Iminyaka Engaphezu Kuka-120 Yokunqamula Izwekazi
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-AUSTRALIA
NGO-FEBRUARY 3, 2004, isitimela esicishe sibe ngamakhilomitha angu-1,1 ubude sangena sinyonyoba eSiteshini Sikaloliwe SaseDarwin eNorthern Territory, indawo engenabantu abaningi e-Australia. Kwakunezinkulungwane zabantu ezazizohalalisela ukufika kwaso. Lesi sitimela, esibizwa ngokuthi i-Ghan, sasisanda kuqeda uhambo lwaso lokuqala lwezinsuku ezimbili olungamakhilomitha angu-2 979, sinqamula sisuka eningizimu siya enyakatho yaleli zwekazi.—Bheka ibhokisi elithi “Umlando Waleli Gama,” ekhasini 25.
Izibukeli ezingaphezu kuka-2 000 ezaziphethe amakhamera zazimi eceleni kukajantshi, ngakho kwadingeka ukuba isitimela sihambe kancane njengoba sisondela edolobheni laseDarwin. Ngenxa yalokho, safika sekwephuze ngemizuzu engaba ngu-30. Kodwa akekho owakhononda. Kwase kuphele iminyaka engaphezu kwekhulu isizwe silindile. Kwakuthathe iminyaka engu-126 ukuqeda lo jantshi, onqamula enye yezindawo ezomile, ezishisayo nezingenalutho emhlabeni, osuka e-Adelaide uye eDarwin.
Isidingo Sikajantshi
Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1870, ikoloni elincane lase-Adelaide, elingasempumalanga yetheku okuthiwa iGreat Australian Bight, lalinesifiso sokuthuthukisa ezomnotho kulesi sifundazwe nokusungula umzila ongcono wezohwebo oya enyakatho. Elase-United States laliqede ujantshi onqamula lonke izwekazi ngo-1869. Zicabanga into efanayo, izakhamuzi zase-Adelaide zaba nesifiso sokwakha ujantshi ohlanganisa leli koloni lazo nePort Darwin, njengoba yayibizwa kanjalo iDarwin ngaleso sikhathi. Lo jantshi wawungeke nje uvule indlela yokufika enkabeni yezwe kodwa wawuzosinciphisa kakhulu isikhathi sokuya e-Asia naseYurophu.
Leli cebo labonakala lilula, kodwa lo jantshi kwakuyodingeka unqamule emagqumeni nasezindaweni ezinamadwala amabi, emahlokozini aminyene nasogwadule olunesihlabathi namatshe—izingxenye zazo ezaziphenduka udaka olubishayo noma imifula emikhulu lapho linile. Umhloli wamazwe uJohn Stuart wayegcine elinqamulile leli zwe elomile lapho ezama okwesithathu ngo-1862. Kodwa lapho besendleleni, yena nethimba lakhe bacishe babulawa yindlala nokoma.
Ukushisa Okukhiph’ umkhovu Etsheni, Iziphepho Zesihlabathi Nezikhukhula
Naphezu kwezihibe, izakhamuzi zase-Adelaide azizange ziphele amandla. Ngo-1878 zaqala ukusebenza kujantshi ePort Augusta. Zisebenzisa amathuluzi ezandla, amahhashi namakamela, lezi zisebenzi ezingu-900 zawuqhuba lo jantshi zibheke enyakatho zigudla izindawo ezazihlala aboMdabu base-Australia zaze zayofika eziNtabeni zaseFlinders. Lo mzila wawuhamba ezindaweni okuwukuphela kwazo ezinamachibi amanzi kulesi sifundazwe, ngenxa yokuthi amaguzu adinga amanzi ukuze ahambe.
Kwathatha iminyaka emibili nesigamu ukuqeda ujantshi ongamakhilomitha ayikhulu. Ngezinye izikhathi izinga lokushisa ehlobo lalenyuka libe ngu-50 °C. Kulesi simo esishisayo, izinzipho zaziklayeka, uyinki wawoma epenini ngaphambi kokuba umuntu abhale, futhi izinsimbi zikajantshi zazigoba. Izitimela zazivame ukuphuma kujantshi. Ngemva kweziphepho zesihlabathi, kwakudingeka ukuba izisebenzi zisuse izindunduma zesihlabathi ezazigqibe ujantshi ibanga elide, ezinye zingamamitha amabili ukuphakama. Ngokuvamile, izisebenzi zazizithola zingenakwenza lutho njengoba kugadla ezinye iziphepho futhi ziwucekela phansi umsebenzi wazo.
Kwakube sekufika izimvula. Ngemizuzwana nje, imifula eyome khehle yayivele idle izindwani kube nezikhukhula ezazisonta ojantshi besitimela, zikhukhule umsebenzi owawusuthathe izinyanga wenziwa, abagibeli bezitimela basale dengwane. Omunye umshayeli wesitimela wadubula izimbuzi zasendle ukuze abagibeli bathole ukudla. Eminyakeni eminingi ngemva kwalokho, kwake kwalethwa ukudla ngezindiza ezincane.
Ngemva kwezimvula, izimila zasogwadule zaziphinde zihlume futhi lolu hlaza lwaluheha isikhonyane. Phakathi nokunye ukuhlasela kwesikhonyane, imizila yagcwala amafutha ezinambuzane ezipitshikile kangangokuba kwadingeka elinye ikhanda elizodudula isitimela ngemuva. Izinhlupho zamagundane zazibangela enye inkinga. La magundane ayedla noma yini edlekayo—impahla yasenkomponi, otapolo, amahhanisi ngisho namawudlu. Eceleni kwalo jantshi kunamathuna angasasetshenziswa—ayisikhumbuzo sobhadane lwe-typhoid futhi awubufakazi bokungahlanzeki kwezinkomponi okwakuhlalwa kuzo lapho kusaqalwa lo msebenzi.
Ukuze zizijabulise, izisebenzi zasesitimeleni zazidlala kabi ngezikhathi ezithile. Ngesinye isikhathi lapho indawo yase-Alice Springs ibhekene nenhlupho yonogwaja, izisebenzi zasesitimeleni zazibashushumbisa zibafake kuyi-Ghan. Ngakusasa lapho abagibeli bevula iminyango yamagumbi abo ukuze bayokudla ukudla kwasekuseni, babezithela ephasishi “eligcwele onogwaja abathukile,” kusho incwadi ethi The Ghan—From Adelaide to Alice. Kolunye uhambo, othile wadedela i-kangaroo encane, yangena emagumbini okulala.
Ngezinye izikhathi aboMdabu base-Australia ababehlala ezindaweni eziqhelile babesondela kujantshi lapho isitimela sidlula. Bemi buqamama babekwazi ukubona abantu abangaphakathi esitimeleni. Kuyaqondakala ukuthi kungani ekuqaleni aboMdabu babengabaza, uma kungekhona ukuthi babenovalo. Empeleni, abanye babecabanga ukuthi abagibeli babegwinywe “inkanyamba” bephila!
Ukuthikamezeka Isikhathi Eside
Ngemva kweminyaka engu-13 yokusebenza kanzima, lapho sekusele amakhilomitha angu-470 ukuba ujantshi ufike e-Alice Springs, imali yaphela. I-Australian Geographic ithi: “Ubukhulu balo msebenzi . . . babungaphezu nje kwamandla aleli koloni.” Ngo-1911 uhulumeni wezwe wathatha lo msebenzi futhi waqhuba ujantshi waze wayofika e-Alice Springs. Kodwa amacebo okuqedela ujantshi oya eDarwin, eyayingamakhilomitha angu-1 420 ngasenyakatho, ahlehliswa.
Lapho i-Ghan ifika e-Alice Springs ngokokuqala ngqa ngo-1929, kwafika lonke idolobha—abantu abangaba ngu-200 ngaleso sikhathi—lizogubha lesi senzakalo. Abantu bendawo bamangazwa yigumbi lokudlela, kodwa into eyabahlaba umxhwele kakhulu kwakuyigumbi lokugeza elihle. Ngalezo zinsuku, ukuba nobhavu wokugeza esitimeleni kwakuyinto entsha ephambili. I-Alice Springs yaqhubeka iyisiteshi sokugcina enyakatho kwaze kwaba ngo-1997. Ngalowo nyaka uhulumeni wesifundazwe nokazwelonke bavumelana ngokuqedela ujantshi osuka e-Alice Springs uye eDarwin okwase kuyisikhathi eside ulindelwe. Umsebenzi waqala ngo-2001.
Usuku ngalunye imishini emikhulu yamarobhothi yayakha amakhilomitha angu-1,6 alo jantshi obiza amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-7,7, owawunqamula amabhuloho amasha angu-90 angenakukhukhuleka. Lo jantshi ongamakhilomitha angu-1 420, ochazwa ngokuthi “umsebenzi wengqalasizinda omkhulu kunayo yonke e-Australia,” waqedwa ngezimali ezingaphansi kwezazibekiwe futhi nangaphambi kwesikhathi ngo-October 2003.
Ukukhanga Kwezindawo Zasemaphandleni Eziwugwadule
Nanamuhla idolobha lesimanje lase-Adelaide liseyindawo okusukela kuyo i-Ghan ntambama lapho ithatha uhambo lwayo lokunqamula leli zwekazi. Lapho efulathela idolobha, amakhanda amabili esitimela nezinqola ezingu-40 anqamula amagquma kakolweni amazombezombe elibangise ePort Augusta, engamakhilomitha angaba ngu-300 ngasenyakatho. Kusuka lapha isimo sendawo siyashintsha sibe ugwadule olunesihlabathi, amahlokozi nezihlahlana ezimboza yonke indawo.
Uma idlula ePort Augusta, i-Ghan ihamba kujantshi omusha ongasheleli ohlanganisa amakhilomitha angaba ngu-250 ngasentshonalanga kajantshi omdala owawuvame ukumbozwa yizikhukhula. Kuyahwalala ogwadule futhi nabagibeli bayolala njengoba isitimela sinqamula amachibi asuke omile ingxenye enkulu yonyaka kodwa acwazimulayo lapho kunonyezi ngemva kwemvula. Ebusuku isibhakabhaka sigcwala izinkanyezi ezingenakubalwa. Kodwa awusekho umsindo kajantshi wangesikhathi esidlule, ngoba manje usushiselwe wahlanganiswa ukuze ungahlukani, kanjalo kuncishiswe umsebenzi wokuwunakekela.
Entathakusa, ugwadule olungase-Alice Springs luba nombala ocwazimulayo obomvu ngokusagolide lapho ilanga liphuma. Umgibeli othile wathi: “Indawo iba nobuhle obubabazekayo. Ngisho nalapho ngisesitimeleni ngangiwezwa amandla elanga. Lalikhanyisa lonke ugwadule olukhulu, olunamagquma nemibalabala futhi olwesabekayo ngenxa yobubanzi balo, kangangokuthi likushiya umangele. Le ndawo ikwenza uzizwe umncane.”
Ukusuka Emaphandleni Awugwadule Kuya Ezindaweni Ezinohlaza
Ngemva kokuma kancane ntambama e-Alice Springs, i-Ghan iqhubekela edolobhaneni laseKatherine bese iya esiteshini sokugcina enyakatho, eDarwin enohlaza. Njengoba besemagumbini abo anesiphephetha-moya, “abagibeli be-Ghan bajabulela ukuhamba ngokunethezeka,” kusho uLarry Ierace, owayengumphathi wesitimela lapho i-Ghan ithatha uhambo lokuqala. Lapho bebuka ngaphandle ngamafasitela abo, bayazibuza nje ukuthi izingqalabutho zalo msebenzi zabhekana naziphi izinsizi nobunzima.
Ngaphandle nje kokukhuthaza uhwebo nokunika abantu ithuba lokuthatha uhambo olumnandi kakhulu lwesitimela emhlabeni, i-Ghan ilethe esinye isici sezwe lanamuhla emaphandleni awugwadule. Intombazane yoMdabu yase-Australia eyabona lesi sitimela lapho siqala ukufika ngo-February 2004, yathi: “Angikaze ngisibone isitimela ekuphileni kwami. Sihle.”
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 25]
Umlando Waleli Gama
Elithi Ghan liyisifushaniso segama lokuteketisa elithi The Afghan Express. Ukuthi lesi sitimela sethiwa kanjani ngabantu base-Afghanistan abagibela amakamela, akwaziwa. Kodwa leli gama lisikhumbuza labo bafuduki abaqatha abasiza ekutholakaleni kwendlela yokufinyelela emaphandleni ase-Australia awugwadule. Laba bantu okwakuthiwa ama-Afghan sebebonke, abaningi babo empeleni babevela ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene njengaseBaluchistan, eGibhithe, eNyakatho yelaseNdiya, ePakistan, ePheresiya naseTurkey.
Lapho besemaphandleni babehamba ngamakamela, ayeguqa noma aphakame lapho ezwa umyalo othi “Hooshta!” Abantu nempahla babethwalwa ngohele lwamakamela angaba ngu-70 ahamba ngesivinini esingamakhilomitha ayisithupha ngehora. Lapho amakamela eseyeka ukusetshenziswa ngenxa yesitimela nezimoto, ama-Afghan adedela izilwane zawo. Namuhla, inzalo yalawo makamela—efinyelela emakhulwini ezinkulungwane—izihambela ngenkululeko endle enkabeni ye-Australia.—Bheka i-Phaphama! ka-April 8, 2001, amakhasi 16-17.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 23]
Northern Territory Archives Service, Joe DAVIS, NTRS 573
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 25]
Train photos: Great Southern Railway