Along with the Mount Cuthbert and Dobbyn Branch Railways, they were essentially built to tap large deposits of copper discovered in the Cloncurry region.
The fledgling township was first named Gulatten, then Hampden, then for a brief time Friezland before finally being renamed in 1916 as Kuridala (an Aboriginal word indicating eagle hawk).
It would immediately provide access to additional copper deposits, and later could contribute to the grand plan to link Sydney and Darwin by inland rail and also be linked to partially built branch lines from Brisbane, Rockhampton and Townsville on Queensland's east coast.
From 1911, some 100 kilometres of the line was surveyed from Malbon to Sulieman's Creek near Dajarra where it would connect to the proposed inland route.
The balance of the line opened on 16 April 1917 to Carbine Creek renamed Dajarra (reportedly an Aboriginal word indicating isolated mountain nearby).
In 1923 vast silver and lead deposits were discovered at Mount Isa 150 kilometres by road to the north of Dajarra.