Rockhampton Railyards Rejuvenation, Heritage Precinct

The Heritage Precinct focuses on preserving the site’s rich rail history and opens the heritage-listed Roundhouse to the community for the first time in over 100 years.

This precinct features the full-circle Roundhouse and surrounding heritage buildings.

We are creating a Master Plan to transform the precinct for community and light commercial use. This plan will restore the historic Roundhouse for modern purposes, while celebrating the railyard's contributions to the rail industry and employment across the region.

Benefits

Contributes to economy
Contributes to regional growth
Restores damaged infrastructure

Master Plan

Progress is underway to create a safe and accessible community space within the Heritage Precinct.

Our Draft Master Plan identifies potential light commercial uses and opportunities for locals and visitors to explore the unique environment and learn the history of the Rockhampton railyards.

The Draft Master Plan is conceptual and proposes:

a Heritage Centre
a family-oriented recreational area
a multi-use hospitality and events space.

In February 2024, we asked key stakeholders and the community for their views on the Draft Master Plan. We are now considering this feedback as we finalise the Master Plan.

The Master Plan will progress according to a Conservation Management Plan, which provides the framework for managing any works on the heritage listed buildings.

Artist's impressions

Artist's impression of the proposed rejuvenated internal sections of the roundhouse including stationary turntable and children's playground — Aerial view showing the proposed internal sections of the Roundhouse, including the stationary turntable and children's playground.

Artist's impression proposed rejuvenated Roundhouse showing internal sections like the multi-purpose lawn area and walkways — Proposed multi-purpose lawn area within the Roundhouse.

Current status

We are currently working on the detailed design for the Master Plan, which includes further planning and technical assessments to refine the design.

This final step of planning will help inform approvals, the preferred delivery approach, future funding requirements and the project's next steps.

The delivery of the Master Plan is subject to further funding, detailed design, and heritage and planning approvals. We will develop proposals for further funding in line with the Master Plan's proposed staged approach.

History of Rockhampton Railyards

The Rockhampton Railyards have been an important part of the community for more than 100 years. Its rich history demonstrates the evolution of Queensland’s railways from steam, to diesel-electric, to electric trains.

The railyards played a crucial role in rail operations in Central Queensland. As passenger rail services grew in the late 1850s, facilities were needed in Rockhampton to maintain and repair these additional trains.

In 1876, workshops and a partial roundhouse were built to support rail operations. As demand increased, a full-circle Roundhouse was constructed in 1915.

The Roundhouse was originally used to store and maintain steam trains. It featured a fully rotational turntable in the centre to move trains around the railyards and onto the active rail line. In 1969, the Roundhouse closed as a steam train depot in favour of diesel-electric trains, changing the function of the railyards.

Until its closure in 2017, the railyards functioned as a train depot, workshops for wagon and boiler repair and maintenance, a blacksmith shop, and an administration building.

Historic Roundhouse Facts

Only 1 of 2 remaining intact full Roundhouses in the Southern Hemisphere
Included 52 stalls for train storage and maintenance
When first opened had 20 fitters, 6 boilermakers, 16 shed men, 80 drivers, 70 firefighters and 26 cleaners.