Kuranda Range Railway Plaque

KURANDA RANGE RAILWAY Queensland Government Railways Chief Engineers, Willoughby Hannam and Thomas Annett designed and supervised this railway; John Robb, the contractor, and his European migrant workforce built the line, bridges and tunnels between 1886 and 1891. The railway climbs 323 m in 21.7 km through the rainforest of the World Heritage Wet Tropics, across the very steep, loose sides of Barron Gorge and over some extraordinary curved iron truss bridges. It was built to develop the large mineral and agricultural area of Far North Queensland. During World War 2 it also serviced huge military camps and hospitals. The Institution of Engineers Australia Queensland Rail 2005