Crabbes Creek Station

Crabbes Creek Railway Station with bullock team towing large logs. Tweed Regional Museum Collection TH4-08

Crabbe's Creek Station was opened with the rest of the line in 1894, and originally named Mooball Station. The local community protested the name and the following year the Station was renamed as Crabbes Creek Station.

The local area was once known as “Pimble”, thought to be an Aboriginal word. Eventually it became known as Crabbe’s Creek after one of the earliest European selectors, Robert Crabbe.  

Sugar cane being loaded into a cart to be pulled by the train. Tweed Regional Museum Collection TH177-30

When the railway came in 1894 the local area was predominantly used for cane farming and was home to a very small and isolated population.

The train service was utilized to transport sugar cane to the mill at Condong, and passengers into Murwillumbah, a 59 minute journey. Prior to the train service, if you lived in Condong and wanted to visit Murwillumbah the easiest route by horseback was East to the beaches, then North to Cudgen and from there up beside the River to Murwillumbah. At least a two day round trip.