Little Town Big Stories

The
Project

 

The Thallon Community had a long-held desire to establish a facility to honour their rich rail history. Finally, in 2024, the Thallon Progress Association Inc. was successful in achieving significant funding via the Building Bush Tourism Grants Scheme (QLD State Govt) to establish a Rail Interpretative Centre for Thallon.

The plan for the Centre involved moving and restumping the existing Goods Shed to a new location accessible to the public. As well as providing a home for Thallon's Rail History, the project also ensured the Shed would be given a new lease on life and conserved well into the future.

Work on gathering information and images for the static exhibition began in mid-2024, with the help of the dedicated staff from the Queensland Museum a detailed plan was formulated and finalised via extensive community consultation.

Above: Loaded and on the move.
Right: Landed safely and being restumped.

Key members of the Thallon Community also participated in interviews to recount the heyday of rail in Thallon, and these wonderful rail tales are linked to the exhibition via QR Codes.

A dedicated team of Thallon locals cleaned the site in preparation for the arrival of the Goods Shed and also undertook the myriad of jobs necessary to ensure the Shed was ready for its new life as a Rail Centre for Thallon.

Queensland Rail generously donated the Goods Shed to Thallon Progress and leased the plot of land in Pine Street that was to become its new home.

In June 2025, the Goods Shed was moved and restumped, with an access ramp added and new facia installed. The old building began to come back to life.

The information and images that form the basis of the exhibition are complemented with artefacts generously loaned to Thallon Progress by the Queensland Rollingstock Preservation Group.

"The origins of Thallon as a rail siding, opening in 1911, are well worth memorialising due it's long lasting historical influence on the town: passenger and goods trains, carting goods and stock away for sale, bringing supplies, goods and passengers into Thallon and surrounding areas. The space made available now is going to prove a huge asset to our town and it's attempts to stay alive through tourism and visitors."

Louise Fulwood - Thallon Progress Association President.
 

In September 2025, painting the doors and trim of the Goods Shed transformed the building, ensuring it was ready for its new role.

While some landscaping has begun, more is planned in the future, along with reinstating the 2 loading decks to the front of the Goods Shed. 

Right: Looking smart with a
new paint job.