Alpha
Sleepy country town beyond the Great Dividing Range.
Located on the Capricorn Highway 168 km west of Emerald, 136 km east of Barcaldine and 1061 km (via Rockhampton) from Brisbane, Alpha is a small township which, with no lack of modesty, declares itself 'The Gateway to the West'. Like so many of the towns which lie between the coast and the western railheads its moment of glory came when it was reached by the railway. Predictably it declined into unimportance when the railway pushed further west.

The first European to explore the area was Major Thomas Mitchell who, arriving during the winter of 1846, reported that the area was characterised by 'rich grassy plains, fragrant tropical air, many trees in blossom and flowers to deck the earth'.

By the 1850s settlers had moved to the area and Alpha Station was established in 1863.

The railway reached the town in 1884 and for a few years (until it reached further west to Jericho and Barcaldine) Alpha was the railhead for the area. A real frontier town it gained a reputation for lawlessness. As one contemporary report declares, it was 'the scene of wild free-for-all fights on pay nights.'

The town was gazetted in 1885. Many of the streets were named after poets. Hence there is a Milton Street, a Dryden Street, a Byron Street, a Tennyson Street, a Burns Street and a Kendall Street. It is local legend that the only street in town not named after a poet was Shakespeare Street (the main street) which was named after the local publican George Shakespeare.

Things to see:  

Murals
When a group of local artists painted a wall mural in 1991 they started a contagious trend. Today murals adorn the walls of both pubs and of numerous public buildings in Shakespeare St. Even the toilet block by the rail yards has been decorated.

Cairn
A cairn to the east of the town, on the Belyando River, recalls the arrival of the first European in the area, Surveyor-general Sir Thomas Mitchell.

	Hotels
	Alpha Hotel/Motel Shakespeare St Alpha QLD 4724 Telephone: (07) 4985 1311 Facsimile: (07) 4985 1173 Rating: *
	Criterion Hotel Shakespeare St Alpha QLD 4724 Telephone: (07) 4985 1215
	Caravan Parks
	Alpha Caravan & Villa Park Cnr Capricorn Hwy & Hooper St Alpha QLD 4724 Telephone: (07) 4985 1337 Facsimile: (07) 4985 1173