The Purple Pub, Normanton

Normanton
Unusual and fascinating town near the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Normanton is a genuinely delightful town with an excess of old world charm. Located 712 km west of Cairns and 681 km west of Townsville it started life as a port for the Gulf of Carpentaria's cattle industry and grew in importance with the discovery of gold at Croydon in 1885.

The area was first explored by Ludwig Leichhardt on his epic journey from the Darling Downs to Port Essington. The next Europeans through the area were Burke and Wills who made their final dash to the Gulf (or, more correctly, to the mangrove swamps somewhere near the edge of the Gulf) only 26 km west of the town.

The location of Burke and Wills last northern camp is signposted on the main Normanton-Burketown road. It is only a 1.5-km drive into the bush to the spot which is marked by a couple of plaques.

The dedication reads: 'This monument marks the site of Camp No: 119 of the 1860-61 Burke and Wills expedition occupied on Saturday 9 February 1861 by Robert O'Hara Burke, William John Wills, John King and Charlie Gray. On Sunday 10 February Burke and Wills left on the attempted journey to the Gulf of Carpentaria returning on Tuesday 12 February. All four abandoned the camp the next day for the return journey to Coopers Creek, Depot No: 75, and home to Melbourne. During the return journey all died with the exception of King who survived with the assistance of a friendly Aboriginal tribe. This monument was provided through, and with thanks, to the generous donation of Mr. Douglas Jolly of Brisbane and the historical advice of the State Library of Victoria and was erected in 1978 by the Normanton Lions Club.'

It was Frederick Walker, one of the many explorers who went looking for Burke and Wills, who discovered and named the Norman River after the captain of a ship named Victoria.

In 1867 William Landsborough sailed up the Norman river and chose the site for the settlement of Normanton. Over the next decade it became an important port. The large Burns Philp building at the end of the town's main street is evidence of its importance at this time. There were even suggestions that it would become a port to rival Darwin as the main centre on the north coast of Australia.

In 1892 a boiling-down works was established on the river and shortly afterwards a meatworks was opened.

The town experienced a major boom with the discovery of gold at Croydon. By 1891 the population had reached 1251. However the gold diggings were short-lived and although the Normanton-Croydon railway line was opened by 1907 the whole area was on the decline. Even the cattle which had been the town's mainstay started heading south as the railway line was extended out towards Mount Isa. By 1947 the population had dropped to 234. It has since picked up with the development of prawn fishing at Karumba and the increasing interest in tourism.

Things to see:  

The Gulflander and the Railway Station
The town's greatest tourist attraction is undoubtedly 'The Gulflander'. The railway line was originally planned to service the beef industry by running from Normanton to Cloncurry but the discovery of gold at Croydon redirected it.

The rail is a masterpiece of adaptive design. George Philips, the supervising engineer, designed special steel sleepers which proved so successful that they are still in use today. They can be seen at the railway station which is listed by the National Trust. It is an unusual building which has distinctive decorative patterns on the cross-braces which hold up the corrugated-iron roof. It has become one of Normanton's most distinctive landmarks.

The railway line was only a brief success. When it opened it was planned that it would become a major line and that Normanton would grow to become a major port. In its first year of operation there were 55 railway employees and the train was carrying 10 000 passengers each year.

As a result of the Croydon goldfield's demise in 1906 the Gulflander has not made a profit since 1907. Today it runs a once weekly service leaving Normanton at 8.30 am on Wednesday and returning from Croydon at 8.30 am the next morning. It is occasionally booked to make the tour at other times.

The modern day Gulflander train

Buildings
There are a number of interesting buildings in the town, including the distinctive 'Purple Pub', the 'Albion Hotel' where Captain Percy Tresize drew a series of humorous paintings on the barroom walls, and the Bank of New South Wales which is now a listed National Trust Building. It is an unusual building which looks more like a house than a bank. Designed by Richard Gailey in 1896 it is an extraordinarily beautiful timber building with cross bracing on the verandah and a fashionable exposed frame.

	Tourist Information
	Carpentaria Shire Council Office Landsborough St Normanton QLD 4890 Telephone: (07) 4745 1268 or (07) 4745 1166 or (07) 4745 1201
	Motels
	Gulflander Motel Landsborough St Normanton QLD 4890 Telephone: (07) 4745 1290 Rating: **
	Hotels
	The Albion Hotel/Motel Haig St Normanton QLD 4890 Telephone: (07) 4745 1218 Rating: **
	Caravan Parks
	Normington Caravan Park Brown St Normanton QLD 4890 Telephone: (07) 4745 1121 Rating: **