Extension of major routes in central Queensland, northern Queensland and southern Queensland.
Separate railway systems were a natural corollary of Queensland's long coastline and the relative costs of sea and rail transport which favoured the use of even quite shallow ports.
With the growing population and financial base, and cheaper methods of construction, and no obstacles (until the Cairns-Herberton Railway) comparable to the Main Range to Toowoomba, the colony was able to afford several mining railways, separate railways from ports to mining fields, Maryborough to Gympie and Townsville to Charters Towers opened in 1882 and Bundaberg to Mount Perry completed in 1884.
The extension from Warwick to Stanthorpe, requiring two substantial hard rock tunnels, was completed in 1881.
At the same time work was in progress continuing the lines for graziers west to Charleville in 1888 and from Rockhampton, west to Barcaldine by 1886, eventually reaching Longreach in 1892. The railway to Charters Towers, with its branch to the Ravenswood gold field opened in 1884, was quickly extended into grazing country, opening to Hughenden in 1887.
Providing railways for farmers was seen as an experiment and cheap standards were adopted, including building lines besides roads and sharp gradients. The first branch line was built from Ipswich to Harrisville, opened in 1882 and extended to Boonah/Dugandan in 1884, Ipswich to Lowood (1884) and extended to Esk (1886), Toowoomba to Highfields (1883, now Cabarlah) and Crow's Nest (1886), Warwick to Killarney (1885), Toowoomba to Pittsworth (1887), and south from Brisbane to Beaudesert (1888) and Nerang (1889).
(Kerr, Queensland Rail Heritage Report, 1993 Part 1-5)
Chronology
1871
Jan 9 - Opening of Southern Railway to Warwick (Millhill)
1874
May 25 - First extension of Central Railway opens to Gogango
1874
Oct 5 - Opening Ipswich to Sherwood
1875
Jul 7 - Opening Albert Bridge completes railway Ipswich to Brisbane
1878
Jan 3 - Opening of Western Railway to Chinchilla
1879
May 19 - Opening of Central Railway to Emerald
1880
Sep 16 - Opening of Western Railway to Roma
Dec 20 - Opening first section of railway from Townsville to Reid River
1881
May 3 - Opening of Southern Railway to Stanthorpe
