The tiny hamlet of Grandchester is located 20 minutes from Ipswich and 45 minutes from Brisbane. The pride of Grandchester is the Grandchester Railway Station, built in 1865 and the terminus for the first railway line built in Queensland.
Before the construction of the railway line, Grandchester was little more than a whistle-stop for travellers, and was known as Bigge’s Camp. Queensland’s Governor at the time, felt that a place at the centre of such a significant historical event deserved a more dignified name, and so renamed the site Grandchester.
Visitors can experience the days of the steam engine at Grandchester’s Model Steam Railway (open the first Sunday of each month from 10am to 2pm) by riding scale models of steam (and diesel) locomotives.
Not far from the railway station, the historic buildings of an old homestead have been restored and converted into Spicers Hidden Vale, a luxury rural retreat.
The nearby villages of Walloon and Rosewood are of equal historical significance with heritage buildings lining the streets and charming aspects making them well worth a look.