Reg McCallum and his friend Kevin Allery, were pioneers in the development of Rail Trails in Queensland, opening the first rail trail in Queensland over the Blackbutt Range from Linville to Blackbutt at Linville on 2 June 2006. In November Reg accepted a Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation Achievement Award for their efforts (right).
On 22 January 2007 the Deputy Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, announced immediate government funding for three rail trails in Queensland. This concept was developed from the Regional Trails Strategy prepared as a partnership between State and local governments and the Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation: Reg and Kevin were both Nanango councillors at this time and had won a QORF award two months before the announcement. Perhaps not surprisingly, one of the trails to be funded immediately was the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail that involved, “converting the disused Brisbane Valley Railway into a 140-kilometre recreational trail from Ipswich to Blackbutt”.
This trail has now been extended from Ipswich to the railway terminus at Yarraman with additional support from the South Burnett and Toowoomba regional councils but the whole trail had not been completed by June, 2017. A 30k section within the Somerset region between Toogoolawah on the Brisbane Valley Highway and Moore on the D’Aguilar Highway remains undeveloped.
Reg McCallum served on the advisory committee for the rail trail’s development and was the inaugural chair of the Ambassadors of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail who maintain the trail in the South Burnett region on behalf of the regional council. Over the last ten years Reg offered his considerable talents to the many large groups who now regularly use the BVRT for their annual events. His memory of the region over the last 90 years also served as the stimulus for most of the original interpretive signage along the trail.
Reg presented himself, with some authenticity, as the “Battling Bushie” or perhaps a horseman of considerable repute depending on his audience. Only once in living memory, as far as we can discover, did he wear his Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for visiting royalty.
Reg McCallum was a Life Member of Brisbane Valley Heritage Trails and we were privileged to work with him. Sadly he died in 2024. On behalf of our members and those who derive so much pleasure from the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail, we salute a pioneer and join the many Queenslanders who are proud to walk, ride and cycle in his footsteps.