Episode 28 - ‘On ya Bike’ - Along the Brisbane Valley Line - Some stories about the railway to Yarraman (and a bit beyond that…)

In this episode Annette and our Historian Greg Hallam take listeners on a nostalgic journey along the Brisbane Valley Line, a rural railway that once stretched from Wulkuraka to Yarraman. They explore its origins in the 1880s, the decades-long construction, and its role as the backbone for farming communities, timber, and dairy industries.

We cover the 'stopping places' where passengers waved down trains, the condensed milk factory at Toogoolawah, and the German immigrant farming communities that shaped the region. Greg shares stories of station mistresses, railway refreshment rooms, and the engineering feats needed to climb the Balfour Range.

Greg and Annette also reflect on the last steam train in southern Queensland in 1969, marking the end of an era, and how the line’s closure in the 1990s paved the way for today’s Brisbane Valley Rail Trail, a popular cycling and walking route. 

Here's a collection of images from Linville to Yarraman.