the marburg locality was originally known as first plain, then as frederick after the name of an early settler, and lastly as marburg after a prussian town of the same name. during world war i the town was known as townshend but the marburg name was reinstated in 1920. the line opened on 18 december 1911 after passing through north rosewood, perry’s knob, cabanda, kunkala, tallegalla and birru. a daily service to ipswich departed marburg each morning and returned in the evening. it was a two-hour journey by rail and over time the faster road trip prevailed. coal mines in the region kept the line viable until they progressively closed.