Juandah Railway Station

In the early years of the 1900’s local agitation had increased to provide a railway connection with Taroom. 

Taroom had become established in the mid 1850’s as part of the Leichhardt Road leading across the valley of the Dawson River. A surveyed route had been prepared to the town, a major problem being encountered from an engineering viewpoint being the need to cross the Great Dividing Range. Chinchilla was proposed as the junction for the line to Taroom. However, lack of funds, and the rough nature of the country to be traversed caused plans to be shelved. 

New proposals were put forward in 1906, a result of pressure from local settlers moving onto closer settlement blocks in the area. 

Other suggested starting points for the line to Taroom were Dulacca & Miles. The Hon. W. T. Paget, the Minister for Railways, made the journey to Taroom by coach from Chinchilla, & the rough conditions encountered by him convinced the railways to settle on Miles as the preferred route. 

Approval for construction of the first section of the line to Taroom was given in 1910. Construction began in 1911 and the first section of line to Giligulgul, (a distance of 24 miles) was opened on 20 December 1913. 

The next section of the railway from Miles to Taroom terminated at Juandah (now known as Wandoan), and was officially opened by the Minister for Railways, Hon. W. T. Paget, on 19 December 1914.

A newspaper article described the large gathering at the opening ceremony, and gifts presented to the Minister and Mr. Godfrey Morgan, the latter's presentation being from selectors in the prickly pear districts in recognition of his work on their behalf in Parliament.

The approved extension to Taroom was not completed, & Wandoan has since remained the branchline terminus. The Great Dividing Range was crossed between Gurulmundi (19 miles- 31kms from Miles) and Giligulgul. The line climbed a little over 210 feet (65 meters) to a maximum height of 1216 feet (400 metres) at Gurulmundi.