The Stuart Hwy
Australian History
- Thread starter the duck
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Sorry No but good try
Is the Central Australian Railway - the Ghan Railway?
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Well done Dr Duck it was an easy one for you mate. It was indeed the Ghan or the Afghan Express as it was first called.
over to you
Originally the Afghan Express, the name The Ghan was inspired by the pioneering Afghan cameleers who blazed a permanent trail into the Red Centre of Australia over 150 years ago.
The Ghans emblem is an Afghan on a camel in recognition of their efforts in opening up the inhospitable interior to the rest of Australia.
The original Ghan line followed the route of explorer John MacDouall Stuart. On Sunday 4 August, 1929, an excited crowd gathered at the Adelaide Railway Station to farewell the first Ghan train.
As well as termite damage, it was savaged by fire and flood. Flash flooding, when the normally parched river beds spilled out onto the low lying desert plains, frequently washed away the track completely. Legend has it The Old Ghan was once stranded for two weeks in one spot and the engine driver shot wild goats to feed his passengers.
In 1980, The Old Ghan rail track was abandoned in favour of a new standard gauge rail line built with termite proof concrete sleepers further to the west in order to avoid the potential flooding and other problems encountered along the old route.
When The Ghan first departed Adelaide for Alice Springs, it was always intended that it would one day travel through to Darwin. With the completion of the Alice Springs to Darwin rail-link this dream became a reality; with The Ghan making its inaugural journey to Darwin on 1 3 February 2004. This north-south transcontinental journey covers 2,979 kilometres and encounters spectacular and diverse landscapes; from the rusty reds of the MacDonnell Ranges surrounding a town called Alice, gateway to Ayers Rock and the Red Centre, then north to Tenant Creek, Katherine and the tropical splendour of Darwin.
over to you
Originally the Afghan Express, the name The Ghan was inspired by the pioneering Afghan cameleers who blazed a permanent trail into the Red Centre of Australia over 150 years ago.
The Ghans emblem is an Afghan on a camel in recognition of their efforts in opening up the inhospitable interior to the rest of Australia.
The original Ghan line followed the route of explorer John MacDouall Stuart. On Sunday 4 August, 1929, an excited crowd gathered at the Adelaide Railway Station to farewell the first Ghan train.
As well as termite damage, it was savaged by fire and flood. Flash flooding, when the normally parched river beds spilled out onto the low lying desert plains, frequently washed away the track completely. Legend has it The Old Ghan was once stranded for two weeks in one spot and the engine driver shot wild goats to feed his passengers.
In 1980, The Old Ghan rail track was abandoned in favour of a new standard gauge rail line built with termite proof concrete sleepers further to the west in order to avoid the potential flooding and other problems encountered along the old route.
When The Ghan first departed Adelaide for Alice Springs, it was always intended that it would one day travel through to Darwin. With the completion of the Alice Springs to Darwin rail-link this dream became a reality; with The Ghan making its inaugural journey to Darwin on 1 3 February 2004. This north-south transcontinental journey covers 2,979 kilometres and encounters spectacular and diverse landscapes; from the rusty reds of the MacDonnell Ranges surrounding a town called Alice, gateway to Ayers Rock and the Red Centre, then north to Tenant Creek, Katherine and the tropical splendour of Darwin.
Thanks, GT, that last clue was a very generous one!
Stay tuned.....
Stay tuned.....
Might be easy, as I have not tested the clue extensively, but it is a great story!
I was involved in an audacious gold theft, and eventually arrested. While helping detectives search for one of my many hoards of gold from the theft, I escaped and lived in the bush for some months before being recaptured.
After serving my sentence, I was apparently drowned after falling from a skiff. It was alleged that I may have escaped overseas, but no one knows.
Gold I had hidden was found in the early 1900's and a substantial proportion remained unaccounted for.
Who am I and what is the story?
I was involved in an audacious gold theft, and eventually arrested. While helping detectives search for one of my many hoards of gold from the theft, I escaped and lived in the bush for some months before being recaptured.
After serving my sentence, I was apparently drowned after falling from a skiff. It was alleged that I may have escaped overseas, but no one knows.
Gold I had hidden was found in the early 1900's and a substantial proportion remained unaccounted for.
Who am I and what is the story?
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sounds like a good story, I will investigate that this arvo
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I reckon Duck that it could be the Avoca Gold Sovereign robbery by Martin Wiberg. 5000 of them infact of which many were never found.
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wooops beaten to the post by Loamer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yep, Loamer gets it by a nose!
It is a great story, and here is a link with a good account, for those interested.
http://www.oddhistory.com.au/gippsland/buried-treasures/
(towards the end of the page)
It's getting harder to find good questions, and harder to google proof them without a lot of work.
We have covered a lot of topics.
It is a great story, and here is a link with a good account, for those interested.
http://www.oddhistory.com.au/gippsland/buried-treasures/
(towards the end of the page)
It's getting harder to find good questions, and harder to google proof them without a lot of work.
We have covered a lot of topics.
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yep it is getting harder but plenty to find if you look hard enough. This is the link I found when looking for your question
http://www.martinwiberg.net/
http://www.martinwiberg.net/
Flynn was born at Mollagul in Victoria, where the famous nugget was found 11 years prior..
Very easy one...
What is the connection between Flynn and Mildura?
What is the connection between Flynn and Mildura?
Not what I'm looking for, TJ, a bit more obscure than that!
Loamer gets it,
When Dunolly was in the doldrums back in the 1920's enterprising Mr Gundarah Singh brought the old Flynn residence, which was the Moliagul post office, and relocated it to Mildura. The house was subsequently destroyed by fire in 1953.
But the door from the old post office had been used by Singh in a shop he built, as he wanted a strong door and it 7 feet high and 2" thick.
The door is now in the Dunolly museum.
So the connection between Flynn and Mildura involves an Indian hawker, a relocated house, and a stout timber door.
Full story here:
http://members.westnet.com.au/likelyprospects/john_flynns_door.htm
When Dunolly was in the doldrums back in the 1920's enterprising Mr Gundarah Singh brought the old Flynn residence, which was the Moliagul post office, and relocated it to Mildura. The house was subsequently destroyed by fire in 1953.
But the door from the old post office had been used by Singh in a shop he built, as he wanted a strong door and it 7 feet high and 2" thick.
The door is now in the Dunolly museum.
So the connection between Flynn and Mildura involves an Indian hawker, a relocated house, and a stout timber door.
Full story here:
http://members.westnet.com.au/likelyprospects/john_flynns_door.htm
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