Re: GM1 and 80 years of the Trans
Terry Burton (telljb@ozemail.com.au)
Sat, 25 Oct 1997 23:05:20 GMT
Further to, with all facetiousness aside, allow me to quote
from some latter day publications.
In the Nov 1977 The Recorder it was stated that the GG Sir
Ronald Ferguson officially declared the Trans Australia
Railway open on 12/11/1917 and a souvenir booklet was
distributed to guests at the opening.
In his book Standard Gauge across Australia W.A. Bayley a
fellow of the Royal Australian Historical Society mentioned
that a fine booklet titled "Trans Australia Railway" was
prepared and printed for the official opening by the GG on
12th Nov, but wartime conditions and political difficulties
caused the ceremony to be cancelled.
In the book Locomotives of the Commonwealth Railways the
authors state "when the TAR was opened on the 22nd Oct, G22
hauled the first Westbound express". The book in its
historical preamble notes the joining at Ooldea on the 17th
Oct.
Pichi Richi in their history publication note the joining at
Ooldea but because of their interest they noted a "special"
narrow gauge "East West" express rolled through Pichi Richi
Pass on the 22nd Oct with an entourage which included Sir
John and Lady Forrest who then transferred to the first
Westbound express. The book states there was no ceremony
due to wartime conditions.
There is no dispute that the rails were joined at Ooldea on
the 17th, and the first through passenger working was on the
22nd, but the lack of an official Commonwealth response to
those two dates is intriguing. Wartime conditions or not it
seems incredible that a simple ceremony was not arranged on
one or the other of those two historic days for one of the
greatest railway projects in Australian history.
----Tell
Alice Springs NT