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June 1883. The line to Mount Perry was officially opened to rail traffic on 19 May 1884. It included the tunnel and a succession of curves of 100 and 120 metres (330 and 390 ft) radius. Although the contract for the second section had expired on 10 February, the delay in completion was attributed to station works at Mount Perry and the difficulty the contractors met with in piercing the tunnel at
Boolboonda, this not being completed until 1884. The tunnel when completed measured 584 feet (178 m) in length.
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granite and that thus a saving of £5,000 will be effected". This was the first time in the colony where it had not been necessary to line a tunnel, due to the nature of the rock it was driven through. The hard granite rock also meant the tunnel did not require additional support, and it is the longest unsupported (railway) tunnel constructed in
Queensland. Mechanical means, including boilers and air compressors for drills were used to advance the drilling of the two tunnel headings.
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Work on the approaches to the tunnel had commenced by the end of 1881, progressing steadily throughout 1882. The
Boolboonda Railway Tunnel was driven through the hard granite of the range, and as noted by the Acting Chief Engineer "this tunnel will not require to be lined being excavated through hard
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The
Boolboonda Railway Tunnel, 192 metres (630 ft) in length, is located on Tunnel Road, approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) in a north-easterly direction from the town of Mount Perry. Constructed through granite rock, the tunnel is unlined and unsupported. The tunnel is presently used by
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to Mount Perry was closed in 1960 and removed in 1961, due to declining traffic revenues. The final section of the
Bundaberg Railway, Bundaberg to Gin Gin, closed in 1992. Since cessation of rail traffic the tunnel has become a habitat for a colony of bats. Built as a low cost, development railway,
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The section of line to
Boolboonda opened on 12 November 1883. As noted in the Commissioner's Report for 1882-83, the tunnel being driven from east and west ends was about half complete at this time, a total drive of about 300 feet (91 m). The headings of the tunnel broke through at noon on 19
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to Mount Perry in 1875. Thornloe's survey noted the country was rugged, and eventual surveying plans called for a tunnel to pierce part of the
Boolboonda Range. The Bundaberg Railway, as it was called, was constructed in two sections. The first section, North Bundaberg to
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The place demonstrates a rare aspect of
Queensland's cultural heritage as an early example of one of the few railway tunnels built in Queensland not requiring lining or support. The tunnel is also made unusual by the absence of portals to the entries of the tunnel.
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Copper was discovered in the Mount Perry area in the second half of the nineteenth century. Mining activities led to agitation for a link between the mines of the Mount Perry region and a port. In 1872 proposals of a private railway line were considered, and both
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copper mines. It took two years to dig and was officially opened on 2 November 1883. The line was deviated in 1960 and tracks removed the following year. The section of the line between
Tirroan and Mount Perry closed in 1960 and was removed in 1961.
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At the completion of the line the Mount Perry copper mines closed due to the financial failure of the mines. The copper mines reopened around the turn of the century and with the construction of a smelter, operated until the period of the
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were the two major engineering works undertaken on the Mount Perry line. For the next 50 years the main traffic generated on the Mount Perry line was mainly from dairying, livestock and timber traffic, with sugar traffic from
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vied to secure the line. These plans were never executed however. Rather, it was decided a state-owned line would be constructed. Thornloe Smith, Engineer in charge of
Railway Surveys, conducted a survey from
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112,502. Previous to this another series of surveys had been conducted to avoid the expense of constructing a tunnel through the Boolboonda Range, however it was decided to continue with the original plans.
245:, Australia. The tunnel is 192 metres (630 ft) in length making it the longest unsupported man-made tunnel in Queensland. Its construction represented an important engineering feat for
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The Boolboonda Railway Tunnel is important in demonstrating the pattern of Queensland's history as evidence of the rail line from Bundaberg to Mount Perry built in the 1880s.
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The original tenderers for this second contract declined the offer and a second round was called. O'Rourke and McSharry submitted costings of
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249:. It was built from 1881 to 1884 by O'Rourke & McSharry. It is also known as Boolboonda Railway Tunnel and SEQ-6Q 1. It was added to the
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The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.
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the only evidence remaining of the Tirroan-Mount Perry line are embankments and the Boolboonda tunnel (now open to road traffic).
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The Boolboonda Railway Tunnel opened 12 November 1883 following a construction period of two years. It was built by
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The Boolboonda Railway Tunnel is of aesthetic significance as a picturesque element in the landscape.
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The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage.
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The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.
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Today the tunnel is accessible by vehicular traffic. It is maintained by the
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on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were computed from the
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on 24 September 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.
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The tunnel is of social significance to the local community.
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The place is important because of its aesthetic significance.
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This Knowledge (XXG) article incorporates text from
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35:Boolboonda Railway Tunnel western portal, 2009
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369:Boolboonda Railway Tunnel was listed on the
164:1884-1960 (historical railway use of tunnel)
213:Location of Boolboonda Tunnel in Queensland
591:van der Wetering, Jodie (31 August 2011).
481:"Boolboonda Railway Tunnel (entry 601516)"
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566:"Queensland heritage register boundaries"
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577:licence (accessed on 5 September 2014,
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18:Historic site in Queensland, Australia
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601:Australian Broadcasting Corporation
333:east to the Gibson and Howes mill.
172:cutting - railway, tunnel - railway
130:Boolboonda Railway Tunnel, SEQ-6Q 1
607:from the original on 17 June 2019.
559:licence (accessed on 7 July 2014,
548:"The Queensland heritage register"
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519:from the original on 6 April 2017
101:1870s - 1890s (late 19th century)
642:1883 establishments in Australia
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515:. Bundaberg Regional Libraries.
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226:is an abandoned heritage-listed
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593:"Tunnelling through Boolboonda"
348:and is now home to a colony of
322:Splitters Creek trestle bridge
258:Queensland Government Railways
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622:Railway tunnels in Queensland
489:. Queensland Heritage Council
320:. The unlined tunnel and the
264:, constructed to service the
652:Disused tunnels in Australia
627:Queensland Heritage Register
513:library.bundaberg.qld.gov.au
486:Queensland Heritage Register
432:List of tunnels in Australia
371:Queensland Heritage Register
251:Queensland Heritage Register
247:rail transport in Queensland
120:Queensland Heritage Register
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346:Bundaberg Regional Council
632:Tunnels completed in 1883
336:The section of line from
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180:O'Rourke & McSharry
253:on 24 September 1999.
169:Significant components
138:state heritage (built)
581:on 15 October 2014).
350:little bent-wing bats
82:25.0815°S 151.6757°E
571:State of Queensland
553:State of Queensland
509:"Boolboonda Tunnel"
361:vehicular traffic.
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159:Significant period
151:Reference no.
87:-25.0815; 151.6757
569:published by the
551:published by the
424:Queensland portal
224:Boolboonda Tunnel
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146:24 September 1999
24:Boolboonda Tunnel
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536:Attribution
523:13 December
356:Description
280:Maryborough
266:Mount Perry
109:1881 - 1884
85: /
73:151°40′33″E
61:Coordinates
56:, Australia
616:Categories
438:References
243:Queensland
235:Boolboonda
143:Designated
70:25°04′53″S
54:Queensland
46:Boolboonda
284:Bundaberg
605:Archived
579:archived
561:archived
517:Archived
493:1 August
410:See also
177:Builders
41:Location
338:Tirroan
331:Gin Gin
273:History
228:railway
573:under
555:under
326:Sharon
231:tunnel
154:601516
106:Built
525:2015
495:2014
282:and
135:Type
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