About SideTracked Caches
This cache/event belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breathtaking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More Information can be found at the SideTracked Website
The SideTracked series of geocaches is fairly easy to find and can be found at or near train stations, ex-train stations or near miniature railways. The first SideTracked geocache was placed at Evesham, about 50km south of Birmingham in the UK, on the 10th August, 2007.
This year marks the 19th anniversary of the beginning of the SideTracked Series.
There are currently 6,397 Caches and 922,640 Found Logs, 60,225 Did Not Finds and 9,829 Cachers attending Events in the database. SideTracked caches are placed in 47 different countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Belgium, France, Russia, South Africa, Israel, United Arab Emirates and in Zimbabwe. Even the Vatican City State has a SideTracked cache.
To help celebrate SideTracked Caches and Events, come along and join me and other fellow cachers at a very appropriate location.
Details as follows:
When: Friday 11th August, 2026.
Time: 9.00 am to 9.30 am.
Venue: The Charleville Railway Station
Parking: In the carpark.
Charleville Railway Station
The station is a highly significant historical landmark on Queensland’s Western line. Officially added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 12 July 2005, the station stands as a unique monument to outback transportation, economic growth, and mid-20th-century climate-resilient architecture.
Brief History
- The Arrival of the Rail (1888): The station first opened on 1 March 1888 when the railway line was extended west from Morven. The colonial government prioritised the Western line to connect the remote pastoral properties of south-west Queensland directly to the state capital and coast.
The Station in 1898.
- The Terminus and Extension: For a decade, Charleville served as the critical terminus of the main western line, cementing its status as an autonomous bush metropolis where wool and livestock converged. In 1898, the line was extended further south toward Cunnamulla.
- The Historic Goods Shed: A core component of the site is the Goods Shed, completed in 1888. It miraculously survived a devastating fire in April 1900 that completely destroyed its internal contents.
- The 1954 Fire and Rebuild (1957): The original passenger station building was destroyed by an aggressive fire in 1954. A massive new station was designed in 1954 and officially opened on 13 May 1957, introducing a modern era of rail infrastructure to the outback.
The Station in 2024.
Charleville Railway Station holds a prominent place in Queensland's cultural heritage for several key architectural and historical reasons:
- Rare Climatic Architecture: The 1957 passenger station is celebrated for its extreme rarity. It is the only station on the Queensland Rail network constructed with reinforced concrete walls specifically engineered to insulate passengers against the harsh, soaring temperatures of the outback.
- Intact Mid-Century Design: The station features a distinct, 92-metre-long modernist layout. It showcases unique aesthetics of its era, including a ticket office with high ceilings, polished terrazzo flooring, and a 162.7-metre concrete platform shaded by heavy cantilever awnings.
- Evolution of the State: The site demonstrates the broader pattern of Queensland’s history. By drastically reducing freight costs and travel times, the station was instrumental in encouraging closer settlement and securing the economic viability of the western pastoral industry.
Today, while passenger rail service has evolved, the heritage-listed station remains a proud, active stop for Queensland Rail's twice-weekly Westlander passenger service, while also operating as the town's local tourist information centre