The cache is located near the site of the last railway station in Comet.
The station originally opened in 1878 and operated until June 1995 when the last Station Master was transferred to Emerald. The Spirit of the Outback passenger train continued to stop by arrangement for several years after that.
Railway workers and their families started arriving in Cometville (as it was then known) as early as October 1877.
Water for the steam trains was drawn from a well in the Comet River west of the town and delivered by a steam pump into tanks beside the rail line. This arrangement continued until the Railway Department built a weir on the Comet River in 1915. This weir still provides storage for the town water supply.
The daily eastbound train, 49 Down, brought school children to town in the mornings. They returned on the westbound 10 Up which arrived in Comet at about 5pm, making it a very long day for them. Today, many high school children travel in the opposite direction by bus, leaving Comet at about 7.30am and returning around 4pm. Not too much has changed in over 100 years.
10 Up also brought daily deliveries of mail and newspapers from Rockhampton, bread and meat from Bluff, and general goods to be delivered to local properties. If you weren’t there to collect your meat when it arrived it was suspended in a tray from the roof in the waiting room to keep it away from the town dogs.
Steam trains were replaced by diesels in the 1960s.
The last station building has now been relocated to nearby Whistle Stop Park where you can find more local history information.
BYOP