Inatenga Zaka Zoposa 120

YOLEMBEDWA KU AUSTRALIA

PA February 3, 2004, sitima yaitali kupitirira kilomita imodzi inayenda pang’onopang’ono kufika pa siteshoni ya sitima mu mzinda wa Darwin, m’chigawo cha kumpoto cha dziko la Australia chomwe kuli anthu ochepa. Anthu ambiri anali atasonkhana kumalowa kuchingamira sitimayo. Sitimayi anaipatsa dzina linalake (The Ghan) ndipo inali itayenda ulendo wake woyamba wa makilomita 2,979. Ulendowu unali wa masiku awiri, ndipo unali wochoka kum’mwera kudutsa m’chigawo chonsecho kukafika kumpoto.—Onani bokosi lakuti “Pamene Panachokera Dzina la Sitimayi pa tsamba 25.”

Anthu oposa 2,000, omwe anali ndi makamera, anasonkhana m’mphepete mwa njanji ndipo sitimayo inafunika kuyenda pang’onopang’ono itayandikira m’mzinda wa Darwin. Motero inachedwa kufika ndi mphindi 30. Komabe palibe anadandaula ndi kuchedwako, chifukwa anthu a m’dzikoli anali atayembekezera sitimayi kwa zaka zambiri. Njanji ya sitimayi, yomwe imachokera ku Adelaide n’kukafika ku Darwin, inatenga zaka 126 ndipo imadutsa m’dera limene ndi limodzi mwa madera ouma kwambiri padziko lonse, otentha kwadzaoneni komanso a anthu ochepa kwambiri.

Panafunika Njanji

Chakumapeto kwa m’ma 1870, anthu okhala m’dera laling’ono la Adelaide, lomwe lili kumadzulo kwa gombe lina (Great Australian Bight), ankalakalaka kwambiri kutukula chigawocho ndi kupititsa patsogolo ntchito za malonda omwe ankachita ndi anthu a m’madera a kumpoto. Panthawiyi n’kuti dziko la United States litatsiriza kale kumanga njanji yaitali kwambiri mu 1869. Anthu a ku Adelaide anali ndi maganizo ofanana ndi a anthu a ku United States, choncho anakonza zoti amange njanji yochokera ku Adelaide kukafika ku mzinda wa Darwin, womwe panthawiyo unkatchedwa kuti Port Darwin. Njanjiyi inali kudzathandiza kuti anthu asamavutike kufika m’katikati mwa dzikolo, komanso inachepetsa ulendo wochoka ku Asia kupita ku Ulaya.

Ntchitoyi inkaoneka ngati yophweka, koma inali yovuta kwambiri. Njanjiyo inayenera kudutsa m’madera a mapiri, a nkhalango ndiponso a zipululu za mchenga ndi miyala yokhayokha. Komanso mbali zina za zipululuzi zinkasanduka zithaphwi ndi makhwawa odzaza madzi nthawi ya mvula. Munthu wina wofufuza malo atsopano dzina lake John Stuart, anadutsa m’dera loopsali m’chaka cha 1862, atalephera kawiri konse kudutsa m’derali. Komabe paulendo wachitatuwu, iye ndi gulu lake anangotsala pang’onong’ono kufera m’njira chifukwa chosowa chakudya ndi madzi.

Kutentha Kwambiri, Chimphepo ndi Madzi Osefukira

Anthu a ku Adelaide sanafooke pantchito yawoyo chifukwa cha mavuto amene anakumana nawo. Motero mu 1878, anayamba ntchito yomanga njanji mu mzinda wa Port Augusta. Anthu 900 anathandizana kumanga njanjiyi kuti ikafike kumpoto motsatira misewu imene inakonzedwa ndi anthu otchedwa Aborigine, kudzera m’mapiri a Flinders. Anagwira ntchitoyi popanda kugwiritsira ntchito makina alionse, koma anali ndi mahatchi ndi ngamila basi. Anatsatira misewuyo chifukwa ndi yokhayo yomwe inali ndi zitsime, motero zinali zotheka kudutsamo ndi sitima zawo zoyendera madzi.

Panatenga zaka ziwiri ndi theka kuti amange njanji yaitali makilomita 100. M’nyengo ya chilimwe derali limatentha kwambiri kufika pa madigiri seshasi 50, moti anthu ankachita kuthetheka zikhadabo.  Komanso zolembera zinkangouma ndipo njanji inkangopindika. Nthawi zambiri sitima zinkasiya njanji n’kugwa. Kukachita chimphepo pankakhala chintchito chakalavula gaga chochotsa mchenga womwe unkakwirira mbali yaikulu ya njanjiyo. Nthawi zambiri anthuwo ankangogwira pakamwa poona chimphepo chikubwezeretsanso mchenga umene anachotsa uja.

Kenako kunkabwera chimvula ndipo mitsinje yomwe inali youma ija inkasefukira. M’nthawi yochepa chabe, makhwawa ankasanduka mitsinje yoopsa yomwe inkakokoloka njanji imene anthu anali ataivutikira kwa miyezi yambirimbiri. Zikatero anthu apaulendo ankatchona panjira, moti panthawi ina woyendetsa sitima anapha mbuzi zam’tchire kuti adyetse anthu. Panthawi ina sitima itatchona, anachita kuwapititsira chakudya pandege.

Mvula ikagwa, m’chipululumo munkamera zinthu zambirimbiri zomwe zinkaitana mliri wa dzombe. Nthawi ina kutachitika mliri wina wotere, njanji inayamba kuterera kwambiri chifukwa choti panafera dzombe lambirimbiri, moti panafunika mutu wina wa sitima kuti ukathandizire kukankha sitimayo. Mliri wa makoswe unavutanso kwambiri. Makoswewo anadya chilichonse chomwe khoswe angadye, monga katundu wa anthu ogwira ntchito, nsalu za matenti, zingwe zazikopa ngakhalenso nsapato zogwirira ntchito. M’mphepete mwa njanjiyi muli manda amene anaikamo anthu amene anafa ndi mliri wa tayifodi, womwe unavuta kwambiri chifukwa cha uve, kumayambiriro kwa ntchito yomanga njanjiyi.

Pofuna kusangalala, anthu ogwira ntchito mu sitimayi ankachita zinthu zosiyanasiyana zoseketsa. Panthawi ina m’dera lotchedwa Alice Springs mutabuka mliri wa mbira, anthuwo analowetsa mbira zingapo mu sitimayo mozemba. M’mawa mwake anthu okwera mu sitimayo anadabwa kuona mbirazo “zili yakaliyakali m’sitimamo.” (The Ghan—From Adelaide to Alice) Paulendo wina, munthu wina analowetsa nyama ina ya kutchire m’mabogi ogona anthu.

Nthawi zina anthu otchedwa Aborigine okhala m’madera a kumudzi, ankafika kufupi ndi njanji sitima ikudutsa. Ataima chapatali ankaona kuti mu sitimayo muli anthu. Anthuwo poyamba ankachita mantha, chifukwa akuti ena ankaganiza kuti sitimayo ndi chinjoka chachikulu chimene chameza anthu amoyo.

Ntchitoyi Inaima kwa Nthawi Yaitali

Atagwira ntchito ya kalavulagagayi kwa zaka 13, anatsala ndi makilomita 470 kuti njanjiyi ifike ku Alice Springs. Koma ntchitoyi inaima chifukwa chosowa ndalama. Buku lina (Australian Geographic) linati: “Ntchitoyi inawakulira anthuwa . . . moti analephera kuikwanitsa.” Mu 1911, ntchitoyi inakhala m’manja mwa boma lachitsamunda ndipo linapitiriza kumanga njanjiyi mpaka kukafika ku Alice Springs. Komabe, anaimitsa mapulani opitiriza kumanga njanjiyi kuti ifike ku Darwin, mzinda umene unali pa mtunda wa makilomita 1,420 kulowera kumpoto.

Mu 1929, sitima ija inafika ku Alice Springs ndipo anthu onse a m’tawuniyo, omwe panthawiyo anali opitirira 200, anafika kudzaichingamira mwachisangalalo. Iwo anali odabwa kwambiri kuona kukongola kwa malo odyera a m’sitimayo, koma chinawachititsa chidwi kwambiri chinali chipinda chake chosambira. M’masiku amenewo, sitima zokhala ndi malo osambira zinali zosowa ndiponso zapamwamba. Ku Alice Springs n’kumene sitimayi inkabwerera mpaka kudzafika mu 1997. M’chaka chimenecho, boma linaganiza zomaliza kumanga njanjiyo kuchoka ku Alice Springs kukafika ku Darwin. Ntchitoyi inayamba mu 2001.

Poyala njanjiyi anagwiritsa ntchito makina akuluakulu ndipo ntchitoyi inadya ndalama zokwana pafupifupi madola 1 biliyoni. Tsiku lililonse ankayala njanji yaitali mtunda wopitirira kilomita imodzi ndi theka. Njanjiyi inadutsa milatho pafupifupi 90 yatsopano, yomwe anaikonza m’njira yoti singakokoloke ndi madzi. Akuti ntchito yomanga njanji yaitali makilomita 1,420 imeneyi, inali “ntchito yomanga yaikulu kwambiri ku Australia,” ndipo inadya ndalama zochepa komanso inatenga nthawi yochepa kuposa mmene anali kuganizira, moti anaimaliza mu October 2003.

 Kukongoletsa Madera Akumidzi

Masiku ano, mlungu uliwonse sitima ija imanyamukabe masana mumzinda wamakono wa Adelaide paulendo wake wokafika kumalire a dzikoli. Sitimayi ili ndi mitu iwiri komanso mabogi 40 ndipo imachoka m’mizinda n’kudutsa m’madera a mapiri okhala ndi minda ya tirigu n’kukafika ku Port Augusta, mtunda wa makilomita pafupifupi 300 kulowera kumpoto. M’chigawo chimenechi, mukaponya maso patali mumangoona mchenga wokhawokha ndi zomera za kuchipululu.

Sitimayi ikachoka ku Port Augusta imafika m’njanji yatsopano, yomwe ndi yabwino kwambiri ndipo ndi yaitali pafupifupi makilomita 250. Njanjiyi ili kumadzulo kwa njanji yakale yomwe nthawi zambiri inkakokoloka ndi madzi. Kukada, anthu amangozigonera ali phee, kwinaku sitimayo ikuyenda mwa myaa m’chipululucho. Imadutsa mayiwe angapo omwe nthawi yaitali pachaka amakhala ouma ndipo mvula ikagwa, mayiwewa amangooneka nyezinyezi chifukwa cha kuwala kwa mwezi usiku. Masiku ena, usiku nyenyezi zimangoti waa kumwamba konse. Komano, chifukwa choti njanji yamakonoyi sanachite kuilumikizalumikiza, sitimayi ikamayenda siimvekanso phokoso monga inkachitira makedzana.

Dzuwa likamatuluka, chipululu chonse cha kufupi ndi ku Alice Springs chimangooneka kuti psuu. Munthu wina yemwe anakwerapo sitimayi anati: “Sikukongola kwake! Ngakhale kuti ndinali m’kati mwa sitima, ndinkatha kuona kuti kuli dzuwa osati lamasewera. Mitunda yonse yachipululucho imaoneka bwinobwino chifukwa cha kuwala kwa dzuwalo ndipo kukongola kwake n’kosaneneka. Kunena zoona, malowa n’ngochititsa kakasi.”

Kupita M’madera Otentha

Madzulo, sitimayi imaima pang’ono ku Alice Springs, kenaka imapitiriza ulendo wake n’kukafika m’tawuni ya Katherine mpaka kukafika kumene imathera, mu mzinda wotentha wa Darwin. Bwana wamkulu woyang’anira sitimayi, dzina lake Larry Ierace ananena kuti, chifukwa choti m’mabogi a sitimayi muli makina oziziritsa mpweya “anthu amangosangalala m’katimo chifukwa mumakhala mozizira bwino.” Akayang’ana pawindo, amatha kuona mmene anzawo kalelo anavutikira pomanga njanjiyo.

Sitimayi yathandiza kwambiri kupititsa patsogolo ntchito zamalonda ndiponso zamaulendo a padziko lonse a sitima zapamtunda. Komanso yathandiza kubweretsa chitukuko ku chigawo chakumidzichi. Mtsikana wina wa zaka 19 wa mtundu wa Aborigine, anapita kukaona sitimayi paulendo woyamba wa sitimayi wofika m’dera lawo, mu February 2004. Iye anati: “Aka kanali koyamba kuona sitima m’moyo wanga wonse. Nditaiona ndinagoma kwambiri.”

[Bokosi/Chithunzi patsamba 25]

Pamene Panachokera Dzinali

Dzina la sitimayi (The Ghan) ndi chidule cha dzina lina (The Afghan Express), lonena za gulu la anthu a ku Afghanistan, loyenda pa ngamila. Palibe amene amadziwa kuti zinatani kuti sitimayi ipatsidwe dzina limeneli. Komabe, dzina limeneli limatikumbutsa za anthu ochokera kunja amene anagwira ntchito mwakhama kuti zitheke kumayenda ulendo wokafika ku midzi ya ku Australia. Anthu onsewo ankangowatcha kuti anthu a ku Afghanistan, ngakhale kuti anachokera m’madera osiyanasiyana monga ku Baluchistan, Egypt, Northern India, Pakistan, Persia, ndi ku Turkey.

Ngamila zawo ndizo zinali njira yodalirika yoyendera ulendo uliwonse m’derali ndipo zinkamvera pogwada pansi mbuye wawo akanena mokuwa mawu enaake (hooshta!). Gulu la ngamila zokwana 70 linkanyamula anthu ndi katundu n’kumayenda pang’onopang’ono, mwina makilomita 6 paola limodzi. Kutabwera sitima ndi magalimoto anthu anasiya kuyenda pa ngamila, motero anthu a ku Afghanistan aja anangosiya ngamila zawo zija kuti zizingoziyendera. Tikunena pano, ngamila zimenezi zinachulukana ndipo zimangoziyendera m’nkhalango za chigawo chapakati cha dziko la Australia.—Onani Galamukani! ya Chingelezi ya April 8, 2001, patsamba 16 mpaka 17.

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 23]

Northern Territory Archives Service, Joe DAVIS, NTRS 573

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 25]

Train Photos: Great Southern Railway