Bluff is currently a 2-star accredited Queensland Tidy Town.

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History and Geography Facts

Bluff’s location between some of Queensland’s largest coal mines and the port of Gladstone has led to it becoming a major interchange station for large coal trains, some up to two kilometres long. Visiting the town of Bluff is like being immersed in a full-scale model railway and should be on the ‘must see’ list for all train enthusiasts.

The town, with a population of 370, is located on the Capricorn Highway, some 804 kilometres northwest of Brisbane.

Local Government Information

The Central Highlands region is in Central Queensland, Australia. The region encompasses an area of around 60 000 square kilometres, making it just short of the size of Tasmania. It is home to around 30 000 people who live in the thirteen unique communities of Arcadia Valley, Bauhinia, Blackwater, Bluff, Capella, Comet, Dingo, Duaringa, Emerald, Rolleston, Sapphire Gemfields, Springsure and Tieri. Our region is rich in minerals and agriculture, thriving on irrigation sourced from water storage on the Nogoa and Comet rivers. We claim the largest sapphire-producing fields in the Southern Hemisphere. Major freight routes through the region include the north-south link between Charters Towers and northern New South Wales—identified as the inland transport alternative between Cairns and Melbourne.

Where you find railway stations, you often find beautifully manicured gardens and Bluff is no exception. The town’s people take great pride in the results of their green thumbs and hard work. The local school has overcome the hot, dry climate to create a magnificent rainforest garden in their grounds.

Need a rest? Book a room at the Bluff Palms Motel or the Bluff Hotel.

While in the locality, check out the artefacts at the nearby Blackdown Tabeland National Park – where Aboriginal people lived for thousands of years.

The district was originally called Duckworth or Duckworth Creek, but in 1877 the name changed to Bluff to match the name of the railway station. The name Bluff was derived from a local hill known as Arthur’s Bluff.