[1] The Archer brothers had made a private expedition to the Rockhampton district in 1853, and were the first Europeans to record and chart the Fitzroy River.

[1] After the short lived Canoona gold rush of 1858, Rockhampton was proclaimed as a town and declared a port of entry in 1858.

Rockhampton continued to eclipse its nearest rival Gladstone for nearly a century as the principal port for Central Queensland.

[1] In 1882, after Brisbane had acquired a railway to the seaside at Sandgate, Rockhampton clamoured for a similar connection to its resort at Emu Park.

The bridging of the Fitzroy River and the cost of land resumptions to join the two terminus stations were to be major difficulties in connecting the two lines.

The contract involved the construction of the branch to Broadmount, the Denison Street line, and the Alexandra Railway Bridge.

Thallon had suggested to deviate the mainline so as to enter Archer Park railway station, to avoid running interlocking gear and signal wires along Denison Street.

However the original plan to enable trains to run along Denison Street without entering Archer Park was retained.

As the route of the railway was along a major thoroughfare across several open level crossings, trains were limited to a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour (16 km/h).

By 1922 the station layout at Archer Park was too restrictive to handle the increasing length of passenger and mail trains.

To assist in the problem of observing passing trains on the main line in Denison Street, sheets of galvanised iron were removed to open up a view from the platform area.

The long distance mail and passenger trains all departed from the Stanley Street station leaving Archer Park to cater for more local services.

Summer traffic to Emu Park and Yeppoon maintained regular departures from the station as in the early part of the century.

Rockhampton City Council made approaches to Queensland Railways for the station and yard to be developed as a museum complex.

QRX found alternative accommodation at a location near Port Curtis Junction, and financed its move with assistance from Queensland Railways.

[1] On 1 May 1990, Queensland Railways handed over the Archer Park station to the Rockhampton City Council as part of a plan to develop a museum on site.

The front entrance of the building, which faces the adjacent Defence Reserve to the northeast, has a raised verandah which runs the full length of the original 1899 structure.

The main entrance is located in the centre of the building, and consists of a projecting portico surmounted by a shaped timber gable with the date and title "A.D. 1899 RAILWAY STATION" in raised lettering.

The arches are formed by delicate filigree cast iron valances, and fine cross-braced metal balustrading is located between the columns.

The northern wing has paired timber doors with fanlight accessing a luggage passage adjacent to the entry vestibule.

These windows have hoods, and a corrugated iron lean-to garage has been added to the northern end, replacing the wood, coal and coke yard.

[1] The carriage shade is constructed of curved steel roof trusses supported on timber posts, and is sheeted with corrugated iron with a raised central ridge ventilator.

Every second post on the southwest side has been removed for access purposes, with the exception of the centre and end bays which have cross-bracing to stabilise the structure.

The signal box replaced the original free- standing structure which was located on the southwestern side of the carriage shade.

[1] The railway platform has tall sash windows, some of which have been painted out, and timber panelled doors with fanlights open from the adjoining offices and service rooms.

The signal box protrudes from the station building on a raised concrete base, and has sliding multi-paned windows to three sides.

[1] The men's toilet block and store at the southern end of the building has corrugated iron wall cladding over a timber frame.

[1] The surrounds include a driveway and parking area on the northeastern side between Archer and Cambridge Streets, providing access to the front entrance.

The carriage shade area has been enclosed with a high chain wire fence, and the ground to the southwest of the structure has been concreted.

[1] Archer Park Railway Station was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria.