Croydon, Queensland

An historic township in the heart of Gulf country and the terminus for the legendary Gulflander railway from Normanton 150 km to the east. 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.
Location: 562 km west of Cairns; 125 m above sea-level.
Origin of name: named after Croydon Downs Station, a pastoral run operated by Alexander and William Chalmers Brown who reportedly were born in Croydon, England.
Brief history: First settled by European pastoralists in the 1880s, gold was discovered in 1885 by WC Brown, the manager of Croydon Downs Station. This sparked a goldrush that saw the town spring up and peak with a population of over 6,500. The railway to Croydon was opened in 1891. It still runs, though it hasn't made a profit since 1907 when the gold began running out. Mining continued on a small scale until about 1923 and then there was no activity until the early 1980s when a processing plant was established at Tabletop at a cost of about $14 million.
Natural features: Lake Belmore.
Built features: Croydon Hotel.
Heritage features: Gulflander railway; Croydon Historic Precinct includes surgeon's house (bottle museum), Court House (1887), mining warden's office, the Croydon General Store, the old gaol and butcher's shop, the hospital and Croydon railway station.