The Hundred Year Old Dream
The Alice Springs Darwin Railway
The linking of Australia’s north to south had long been a dream of Australian Railway builders. Under the control of the South Australian Government, the famous Ghan narrow gauge line edged its way north from Adelaide as 1879.
Eight Years later, in 1887 Chinese labour was used to construct the beginning of a railway south from Darwin. Over several years, this line reached as far as Larrimah, but was closed in 1981.
The Commonwealth Government resumed work on the earlier Ghan Railway in 1926 and it reached Alice Springs (Stuart) in 1929. A new standard gauge line, from Tarcoola was finally established to Alice Springs in the 1980s where the progress to Darwin was stopped despite the huge assembly of skilled labour modern railway track laying machinery
.
After many political battles and reports that proposed several routes for a railway line to link Darwin with the Eastern States a decision was taken to extend existing Ghan line from Alice Springs to Darwin in 2000.
The link between Alice Springs and Darwin with modern machinery was official opened in January 2004
The Ghan
I've got a ticket if you've got the time
Take a little trip on the narrow gauge line
Time's a runnin' out, better do it while you can
Come along with me and take a trip on the Ghan
We're leaving Port Augusta for the sunshine
We're heading north to see what we can find
It's just a dream to leave it all behind me
It's something that's been always on my mind
Lizard in the sun, emu on the plain
In the shimmering tracks of the quarter mile train
Camel in the distance seen it all before
And the dream time legends, like the cockatoos, soar
We're crossing Oodnadatta for The Alice
Finke River rising, we'll be here all day
So it's tea and biscuits 'round the old goanna
While story tellers pass the time away
I've got a ticket if you've got the time
Take a little trip on the narrow gauge line
Time's a runnin' out, better do it while you can
Come along with me and take a trip on the Ghan
It's just a legend, now the rails are empty
It's come and gone, like the Northern summer rain
A photograph is all the old girl left me
But the memory of the quarter mile train remains
Rob Fafairbairn1983
ENGINE 48
If 44 is called 'Rocky Ned'
The name of this bastard
Is best unsaid,
Oh tell it to Noble and tell it to Page
The drivers despair and the firemen rage
Take out all the knocks, make smooth the ride
Just think of the driver and fireman inside
And if you must send this old bastard once more
Just fasten a time bomb under the floor.
Rankin Vile.1944
Adelaide River
NORTHERN COMET
Here's to the 'Northern Comet'!
Its wheels so smooth and square:
With every frantic puff
Hot cinders scorch your hair.
Here's to the 'Northern Comet'!
All grades it makes in high;
And when it is going downhill,
You 'II swear it's going to fly.
Here's to the 'Northern Comet'!
With its berth floor high and bare,
Persistent swaying bouncing
Makes sleeping fitful and rare.
Here's to the 'Northern Comet'!
It usually arrives on time,
But the days it takes to get there -
Brother - it's really a crime!
Here's to the 'Northern Comet'!
It stops so frequently
So the engineer and fireman
Can boil a billy of tea.
Here's to the Comet's whistle,
With its squeaky high-pitched key,
Mocking the dingo's howl
As it toots so merrily.
To those who haven't ridden it, -
DON'T. Take it from one who knows:
Take a truck, a camel, or a mule -
For the Comet is full of woes.
Frank S Falco (1942)
From Alice to Darwin
It's been a long time coming/ beginning of new era has arrived,
The train from "The Alice" to Darwin, of which long deprived,
It took a lifetime, sixty years or more, finally it has been done
Many economical social benefits are surely as yet to come,
To build this fine across harsh, wide open spaces, quite a feat,
Enduring vastly changing climate, wet seasons, fierce dry heat,
Overcoming with typical Aussie ingenuity problems along way,
Some seemingly impossible, but against all odds/ saved the day.
There are those of us who remember travel in more leisurely way,
Taking days, weeks, by camel, horse, striking camp at end of day/
Vast distances, swollen rivers, unexpected travel beyond norm,
On some journeys, when crossing desert, caught in dust storm.
Lost are romantic notions of yarns, songs, by campfires on the way,
Cooking bushman style, sleeping under a million stars, horse's dray,
To be constantly alert to unforseen dangers on bush track,
With this new rail link we've moved forward/ never to go back.
In years past, some stood on station at "the Alice", looking north,
Hoping that one day, a train would come from that direction forth,
Their dreams have now been fulfilled, trains going North and South,
They look on every time, amazed, unbelieving, with open mouth,
People travelling in air conditioning, pampered, progress so called,
Only to experience the magic of "the Outback", when train is stalled,
Maybe due to floods, fires, wildlife/ heat twisting railway track,
Once having made this journey, you'll want to come back and back.
It's a train journey that will rank amongst the world's best,
Whichever way it is looked at, ill! pass the most critical test,
Unforgettable journey through past, present, all rolled into one,
Seeing, experiencing unknown parts of "the Outback", now you can.
Cas L.F. van Loon
Don’t play on the Track.
Words Graham J. Archer. . © Attitude Music & Publishing 1997.
If you play on the track you won’t be back
If you sleep on the track you won’t be back
You won’t be back if you keep on playing on them tracks
Currently the Railway Story is in the process of seeking permission to display the full content of this song or poem or to have a copy linked via the web to this research document
THERE’S A TRAIN A - COMING
There’s a train a comin’ up the track - I can hear it rollin’ clickety clack
Cuttin’ a swathe through the great outback - The Ghan is comin’ to town
Mike Foley © 2002
Currently the Railway Story is in the process of seeking permission to display the full content of this song or poem or to have a copy linked via the web to this research document
A Hundred Year Old Dream
It’s been one hundred years in the dreaming
From the first time it was planned
From Adelaide Concrete canyons
Across the Central Desert’s sands
Through the tropical Top End
The Railway tracks run free
From the Great Australian Bight
To the Arafura Sea.
Chorus
G’day Australia how are you travelling
I’m travelling along on silver wings
Crossing a continent following a dream
My heart starting to sing.
Leaving platform Adelaide through a green and fertile plain
Up to Port Augusta rides the rhythm of the train
Coffee in the club car bright sunset indigo night
Night time on the ‘Ghan train silver soft moonlight
Crossing the Fink River the McDonnell Rangers up ahead
Through the gaps to Alice yes the Centre is still red
Riding North to Tennant then on to Katherine
Gliding into Darwin Town on this new bold railway
A hundred rears to dream it now it unites our land
North and south black and white built by willing hands
United proud we stand divided we will fail
Our country and one people joined together by this rail
Doug Fudge 2003 ©
Steel A Way
On a glorious Darwin morning you can hear the engines roar
The Iron Lady is eager to keep time
She's off ...rolling down to service every town
Scattered near and far along the Darwin -Alice line
Gleeful children shouting, their wide- eyed faces beam
As the train departs Katherine, heading South
Never thought there'd come the day when the Darwin -Alice Railway
Was more than just a promise from a politician's mouth
@ Bob Sharp,2003
Currently the Railway Story is in the process of seeking permission to display the full content of this song or poem or to have a copy linked via the web to this research document
The Outback Train – In The Northern Territory
The outback train is running
Ninety years too late
All aboard for Darwin
Town Too long we had to wait.
@ Marie Nikolaou, 2003
Currently the Railway Story is in the process of seeking permission to display the full content of this song or poem or to have a copy linked via the web to this research document
A dream of steam
He stands in idle service under orders to relax,
and stares at the horizon over bright converging tracks;
his trembles and a sighing, then a spiteful jet of steam,
un-noticed by his handler who's rubbing brass to gleam.
The fireman reminds him of the job that lies ahead,
as glossy coal in mouthful lots is shovelled up and fed.
The driver has a tallow pot and eyes him up and down;
he'll get a thorough doing while he waits to leave the town.
Frank Daniel 2005
Currently the Railway Story is in the process of seeking permission to display the full content of this song or poem or to have a copy linked via the web to this research document
"AGES OF THE GHAN”
It all started off with camels, and the Afghan Cameleers,
Plodding slowly, slowly northward, as they did for many years.
To Marree from the Flinders, up the Oodnadatta Track,
Camels fully laden, with their cargo on their back.
Ross Magnay
Currently the Railway Story is in the process of seeking permission to display the full content of this song or poem or to have a copy linked via the web to this research document
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