page_title: Stannary Hills Tramways
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Stannary Hills Tramways / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: Stannary Hill tramway, 1902 In 1902 a 2 feet gauge tramline was built from Stannary Hills to the Cairns-Chillagoe railway to service the local tin mines. It followed the Eureka Creek valley and joined the railway at Boonmoo. The photograph shows the front of a locomotive coming round a steep bend. The track is laid on a cutting through steep hillside.
context_page_description: Stannary Hills Tramways are a heritage-listed pair of tramways at Irvinebank, Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1901 to 1907. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 25 February 2005.
context_section_description: The formations are evidence of two tramways that operated between Irvinebank and Boonmoo for approximately 29 kilometres (18 mi) in the tin mining fields west of the Atherton Tablelands. One formation is evident from Boonmoo to Rocky Bluff via Stannary Hills and the second tramway from The Junction to Irvinebank. The tramways ran on a two-foot gauge, distinct from the state railway system which operated on a 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) gauge.
  The tramway alignment is traceable from Boonmoo siding but the evidence at this end is now minimal. The heritage register boundary starts at 17.25991°S 145.10478°E where the formation now forms part of a station access road. The formation heads south-east along Eureka Creek. The formation is partly excavated into the sides of Eureka Creek valley. The formation is raised over some areas of solid rock by means of stone retaining walls containing earth fill. Ruins of bridges, minor earthworks and cuttings can be seen between Boonmoo and the 6 Mile (6 miles from Boonmoo). A large quantity of broken bricks mark the site of the former brick factory beside the tramway formation at 10 Mile (17.30605°S 145.17661°E).
  A number of ore bins can be seen on or near the formation, with markings "Arthur Berlin" at 17.30863°S 145.17891°E. Near the ore bin site, the tramway formation turns sharply into the west bank of Bock's Creek, a tributary of Eureka Creek, travels upstream along this creek and then comes back into Eureka Creek on the east side of Bock's Creek. Eureka Creek Gorge is between Bock's Creek and Stannary Hills.
  Two old mango trees, about 25 metres (82 ft) away from the formation, mark the tramway station site at Stannary Hills (17.31285°S 145.21458°E and 17.31285°S 145.21458°E). Some glass and metal fragments are evident here, and there are some remains of the Stannary Hills station building, most notably remnants of the loco service pit.
  A concrete weir is constructed in Eureka Creek at Stannary Hills; this is included in the heritage entry. Remains of a corrugated iron water tank can be seen on the formation above the weir (17.31367°S 145.21448°E). The formation is clearly visible at Stannary Hills excepting a 10-metre (33 ft) section where the formation rounds a bend between the mango trees and the weir and appears to have been disturbed by recent mining activities.
  From Stannary Hills to the Black Bridge site (17.31528°S 145.22139°E) the formation is benched into the side of a steep slope into Eureka Creek. Concrete blocks and the base of timber stumps are all that remains of this bridge, the largest on the Stannary Hills to Irvinebank section. The Bradman inscription ("Bradman 320") is inscribed on one of the concrete blocks here, although it was not located at the time the formation was inspected.
  The tramway diverges at the Junction on the bank of Eureka Creek adjacent to a station track (17.31304°S 145.23055°E). Cuttings can be seen on both sides of the creek and both sides of the station track. There is no evidence of the bridge that once took the tramway across Eureka Creek from the Junction towards Rocky Bluff. The formation of the Rocky Bluff line is evident from the Junction to a point at 17.31304S 145.23055E. From here the formation has been disturbed by recent mining activities. The Rocky Bluff line crosses Loloma Dam (the section crossing Loloma Dam does not form part of the heritage listing) and into Lot 612 OL72 where the formation and terminus at Rocky Bluff becomes part of the Rocky Bluff heritage listing.
  The Irvinebank line turns south from the Junction and can be clearly traced to a point at 17.31159°S 145.23102°E where it has been disturbed by mining activities The formation again becomes visible at 17.31564°S 145.23133°E to 17.3246°S 145.23143°E. Further mining disturbance has heavily impacted the formation from here to 17.33427°S 145.22602°E. The formation is clear from this point to Yorkies Cutting, at the boundary between Boonmoo and Montalbion Stations.
  Yorkies Cutting is located at 17.34205°S 145.23102°E. It is a distinctive landmark about 5 metres (16 ft) de
caption: Tramway, 1902
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