1881), English lawyer and politician
Places, buildings and ...
and Eidsvold en route to Ceratodus as part of stage nine.
Ceratodus
''Ceratodus'' (from el, κέρας , 'horn' and el, ὀδούς 'tooth') was a wide-ranging genus of extinct lungfish. Fossil evidence dates back to the Early Triassic. A wide range of fossil species from different time periods have been found ...
takes its name from the
lungfish
Lungfish are freshwater vertebrates belonging to the order Dipnoi. Lungfish are best known for retaining ancestral characteristics within the Osteichthyes, including the ability to breathe air, and ancestral structures within Sarcopterygii, i ...
(neoceratodus forsteri) an air-breathing fish which inhabits the nearby
Burnett River. The
Archer brothers
The Archer brothers were among the earliest European settlers in Queensland, Australia. They were explorers and pastoralists. Seven sons of William Archer, a Scottish timber merchant, they spent varying amounts of time in the colony of New Sou ...
settled the
Eidsvold region in 1848. Although of
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
origin, they later moved to
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. Eidsvold is named after a small Norwegian town where that country's constitution was signed. Sidings were built at Jirette,
Cynthia
Cynthia is a feminine given name of Greek origin: , , "from Mount Cynthus" on Delos island. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the 1600s. There are various spellings for this name, and it can be abbreviated to Cindy, Cyndi, Cyndy, ...
,
Abercorn,
Anyarro,
Kapaldo and
Selene when stage ten to
Mulgildie
Mulgildie (formerly Mulgeldie) is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mulgildie had a population of 174 people.
Geography
The town is located by road fro ...
(spelt "Mulgeldie" until 1945 ) was completed. The eleventh and final stage saw the line terminate via
Three Moon at Monto.
The journey from
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
to Monto by mixed train took some fourteen hours, and three times a week a sleeping car connected with the mail train at Mungar, taking twenty-one hours.
Other lines
In addition to the Mungar Junction to Monto line, the Queensland government decided to construct two other lines to Monto. The first is the
branch line from Byellee (near
Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
) that travels south-west to Monto, opened between 1910 and 1931. Completion of that line thus provided a semi-circular inland link between Maryborough and Gladstone. Because light track was laid between Mungar Junction and Mundubbera, the route was never an alternative when floods or derailments blocked the North Coast line.
The other planned line to Monto from Rockhampton was commenced but never completed. A line from
Rannes and
Thangool
Thangool is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Banana, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Thangool had a population of 741 people.
Geography
Thangool is north west of the state capital, ...
(the
Callide Valley Branch Railway) terminated at
Lawgi when construction ceased as a result of the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
.
Later years
The line no longer has a passenger service, and goods traffic is mainly timber and agricultural produce. Coal has been discovered near Monto, but will likely be railed to Gladstone if a mine is developed. The Gladstone - Monto line has been out of service since 2002 but is being maintained to preserve it for mineral transportation in the future. The railway line from Maryborough to Monto was maintained and once a week a goods train went to Monto and back carrying timber and sometimes molasses but gradually loads were being refused and eventually the trains ceased and the railway line became completely unused after the last train, a celebratory journey on an old steam train, came through from Monto to Maryborough in 2005.
Closure
The last train on the railway line was in 2008 and in 2012 it was announced the line was officially closed.
Following the massive flooding events of 2010 and 2013 in the North Burnett District, the railway bridges and lines were somewhat damaged and in 2017 the Queensland Government gave contractors the job of removing the entire railway and infrastructure. All the railway lines and fittings were torn up and sold off.
As at December, the future care and maintenance, (weeds, fence-line maintenance, rubbish removal, landcare and erosion control) and the possible future use of this (once highly valuable and well used) railway "easement" remains unknown to the affected landowners and district residents although discussions are underway to progress the use of part of the railway "easement" from Gayndah to Mundubbera as a public recreational area or "rail trail".
Tourism
The Dawes Range Tunnel section of the
Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail
The Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail is a recreational route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders from Taragoola (near Calliope) to Gayndah. It uses the closed Gladstone to Monto and Mungar Junction to Monto railway corridors in Queensland, A ...
was opened on 11th September 2021. The section starts at Barrimoon Siding,
Kalpowar
Kalpowar is a town in the North Burnett Region and a locality split between the North Burnett Region and the Bundaberg Region, in Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Kalpowar had a population of 67 people.
Geography
The Gladstone ...
and finishes at
Builyan,
Boyne Valley
The River Boyne ( ga, An Bhóinn or ''Abhainn na Bóinne'') is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newberry Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through C ...
. This section contains 6 tunnels between Barrimoon Siding and Golembil Siding. It also passes the historic township of
Many Peaks with its Local Heritage listed attractions - the Many Peaks Railway Complex, Many Peaks Railway Dam and Many Peaks Road Bridge.
The Burnett River Bridges section of the
Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail
The Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail is a recreational route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders from Taragoola (near Calliope) to Gayndah. It uses the closed Gladstone to Monto and Mungar Junction to Monto railway corridors in Queensland, A ...
was opened on 10 September 2022 at
Mt Debateable Railway Siding, Mt Debateable Road,
Gayndah.
Sixteen kilometers of it lies beside the
Burnett River. Travelling west from the Trail head Red Gulley Bridge, Slab Creek Bridge, Spring Creek Bridge, Boomerang Bridge,
Humphery Bridges Numbers 1, 2 ("Faith" Bridge or "bridge of faith"), and 3 and Roth's Bridge are passed on the way to the other end at Mundubbera Railway Precinct. The
Official Register of Engineering Heritage Markers listed ''
Degilbo-Mundubbera Railway Bridges'' in October 2016. A total of 12 bridges on this section of Rail Trail are recognized with one Engineering Heritage Marker representing the “best example of a collection of historic railway bridges in Australia”.
See also
*
Rail transport in Queensland
References
Further reading
* "Sweat Steam & Soot" by Neville Rackemann 1988 Bundaberg Railway Enthusiasts Society
* "Triumph of Narrow Gauge: A History of Queensland Railways" by John Kerr 1990 Boolarong Press, Brisbane
External links
Queensland Rail, Mungar, photo
{{Railway lines in Queensland , state=expanded
Railway lines in Queensland
1889 establishments in Australia
Railway lines opened in 1889
Wide Bay–Burnett
Closed railway lines in Queensland