Following The Old Ghan Railway - A New Book By Brian Newell

Brian Newell's a newcomer to the book launching circuit. But life throws up amazing challenges, some which ultimately lead to meetings with State Governors. Last month a group of dignitaries as well as family and friends gathered at the Port Dock Railway Museum to officially acknowledge one of the most significant events in Brian's life, the launching of his first book. And alongside was his wife Maxine, who like Brian, knows a thing or two about the harder times in life.

"I started the project almost three years ago. Maxine and I had just moved into a new house at Aldinga and I was going to do my wedding and portrait photography and I went to the doctor the next day and he said I had two to three years to live. So we had to do some thinking. We'd both lived with partners with cancer. My late wife Anne died of cancer and Maxine's husband died of cancer. We knew there wasn't a cure and I wasn't going to waste my life looking for a cure. I've seen too much of that".

And it was one day while camping in the South Australian outback that the idea for his book and the reason for compiling it, struck him like an old freight train out of the fog. Since then he's set about recording as much as possible of what remains of the Old Ghan railway line, with the proceeds going towards research into prostate cancer, which in his case, is terminal. His other reasons were to do with a love of history, and a desire to make every post a winner.

"Our grandchildren and children will not know about the Old Ghan Railway, it's gradually crumbling away. And the other one was to make those who have a disability or a terminal illness or something, that you don't just sit down and die, you can continue on".

Brian's done anything but sit down. In the past two years, he's spent over thirty weeks in the outback taking shots from Willochra to Edeowie. Along the way his cameras snapped ruined railway bridges and the giants they once supported. The first section of the Old Ghan line was opened in 1878 and over time stretched from Port Augusta to what was then called Government Gums, now the ghost town of Farina, then onto Oodnadatta and finally all the way to Alice Springs.

By 1980 a new standard gauge line branching out from Tarcoola on the East West railway line and going to Alice Springs was completed. The old narrow gauge line was no longer needed, and now stands as a reminder of one of the great engineering feats of Australian history which helped open up a continent. Named after the Afghan cameleers who once crossed the harsh country, the old Ghan line takes in some of the wonders of the Australian outback with its tales of human endeavour and ultimate failure and its stunning beauty.

Everyone who travelled on the Old Ghan has a story to tell, including the South Australian Governor who travelled on it more than fifty years ago and remembers well the breakfast stop at the Parachilna pub.

"And I said any change of any breakfast. The Publican looked at my quite pityingly, and he said all we've got is beer. And I was a dedicated young engineer of about twenty two who didn't usually drink beer for breakfast. So I said, haven't you got any lemonade? And he looked at me and said warm".

Now the Parachilna Pub's an outback gourmet retreat and sadly the old Ghan has gone, but the memories live on in Brian's book, which has been given the thumbs up by one very proud Mum.

"I've always been proud of him, but I really think now that he's achieved this, I think it's a great achievement even though I'm his mother".

Following the Old Ghan Railway Line, a photographic essay by Brian Newell is on sale now at a number of major bookstores. It costs $49.50 with proceeds going to prostrate cancer research. Or you can buy the book direct by contacting Brian Newell on 8556 6808.

For more information you can email info@postcards-sa.com.au