In March 1888, rail transport reached Charleville and this created a direct link with the state capital, Brisbane.

“Once the railway reached Charleville, however, Bourke lost the Charleville trade, and the introduction of a border tax on wool in the early nineties sent into Charleville much wool that had previously gone to Bourke, so that Bourke, which had been the greatest carrying centre in Australia, now had to yield pride of place to Charleville, where between 500 and 600 teams were registered with the Carrying Association. Each team comprised from fourteen to twenty- two bullocks and with each team were always anything up to five extra bullocks, so the number of stock in Charleville was considerable, being over 10,000 head. In some cases the carrier's wives lived in Charleville or in one of the adjacent centres, but in many cases they went with the waggon, living frequently on a waggonette drawn behind it. Underneath the waggonette was a wire cage where lived the fowls, and there are records of many a fine young rooster which came from an egg laid and hatched under the waggonette, and which grew to delectable maturity without seeing the end of the trip.”  

 - A HISTORY OF CHARLEVILLE AND DISTRICT  pg. 446      http://bit.ly/2srJXl7