Overview

It was 1882 and the miners of Herberton were on the brink of total starvation, unable to get supplies due to flooding. A route to civilisation was desperately needed and adventure bushman Christie Palmerston was charged with finding a starting point for a railway. 

The Premier Sir Samuel Griffiths turned the first sod for the line which was to be built in three stages. Dense jungle and cliffs with sheer drops of up to 327 metres and a slope as steep as 45 degrees were literal death traps for workers. Somehow, without modern equipment but simply fortitude, dynamite and bare hands the team eventually finished the job. 

After removing 2.3 million metres of earthworks, creating 15 tunnels, 93 curves, dozens of bridges and 75 kilometres of track, a banquet high up on the bridge with General Sir Henry Wiley Norman, Governer of Queensland marked the completion of Stoney Creek Bridge. Shortly after in June of 1891 the line was open for everyone to enjoy. 

The original Kuranda Scenic Railway is truly a legendary demonstration of man’s ingenuity and nature’s wonder.