Alpha, which is situated on the Capricorn
Highway (Rockhampton to Barcaldine) is a good
stopover when travelling from West or East,
being 430 km west of Rockhampton and 250 km east
of Longreach. To the north Clermont is 184 km
and to the south of Tambo 134 km are accessible,
but is only a gravel/dirt road which is often
inaccessible during wet conditions. Alpha, known
as "The Gateway to the West", is an interesting
mix of historic and modern buildings, changed by
fire, flood, and progress over the years. It was
established in 1884 to serve railway
construction workers and is still an important
station on the line to the Central West. Alpha,
taken from the Greek word meaning - "the
beginning" - is claimed by locals as the
beginning of the west, and also the entrance to
the Central Highlands.
