In 1948, Mr Sibson – then just a young boy – moved to Glenapp with his family so his father Reg could take up a job as water pumper for the steam engines that frequently passed through the tiny station.

Glenapp was a small but tight-knit village back then – five modest timber homes used to sit clustered around the railway tracks. For 12 years, the family of seven lived a happy life at the foothills of the Macpherson Range, playing in the nearby creek, helping Reg on the rail line or attending school at the now-defunct Glenapp State School. If supplies were needed, the boys would hope for a lift – if not, it was an 11-kilometre hike to Rathdowney.

A new job for Reg in Sydney meant the Sibson family moved away from Glenapp in 1960, but that was not the end of their extraordinary relationship with this out of the way place.

Glenapp railway station lived on in the proceeding decades, though its importance as a key stopping point along the Sydney to Brisbane line diminished as train technology improved. Elements of the station were torn down or moved elsewhere, beginning with the five wooden homes. Eventually, when it was no longer necessary, the small station building was shifted to its new home at Rathdowney’s visitor information centre.

In 2007, the Australian Rail Track Corporation finally decommissioned the Glenapp signal box in favour of a centralised electronic signal system. It could have been the end for the Glenapp railway station, but the Glenapp Boys had other ideas. The timber signal box remained – one of only a handful left in Australia – and the original water tanks still stood proudly on the side of the tracks like they had done for decades. With these relics intact and years of happy memories, the Glenapp boys were determined to honour the place that defined them. Though it was land completely owned by Queensland Rail, the boys volunteered their time and, with the blessing of QR officials, they got to work.

The Glenapp Boys stripped the signal box down from the inside and removed its decaying skeleton, and they’re still at it to this day. They tend the land around the signal box, mowing the lawns, tending the gardens and planing trees. The drive down to the site along lets you appreciate the work and effort the Glenapp boys have put into preserving this little bit of Aussie history. The signal box has been restored and is full of momentos and articles about the area. 

To access the site, turn down the little dirt track, just before you hit the railway tracks on Camp Creek Road. Follow the track down for a kilometre or so, and you’ll arrive at GZ. Cache should be an easy find, but there’s a spoiler pic in the gallery to make it even easier. Careful of the rail tracks - they are used by trains frequently - keep a very close eye on any children you may have with you as there’s no barrier preventing access to the tracks.