David Littlerpoud MP David Littlerpoud

Hop on the ‘Cunnamulla, All Aboard!’ theatre train

July 9, 2021

In a major boost to outback tourism, an unused Cunnamulla railway station has been transformed into a 35-seat theatre that will feature a holographic sound and light show.

Federal Member for Maranoa David Littleproud said the theatre will give Cunnamulla a major tourism boost and is a great way to showcase the history of the town.

“The sound and light show titled ‘Cunnamulla, All Aboard!’ will be the town’s first ticketed event,” Mr Littleproud said.

“It is 100 per cent community owned and developed, with ticket-generated funds to go straight back into the community.

“The project is very community focused and used local trades and suppliers during construction.”

“The Cunnamulla, All Aboard project was funded under the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund which supports projects that build stronger regional communities by creating jobs and driving economic growth,” Mr Littleproud said.

Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said Cunnamulla was a quintessential Outback Queensland town.

“Building new visitor experiences and rebuilding better for the future supports local tourism jobs and the Palaszczuk Government’s Economic Recovery Plan for Outback Queensland,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“Perched on the banks of the Warrego River, Cunnamulla already has a place in Australian country music folklore with Cunnamulla Fella, made famous by Slim Dusty, and immortalised in larger-than-life bronze in the town’s main street.

“The Palaszczuk Government’s Outback Tourism Infrastructure Fund has invested $353,000 with the Paroo Progress Association to tell Cunnamulla’s story of rail, creating a new tourism experience for Queensland family road trips.

“This carefully crafted journey down memory lane is expected to bring an extra 5,000 visitors to Cunnamulla each year, contributing $675,000 to the visitor economy.

“Cunnamulla All Aboard is another experience to add to the family’s Outback bucket list.”

Paroo Shire Council Mayor Suzette Beresford said the show tells the stories of how the Westlander train opened up the outback.

“The theatre will also show summer movies for locals, ensuring it is always being used within the community,” Cr Beresford said.

The project was jointly funded, with the Australian Government committing $341,390, the Queensland Government’s Outback Tourism Infrastructure Fund committing $353,009, Paroo Progress Association Inc. committing $209,000, Queensland Rail committing $100,000 and Paroo Shire Council committing $25,000.