On to the border
By the end of 1880, the line to Cherry Gully had been completed and the line opened with Cherry Gully as a temporary terminus.
There were two hotels, and numerous other business enterprises.
In the first three weeks there were 278 tickets sold, and 391 inward passengers.
The chief engineer paid tribute to the contractors for having completed the line only fives weeks behind contract date, in the face of somewhat exceptional difficulties.
Within a few months Messrs Garget and Co. had pushed the line through to Stanthorpe and preparations were made for the opening of the line.
There were, however, some unauthorised passengers before the line opened.
Six boys aged between 10 and 14 years were charged with trespassing after they took a trolley a couple of miles down the line.
The court’s sentence was a shilling fine or default six hours in the lockup.
As befitted the terminus of the Southern Line there was an imposing set of buildings – passenger station, then on the eastern side of the line, a goods shed (built by John Garget & Co. at the cost of 570 pounds and 580 pounds, respectively) engine shed, carriage shed (built by A. Midson for a contract price of 290 pounds), stationmaster’s house (also built by A. Midson for 407 pounds) repairman’s cottage and gatekeeper’s cottage.
The first train carrying the visitors departed from Toowoomba at a quarter to 8am on Tuesday morning, May 3 1881, and arrived in Stanthorpe at 1.30pm with more than 750 passengers.
