Download coordinates as: Maxwelton is an outback town and locality in the Shire of Richmond in central north Queensland, Australia.

[4] The Flinders Highway (from Townsville to Cloncurry) enters the locality from the north-east (Richmond), bypasses the town of Maxwelton to the immediate south, and exits to the north-west (Julia Creek).

[4] The Great Northern railway from Townsville to Mount Isa runs mostly immediately parallel to the highway, entering from the north-east (Richmond), but passing through the town, and then exiting to the north-west (Julia Creek).

[4] The locality is served by three railway stops (from west to east): There are other towns and neighbourhoods in the locality (from west to east): In 1863, horser breeder Wellington Cochrane Bundock (1812-1898) formed a partnership with Walter Hayes to graze cattle on the Richmond Downs pastoral run (the origin of the town of Richmond).

[12][14] Before the railway, bullock teams carted wool from Cloncurry to the east coast, and Cobb & Co stage coaches travelled through with mail in 1871.

Several hotels were being built along the Flinders River route, all of which are now in ruins and only recognisable by old stumps or an occasional post here and there.

The site for the Maxwelton township was chosen in 1908, at the junction of the new railway line and the road from McKinlay to the Camp Hotel on the Flinders River.The first sod was turned to begin work on this Great Northern Railway in Townsville in 1879, and by February 1908 it had reached Julia Creek.

In 1970 the Post Office was run in conjunction with Postmaster-General's Department as one of the last manual telephone exchanges in Australia.

[22] On 31 July 1943, it was decided by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to store 40% of the chemical weapons stocks in north-east Queensland.

[22] Talmoi wool scour was subsequently chosen as the specific location for RAAF No.4 Central Explosives Reserve (20°43′10″S 142°44′41″E / 20.7194°S 142.7448°E / -20.7194; 142.7448 (RAAF 19 Replenishment Centre (former chemical weapons store))), because it had a bore with running water in addition to storage sheds and living quarters, it had a railway siding on the Great Northern railway line to Townsville (a major military site during the War of the Pacific), and it was a safe distance from any other settlement.

In September 1944, a total of 2,550 phosgene bombs were transported by rail from Lithgow, New South Wales to Talmoi.

Also in 1960 the swimming pool was built by locals led by Les Pick (postal clerk) and Gilbert Skennerton (rail ganger).

[citation needed] The Maxwelton School was closed due to lack of children, but has had as many as 35 pupils enrolled in the past.

The school first began in the old butchers shop in 1923, and the teacher was given board and lodging at the North Star Hotel for one pound per week.

The first official school building was built on five acres of land south of the railway line in 1925 where it still stands today.

[citation needed] For the last 61 years the annual Maxwelton races have occurred at the town's racecourse on the southern side of the Flinders Highway.

Also, due to the distances involved, Richmond State School would not be accessible to students outside the north-east part of Maxwelton.