Muntapa Tunnel
| Muntapa Tunnel | |
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| Location | Narko-Nutgrove Road, Highgrove, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | 27°04′33″S 151°44′53″E / 27.0758°S 151.7481°ECoordinates: 27°04′33″S 151°44′53″E / 27.0758°S 151.7481°E |
| Design period | 1900 - 1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1910-1913 |
| Architect | Queensland Railways |
| Official name: Muntapa Tunnel | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 3 May 2007 |
| Reference no. | 602594 |
| Significant components | tunnel - railway |
| Builders | Queensland Railways |
 Location of Muntapa Tunnel in Queensland
Muntapa Tunnel (Australia)
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Muntapa Tunnel is a heritage-listed tunnel from Narko-Nutgrove Road, Highgrove through to Nutgrove, both in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Queensland Railways and built from 1910 to 1913 by Queensland Railways. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 3 May 2007.
The Muntapa Tunnel is a concrete railway tunnel located on the Cooyar railway line, a former branch line linking Oakey to Cooyar in the eastern Darling Downs. The tunnel is one of a small number built on a branch line and it is the only tunnel in Queensland that crosses between the inland and coastal sides of the Great Dividing Range. It was opened in 1913.
Branch lines were secondary railway lines designed to connect rural districts with the main rail routes. They were constructed with the aim of supporting small-scale agriculturalists, dairy farmers and the timber industry. Branch lines were generally of cheaper construction than main lines, more frequent stops were provided and they were often built on road easements to reduce the costs stemming from land resumptions. The first branch line, opened on 12 July 1882, ran from Ipswich to Harrisville. The advent of better roads and faster road transport from the interwar period, eventually led to their demise.
The area between Oakey and Cooyar was populated by small-scale farmers, many of whom were of German origin. The lack of a viable transport route to market hindered the profitability of these small farms. Bullock transport was uneconomic and slow. When arguing the case for a branch line to Cooyar, the Commissioner for Railways, J. Thallon, noted that farms needed to be within 10–12 miles (16–19 km) of a railway line to be viable.
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