The Gulflander at Normanton before leaving for Croydon

Croydon
Historic township in the heart of the Gulf country.
One of Australia's special railway experiences is to take the small 'rattler' known as the Gulflander. It leaves Normanton every Wednesday and makes its way 150 km east to the tiny and historic town of Croydon. The railway was built to transport gold and people from Croydon to the port at Normanton. At its peak it moved over 10 000 people each year. Today it is nothing more than a pleasant journey into the past.

Located 562 km west of Cairns and 125 m above sea-level, Croydon was the scene of Australia's last major goldrush. The area had been settled in the early 1880s by pastoralists and it was W. C. Brown, the manager of Croydon Downs Station, who, in November 1885, discovered gold. The other North Queensland goldmines had been exhausted by this time and so the miners, ever eager to find a new field, moved across to Croydon in vast numbers. By late 1886 the new town's population had passed 6500 and there were, according to legend, something like 90 hotels on the diggings. Admittedly most of these were nothing more than tents with a keg and a bottle of whisky providing refreshment for the thirsty miners.

At the height of the boom it was decided to build a railway from Normanton to Croydon. In 1889 construction of the railway was started and it was completed in 1891. By some peculiar quirk of fate the railway is still running, although it hasn't shown a profit since 1907.

Croydon's glory days lasted for twenty years. By 1906 the field, which once had rivalled the diggings at Charters Towers, was all but exhausted. Mining continued on a small scale until about 1923 and then there was nothing until the early 1980s when a processing plant was established at Tabletop at a cost of about $14 million.

People travelling on the train should note that it returns to Normanton on a Thursday thus making an overnight stay at the historic Croydon Hotel a necessity. The Gulflander also makes a two-hour 'tea and damper' trip on Saturday mornings between mid-September and mid-June.

Things to see:  

The Historic Precinct
Aware of its tourist potential, Croydon has been developing an historic precinct in which visitors can return to the town's golden age. The surgeon's house has been converted to a bottle museum. The courthouse, which was built in 1887, has been listed by the National Trust as a fine example of a government building in a remote location. Instead of being built with bricks or stone (as was typical in larger centres) it was constructed of wood, which was easily transportable from Normanton. The building now houses a number of interesting artefacts from the town's past.

Other buildings in the precinct include the mining warden's office, the Croydon General Store, the old gaol and butcher's shop, the hospital and, of course, the Croydon railway station. There is also an interesting outdoor museum in which many old pieces of mining equipment have been placed on display.

	Tourist Information
	Croydon Shire Council, Tourist Information Office Samwell St Croydon QLD 4871 Telephone: (07) 4745 6125 Facsimile: (07) 4745 6147
	Hotels
	Croydon Club Hotel Brown St Croydon QLD 4871 Telephone: (07) 4745 6184
	Caravan Parks
	Golden Picdewehousma Caravan Park Cnr Brown & Aldridge Sts Croydon QLD 4871 Telephone: (07) 4745 6238
	Restaurants
	Croydon Club Hotel Brown St Croydon QLD 4871 Telephone: (07) 4745 6184