Tolga

Tolga, a rural town, is 45 km southwest of Cairns and five km north of Atherton. It is on the western side of the Atherton Tableland, where the coach road passed from Herberton to Port Douglas. Originally named Martin Town, the name was changed to Tolga in 1903 when the railway line was extended from Mareeba. It is thought that the name was derived from an Aboriginal word describing the red volcanic soil.