Railways for ports, railways for mineral fields, railways for settlement.
Major expansion of Queensland Railways through the decade.
The 1880s were boom years for rail construction last century throughout Australia. The newly elected Griffith Government secured a ten million pound loan in 1884 - about a billion dollars in today's values - to build railways for every pressure group.
The construction of branch lines which had been begun by the McIlwraith government was greatly expanded. The loan also provided more mining railways - from Maryborough to the Burrum Coalfield (1883) and to Kilkivan (1886), from Corinda to Woolloongabba so that coal mine owners could tap the steamer coaling trade (1884), and isolated lines from Normanton to the Croydon goldfield, completed in 1891 (although it had been intended to go to Cloncurry), Cooktown to Laura which opened in 1888 but which never reached Maytown capital of the Palmer, and Cairns to Mareeba begun in the 1880s which took until 1910 to reach Herberton.
Chronology
1882
May 11 - Opening of Railway to Sandgate
Jul 10 - Opening Ipswich-Harrisville, first agricultural branch line
Sep 3 - Opening of branch from Eagle Junction to Racecourse (now Ascot)
Dec 4 - Completion of Railway Townsville to Charters Towers
1884
Mar 26 - Completion of branch Emerald to Clermont
May 20 - Completion of Bundaberg Railway to Mount Perry
Dec 1 - Opening of branch Mingela to Ravenswood
1885
Jul 23 - First buildings of new Ipswich Workshops occupied
Apr 9 - Opening of First Section of South Coast Line to Loganlea
Aug 10 - Opening of Isolated Mackay Railway to Eton and Mirani
Aug 22 - Completion of branch railway to Killarney
Nov 30 - Opening first section of Cooktown Railway to Palmer Road
1886
Aug 9 - Opening of second section Brisbane Valley branch to Esk
Nov 8 - Opening of Central Railway to Barcaldine
Dec 6 - Completion of branch line to Crow's Nest
Dec 6 - Completion of branch from Theebine to Kilkivan
1887
Feb 14 - Completion of Southern Railway to Border (Wallangarra)
Aug 15 - Completion of branch railway Emerald to Springsure
Sep 12 - Completion of Fassifern branch Ipswich to Dugandan (Boonah)
Sep 19 - Opening Beauaraba branch to Pittsworth
Oct 8 - Opening first section Cairns Railway Cairns-Redlynch
Oct 19 - Opening of Northern Railway to Hughenden
Oct 31 - Opening first section of Isis branch to Childers
1888
Jan 16 - First passenger trains between Brisbane and Sydney
Feb 20 - Completion of Railway from Maryborough to Bundaberg
Mar 1 - Opening of first section of North Coast Line to Petrie
Mar 1 - Opening of Western Railway to Charleville
May 16 - Opening of Logan Branch Railway to Beaudesert
Oct 8 - Opening of Cooktown Railway to Laura
Dec 22 - Opening railway from North Rockhampton to Emu Park
1889
Jan 25 - Opening of South Coast Line to Southport
May 7 - Opening first section of Normanton Railway to Haydon
Aug 18 - Opening of railway to Brisbane Central (from Roma Street direction)
