Normanton

Situated 681 km west of Townsville and 712 km west of Cairns is the charming town of Normanton. Normanton was paved with an abundance of relics from the past. As such, the little town of Normanton is filled with an assortment of significant markers that act as gateways to its magnificent past.

Normanton played a significant role in the development of Queensland. It primarily functioned as a port for the Gulf of Carpentaria's cattle industry. The town literally served as a link between the Gulf of Carpenteria to its neighboring town, and in the process, it drummed up its cattle industry.

Normanton was first discovered by Ludwig Leichhardt, a European explorer who was making his way from the Darling Downs to Port Essington. Succeeding expeditions were carried out by Burke and Wills finding their way to the mangrove swamps by the edge of the gulf. Burke and Wills were able to set up camp in the northern area of Australia. This camp was later on documented on the present main Normanton-Burketown road. By February 10, a Sunday, Burke and Wills left the Normanton port to engage in an expedition to the Gulf of Capentaria. Burke, Wills, and their crew were able to make it back to the Normanton camp on February 12, which is a Tuesday. The following day, all of them left Normanton and made the return journey. However, during the course of their return journey, all of them died except for the King. It was believed that the king as able to live on through the help of an amiable Aboriginal tribe. Fearing that Burke and Wills may have been lost through the course of their expedition, the kingdom of Europe sent out Frederick Walker, among other various explorers, to look for them. It was him who found and named the Norman River.

By 1867, William Landsborough journeyed through the Norman River and established the settlement for the Normanton port. Over the seceding decades, it proved to be a crucial port, for it opened the Gulf of Capanteria to a huge cattle industry. Subsequently, the town of Normanton also savored a drastic change in its lifestyle with the discovery of gold in Croydon resulting in an abrupt increase in population that reached a staggering number of 1,251. However, just as the industry of gold production suffered a downfall, Normanton also lost its luster. The population had significantly plunged to 234.

Normanton Today

At present, Normanton still possesses its charm through its rich relics that give off an aura of nostalgia. One of these antiquated relics is the Gulflander, a railway station that was originally created to serve the beef industry. It used to deliver large quantities of meat from Normanton to Cloncurry but was then pushed off track with the advent of the short-lived gold rush. The railway was an impeccable masterpiece by supervising engineer George Philips. The railway line moved with an efficiency that is still apparent up to this day. If you want a quick overview of the town of Normanton, then the Gulflander with its efficient railway design can make this possible for you.

Other than the remarkable Gulflander and it proficient rail design, a multitude of impressive buildings mark each block of the town. Among these buildings are the Purple Pub and Albion Hotel which is distinguished by a series of whimsical paintings by Captain Percy Tresize. Indeed, Normanton is one quaint town that is worth visiting.