Oozing outback charm, Normanton is a small cattle town along the Savannah Way on Queensland’s Gulf of Carpentaria. It’s famed for its “big” landmarks, heritage-listed buildings and gold rush tourist railway and is on the doorstep of Mutton Hole Wetlands Conservation Park.
Things to do in Normanton
On arrival in Normanton, you can’t help but notice the “Big Barramundi”, which was created by local angler Billy Miller in 1995. Another “big” feature of the town is its huge saltwater crocodile statue, a model of the largest crocodile ever shot. In 1957, professional croc hunter Krystyna Pawlowski shot the 8.63-metre reptile on MacArthur Bank and made her way into the “Guinness Book of Records”.
Spend an afternoon strolling between Normanton’s historic buildings, which include the late-19th-century Carpentaria Shire Council Buildings and the heritage-listed former warehouse of Burns Philp. After admiring the Normanton Railway Station, stop by the timber-built Bank of New South Wales and learn about the Normanton Gaol’s storied past. When you’re ready for a drink, you can check out the famous paintings of the Albion Hotel or stop in at the aptly-named Purple Pub.
Interested in the region’s pioneering history? Take a ride on the Gulflander tourist railway, which was originally built to connect the river port of Normanton with the goldfields of Croydon. Today it offers a nostalgic journey through lush wetlands and arid savannah pulled by a 1950 railmotor known as “Tin Hare”.
Getting there
Normanton is located on the Savannah Way, a popular tourist route that connects Cairns in Queensland with Broome in Western Australia. Normanton Airport lies on the south-west side of town and has flights to regional destinations across Queensland. The town centre is compact enough to explore on foot.