Blast from the Past

I'm turning into a bit of a local history buff and have been trolling through online archived news items about this part of the world (where would we be without the intertubes?).

I recently made a trip out to Chillagoe with a load of old typewriters which hopefully will soon be on display out there (another story).

On the way to Chillagoe you pass through the deserted 'town' of Lappa Junction

This is how it looks today:

The Lappa Junction Station

The old Lappa Pub (link to local ABC)

This is what it was like in 1901:

The Queenslander (Brisbane 1886-1939)

Saturday August 3 1901

THE LAPPA-MOUNT GARNET LINE.

The "Cairns Argus" of 16th Julysays:—In the course of an interview whicha representative of this journal had on

Saturday evening with Mr. A. Overend, of the firm of Messrs. Willcocks and Overend, contractors for the construction of theLappa Junction —Mount Garnet Railway, he learnt that good progress is being made with the work. About 250 men are employed on the line, this number not including a good many who are engaged in getting timber for the railway or as teamsters. The clearing gangs have got past the ten mile from Lappa Junction with their work, which will go on uninterruptedly until the whole line—thirty-three miles in length—is cleared. The earth-works are in hand for the first six miles of the line, and here about fifty horses and drays are employed, besides the men. There will be a good many cuttings on this part of the line, and the men areabout halfway through one big cutting near Lappa Junction. The main camp is now at this place, but will later on be re-moved to the ten-mile, which will form theterminus of the first section. Messrs.Willcocks and Overend have bought the saw-mills at the 74-Mlle on the Chlllagoe line from the Chillagoe Railway and Mines, and will start cutting sleepers there immediately. It is intended to utilise the saw-mills where they are now situated while the contractors are getting timber for a mill on their own line. It is hoped that the line will be finished in twelve months, or three months ahead of contract time. The contractors are pushing on with it as quickly as possible. Men are voluntarily coming up from the South by nearly every boat to work on it, and, in addition, all the local men who apply and are suitable for the work are put on. When the construction is more advanced, a good many more men than at present will be engaged—in fact, something like a thousand could be employed. Mr. Overend left Cairns for a visit to the South by Saturday night's boat. His partner, Mr. Willcocks, is remaining at the seat of operations to direct matters.