c-tram

Cairns - Mulgrave Tramway

Passenger Tickets

Dave Elsmore

The Cairns Mulgrave Tramway was an ordinary railway. They were deemed to be tramways under the legislation that allowed divisional boards [the predecessors of shire councils] to borrow money and levy rates for the construction of tramways, thereby relieving the State of the necessity to provide such railways.

The 31 miles of line was constructed by the Cairns Divisional Board in 1896-98. The tramway was taken over by Queensland Railways at the beginning of, 1911 as a result of the North Coast Railway Act. The railway from Cairns to Babinda opening first to Nelson [later Gordonvale] on the 10 April 1897, and extended in stages to Babinda, opening in February 1910. The second stage, opened to Aloomba in August 1898, and included a low level crossing of the Mulgrave River.

The tramway had 24 stations, and for the enthusiast I will list them here with the miles from Cairns after the station name: Cairns, Pryn’s 3, Robson’s 5½, Fretwell’s 6½, Hambledon Junction 7½, Collinson’s 9, Russell Road 10, Mackey’s 12, Emery’s 12½, Mulgrave 14, Munro’s 15, Swan’s 15½, Bowen’s 16, Aloomba 17¾, Walker’s 19½, Hobson’s 20½, Spencer’s 21½, Behan’s 22, Gorden’s 22½, Fishery Creek 24, Fig-Tree Creek 26, Munro’s Creek 27, Sorrensen’s 28½ and Harvey Creek 31.

The Passenger Tickets

The following tickets are all i have recorded.

If you can add to the groups below please forward the information so it can then be added to this listing.