The Coach Builder
Prehistory
Some
horsecarts
found
in
Celtic
graves
show
hints
that
their
platforms
were
suspended
elastically.[4]
Four-wheeled
wagons
were
used
in
prehistoric
Europe,
and
their
form
known
from
excavations
suggests
that
the
basic
construction
techniques
of
wheel
and
undercarriage (that survived until the age of the motor car) were established then.[5]
Chariot
The
earliest
recorded
sort
of
carriage
was
the
chariot,
reaching
Mesopotamia
as
early
as
1900
BC.[6]
Used
typically
for
warfare
by
Egyptians,
the
near
Easterners
and
Europeans,
it
was
essentially
a
two-wheeled
light
basin
carrying
one
or
two
passengers,
drawn
by
one
to
two
horses.
The
chariot
was
revolutionary
and
effective
because
it
delivered
fresh
warriors
to
crucial
areas
of
battle
with
swiftness.
Roman carriage
First
century
BC
Romans
used
sprung
wagons
for
overland
journeys.[7]
It
is
likely
that
Roman
carriages
employed
some
form
of
suspension on chains or leather straps, as indicated by carriage parts found in excavations.
Ancient Chinese carriage
In
the
kingdom
of
the
Zhou
Dynasty
the
Warring
States
were
also
known
to
have
used
carriages
as
transportation.
With
the
decline
of
these civilizations these techniques almost disappeared.
Medieval carriage
The
medieval
carriage
was
typically
a
four-wheeled
wagon
type,
with
a
rounded
top
('tilt')
similar
in
appearance
to
the
Conestoga
Wagon
familiar
from
the
USA.
Sharing
the
traditional
form
of
wheels
and
undercarriage
known
since
the
Bronze
Age,
it
very
likely
also
employed
the
pivoting
fore-axle
in
continuity
from
the
ancient
world.
Suspension
(on
chains)
is
recorded
in
visual
images
and
written
accounts
from
the
14th
century
('chars
branlant'
or
rocking
carriages),
and
was
in
widespread
use
by
the
15th
century.[8]
Carriages
were
largely
used
by
royalty,
aristocrats
(and
especially
by
women),
and
could
be
elaborately
decorated
and
gilded.
These
carriages
were
on
four
wheels
often
and
were
pulled
by
two
to
four
horses
depending
on
how
they
were
decorated
(elaborate
decoration
with
gold
lining
made
the
carriage
heavier).
Wood
and
iron
were
the
primary
requirements
needed
to
build
a
carriage
and
carriages that were used by non-royalty were covered by plain leather.
Another
form
of
carriage
was
the
pageant
wagon
of
the
14th
century.
Historians
debate
on
the
structure
and
size
of
pageant
wagons;
however,
they
are
generally
miniature
house-like
structures
that
rest
on
four
to
six
wheels
depending
on
the
size
of
the
wagon.
The
pageant
wagon
is
significant
because
up
until
the
14th
century
most
carriages
were
on
two
or
3
wheels;
the
chariot,
rocking
carriage,
and
baby
carriage
are
two
examples
of
carriages
which
pre-date
the
pageant
wagon.
Historians
also
debate
whether
or
not
pageant
wagons
were
built
with
pivotal
axle
systems,
which
allowed
the
wheels
to
turn.
Whether
it
was
a
four-
or
six-wheel
pageant
wagon,
most
historians
maintain
that
pivotal
axle
systems
were
implemented
on
pageant
wagons
because
many
roads
were
often
winding
with
some
sharp
turns.
Six
wheel
pageant
wagons
also
represent
another
innovation
in
carriages;
they
were
one
of
the
first
carriages
to
use
multiple
pivotal
axles.
Pivotal
axles
were
used
on
the
front
set
of
wheels
and
the
middle
set
of
wheels.
This
allowed
the
horse
to move freely and steer the carriage in accordance with the road or path.
Coach
One
of
the
great
innovations
of
the
carriage
was
the
invention
of
the
suspended
carriage
or
the
chariot
branlant
(though
whether
this
was
a
Roman
or
medieval
innovation
remains
uncertain).
The
'chariot
branlant'
of
medieval
illustrations
was
suspended
by
chains
rather
than
leather
straps
as
had
been
believed.[9][10]
Chains
provided
a
smoother
ride
in
the
chariot
branlant
because
the
compartment
no
longer
rested
on
the
turning
axles.
In
the
15th
century,
carriages
were
made
lighter
and
needed
only
one
horse
to
haul
the
carriage.
This
carriage
was
designed
and
innovated
in
Hungary.[11]
Both
innovations
appeared
around
the
same
time
and
historians
believe
that
people
began
comparing
the
chariot
branlant
and
the
Hungarian
light
coach.
However,
the
earliest
illustrations
of the Hungarian 'Kochi-wagon' do not indicate any suspension, and often the use of three horses in harness.
Under
King
Mathias
Corvinus
(1458–90),
who
enjoyed
fast
travel,
the
Hungarians
developed
fast
road
transport,
and
the
town
of
Kocs
between
Budapest
and
Vienna
became
an
important
post-town,
and
gave
its
name
to
the
new
vehicle
type.[12]
The
Hungarian
coach
was
highly
praised
because
it
was
capable
of
holding
8
men,
used
light
wheels,
could
be
towed
by
only
one
horse
(it
may
have
been
suspended
by
leather
straps,
but
this
is
a
topic
of
debate).[13]
Ultimately
it
was
the
Hungarian
coach
that
generated
a
greater
buzz
of
conversation
than
the
chariot
branlant
of
France
because
it
was
a
much
smoother
ride.[13]
Henceforth,
the
Hungarian
coach
spread
across
Europe
rather
quickly,
in
part
due
to
Ippolito
d'Este
of
Ferrara
(1479–1529),
nephew
of
Mathias'
queen
Beatrix
of
Aragon,
who
as
a
very
junior
Archbishopric
of
Esztergom
developed
a
liking
of
Hungarian
riding
and
took
his
carriage
and
driver
back
to
Italy.[14]
Around
1550
the
'coach'
made
its
appearance
throughout
the
major
cities
of
Europe,
and
the
new
word
entered
the
vocabulary
of
all
their
languages.[15]
However,
the
new
'coach'
seems
to
have
been
a
concept
(fast
road
travel
for
men)
as
much
as
any
particular
type
of
vehicle,
and
there
is
no
obvious
change
that
accompanied
the
innovation.
As
it
moved
throughout
Europe
in
the
late
16th
century,
the
coach’s
body
structure
was
ultimately
changed,
from
a
round-top
to
the
'four-poster'
carriages
that
became
standard by c.1600.[8]
Later development of the coach
The
coach
had
doors
in
the
side,
with
an
iron
step
protected
by
leather
that
became
the
"boot"
in
which
servants
might
ride.
The
driver
sat
on
a
seat
at
the
front,
and
the
most
important
occupant
sat
in
the
back
facing
forwards.
The
earliest
coaches
can
be
seen
at
Veste
Coburg,
Lisbon,
and
the
Moscow
Kremlin,
and
they
become
a
commonplace
in
European
art.
It
was
not
until
the
17th
century
that
further
innovations
with
steel
springs
and
glazing
took
place,
and
only
in
the
18th
century,
with
better
road
surfaces,
was
there
a
major innovation with the introduction of the steel C-spring.[16]
It
was
not
until
the
18th
century
that
steering
systems
were
truly
improved.
Erasmus
Darwin
was
a
young
English
doctor
who
was
driving
a
carriage
about
10,000
miles
a
year
to
visit
patients
all
over
England.
Darwin
found
two
essential
problems
or
shortcomings
of
the
commonly
used
light
carriage
or
Hungarian
carriage.
First,
the
front
wheels
were
turned
by
a
pivoting
front
axle,
which
had
been
used
for
years,
but
these
wheels
were
often
quite
small
and
hence
the
rider,
carriage
and
horse
felt
the
brunt
of
every
bump
on
the road. Secondly, he recognized the danger of overturning.
A
pivoting
front
axle
changes
a
carriage’s
base
from
a
rectangle
to
a
triangle
because
the
wheel
on
the
inside
of
the
turn
is
able
to
turn
more
sharply
than
the
outside
front
wheel.
Darwin
proposed
to
fix
these
insufficiencies
by
proposing
a
principle
in
which
the
two
front
wheels
turn
about
a
centre
that
lies
on
the
extended
line
of
the
back
axle.
This
idea
was
later
patented
as
Ackerman
Steering.
Darwin argued that carriages would then be easier to pull and less likely to overturn.
Carriage
use
in
North
America
came
with
the
establishment
of
European
settlers.
Early
colonial
horse
tracks
quickly
grew
into
roads
especially
as
the
colonists
extended
their
territories
southwest.
Colonists
began
using
carts
as
these
roads
and
trading
increased
between
the
north
and
south.
Eventually,
carriages
or
coaches
were
sought
to
transport
goods
as
well
as
people.
As
in
Europe,
chariots,
coaches
and/or
carriages
were
a
mark
of
status.
The
tobacco
planters
of
the
South
were
some
of
the
first
Americans
to
use
the
carriage
as
a
form
of
human
transportation.
As
the
tobacco
farming
industry
grew
in
the
southern
colonies
so
did
the
frequency
of
carriages,
coaches
and
wagons.
Upon
the
turn
of
the
18th
century
wheeled
vehicle
use
in
the
colonies
was
at
an
all-time
high.
Carriages,
coaches
and
wagons
were
being
taxed
based
on
the
number
of
wheels
they
had.
These
taxes
were
implemented
in
the
South
primarily
as
the
South
had
superior
numbers
of
horses
and
wheeled
vehicles
when
compared
to
the
North.
Europe,
however,
still used carriage transportation far more often and on a much larger scale than anywhere else in the world.
Carriages
and
coaches
began
to
disappear
as
use
of
steam
propulsion
began
to
generate
more
and
more
interest
and
research.
Steam
power
quickly
won
the
battle
against
animal
power
as
is
evident
by
a
newspaper
article
written
in
England
in
1895
entitled
"Horseflesh vs. Steam".[17] The article highlights the death of the carriage as the means of transportation.
Nowadays,
carriages
are
still
used
for
day-to-day
transport
in
the
United
States
by
some
minority
groups
such
as
the
Amish.
They
are
also still used in the tourism as vehicles for sightseeing in cities such as Bruges, Vienna, New Orleans, and Little Rock, Arkansas.
The
most
complete
working
collection
of
carriages
can
be
seen
at
the
Royal
Mews
in
London
where
a
large
selection
of
vehicles
is
in
regular
use.
These
are
supported
by
a
staff
of
liveried
coachmen,
footmen
and
postillions.
The
horses
earn
their
keep
by
supporting
the
work
of
the
Royal
Household,
particularly
during
ceremonial
events.
Horses
pulling
a
large
carriage
known
as
a
"covered
brake"
collect
the
Yeoman
of
the
Guard
in
their
distinctive
red
uniforms
from
St
James's
Palace
for
Investitures
at
Buckingham
Palace;
High
Commissioners
or
Ambassadors
are
driven
to
their
audiences
with
The
Queen
in
landaus;
visiting
heads
of
state
are
transported
to
and
from
official
arrival
ceremonies
and
members
of
the
Royal
Family
are
driven
in
Royal
Mews
coaches
during
Trooping
the
Colour,
the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle and carriage processions at the beginning of each day of Royal Ascot.
Construction
Body
Carriages
may
be
enclosed
or
open,
depending
on
the
type.[18]
The
top
cover
for
the
body
of
a
carriage,
called
the
head
or
hood,
is
often
flexible
and
designed
to
be
folded
back
when
desired.
Such
a
folding
top
is
called
a
bellows
top
or
calash.
A
hoopstick
forms
a
light
framing
member
for
this
kind
of
hood.
The
top,
roof
or
second-story
compartment
of
a
closed
carriage,
especially
a
diligence,
was
called
an
imperial.
A
closed
carriage
may
have
side
windows
called
quarter
lights
(British)
as
well
as
windows
in
the
doors,
hence
a
"glass
coach".
On
the
forepart
of
an
open
carriage,
a
screen
of
wood
or
leather
called
a
dashboard
intercepts
water,
mud
or
snow
thrown
up
by
the
heels
of
the
horses.
The
dashboard
or
carriage
top
sometimes
has
a
projecting
sidepiece
called
a
wing
(British). A foot iron or footplate may serve as a carriage step.
A
carriage
driver
sits
on
a
box
or
perch,
usually
elevated
and
small.
When
at
the
front
it
is
known
as
a
dickey
box,
a
term
also
used
for
a
seat
at
the
back
for
servants.
A
footman
might
use
a
small
platform
at
the
rear
called
a
footboard
or
a
seat
called
a
rumble
behind the body. Some carriages have a moveable seat called a jump seat. Some seats had an attached backrest called a lazyback.
The
shafts
of
a
carriage
were
called
limbers
in
English
dialect.
Lancewood,
a
tough
elastic
wood
of
various
trees,
was
often
used
especially
for
carriage
shafts.
A
holdback,
consisting
of
an
iron
catch
on
the
shaft
with
a
looped
strap,
enables
a
horse
to
back
or
hold
back
the
vehicle.
The
end
of
the
tongue
of
a
carriage
is
suspended
from
the
collars
of
the
harness
by
a
bar
called
the
yoke.
At
the
end of a trace, a loop called a cockeye attaches to the carriage.
In
some
carriage
types
the
body
is
suspended
from
several
leather
straps
called
braces
or
thoroughbraces,
attached
to
or
serving
as
springs.
Undergear
Beneath
the
carriage
body
is
the
undergear
or
undercarriage
(or
simply
carriage),
consisting
of
the
running
gear
and
chassis.[19]
The
wheels
and
axles,
in
distinction
from
the
body,
are
the
running
gear.
The
wheels
revolve
upon
bearings
or
a
spindle
at
the
ends
of
a
bar
or
beam
called
an
axle
or
axletree.
Most
carriages
have
either
one
or
two
axles.
On
a
four-wheeled
vehicle,
the
forward
part
of
the
running
gear,
or
forecarriage,
is
arranged
to
permit
the
front
axle
to
turn
independently
of
the
fixed
rear
axle.
In
some
carriages
a
'dropped
axle',
bent
twice
at
a
right
angle
near
the
ends,
allows
a
low
body
with
large
wheels.
A
guard
called
a
dirtboard
keeps
dirt
from the axle arm.
Several
structural
members
form
parts
of
the
chassis
supporting
the
carriage
body.
The
fore
axletree
and
the
splinter
bar
above
it
(supporting
the
springs)
are
united
by
a
piece
of
wood
or
metal
called
a
futchel,
which
forms
a
socket
for
the
pole
that
extends
from
the
front
axle.
For
strength
and
support,
a
rod
called
the
backstay
may
extend
from
either
end
of
the
rear
axle
to
the
reach,
the
pole
or rod joining the hind axle to the forward bolster above the front axle.
A
skid
called
a
drag,
dragshoe,
shoe
or
skidpan
retards
the
motion
of
the
wheels.
A
London
patent
of
1841
describes
one
such
apparatus:
An
iron-shod
beam,
slightly
longer
than
the
radius
of
the
wheel,
is
hinged
under
the
axle
so
that
when
it
is
released
to
strike
the
ground
the
forward
momentum
of
the
vehicle
wedges
it
against
the
axle.
The
original
feature
of
this
modification
was
that,
instead
of
the
usual
practice
of
having
to
stop
the
carriage
to
retract
the
beam
and
so
lose
useful
momentum,
the
chain
holding
it
in
place
is
released
(from
the
driver's
position)
so
that
it
is
allowed
to
rotate
further
in
its
backwards
direction,
releasing
the
axle.
A
system of "pendant-levers" and straps then allows the beam to return to its first position and be ready for further use.[20]
A catch or block called a trigger may be used to hold a wheel on a declivity.
A
horizontal
wheel
or
segment
of
a
wheel
called
a
fifth
wheel
sometimes
forms
an
extended
support
to
prevent
the
carriage
from
tipping;
it
consists
of
two
parts
rotating
on
each
other
about
the
kingbolt
above
the
fore
axle
and
beneath
the
body.
A
block
of
wood
called a headblock might be placed between the fifth wheel and the forward spring.
Modern Chariot
Chinese Carriage
Pageant Wagon
Roman Carriage
Cobb & Co Coach
Governess’ Carriage
Hearse
Medieval Coach
Tipping Cart
Cart
The first camel in Australia.
The
Phillips
brothers,
(Henry
Weston
Phillips
(1818-
1898);
George
Phillips
(1820-1900);
G
M
Phillips
(?-
?))
bought
nine
camels
at
Tenerife
in
the
Canary
Islands.
Four
or
six
of
the
beasts
were
loaded
aboard
the
SS
Apolline
which
had
been
chartered
by
Henry
in
London.
The
Apolline,
under
Captain
William
Deane,
docked
at
Port
Adelaide
in
South
Australia
on
12
October
1840
and
the
sole
surviving
beast,
named
Harry, became the first camel in Australia.
By
the
mid–1800s,
exploration
in
Australia
was
at
its
peak
with
expeditions
setting
out
almost
monthly.
The
race
to
map
the
continent,
locate
natural
resources
or
find
new
places
to
settle
moved
away
from
the
coast
and
further
into
the
inhospitable
heart
of
Australia.
It
was
soon
obvious
that
the
traditional
horses
and
wagons
used
for
such
expeditions
were
not
suitable
in
this
strange
and
foreign
land.The
solution
to
the
problem
of
finding
suitable
transport
for
inland
exploration
and
travel
was
to
bring
in
camels.
As
nobody
at
the
time
knew
how
to
handle
camels,
cameleers
were
recruited
to
Australia
as
well.
The
introduction
of
camels
and
the
so-called
'Afghan'
cameleers
proved
to
be
a
turning
point
in
the
exploration and development of the Australian interior.
Afghan and Decorated Camel
Afghan
and
Decorated
Camel,
1901.
Image
courtesy
of the State Library of South Australia: B 14739.
For
a
short
period
of
time
from
the
1860s
to
the
early
1900s, these cameleers and their 'ships of the desert'
became
the
backbone
of
the
Australian
economy.
They
accompanied
exploration
parties,
carrying
supplies
and
materials
where
horses
and
oxen
could
not.
They
carted
supplies,
mail
and
even
water
to
remote
settlements.
They
transported
the
supplies,
tools
and
equipment
needed
for
the
surveying
and
construction
of
some
of
Australia's
earliest,
and
greatest,
infrastructure
projects,
such
as
the
Overland
Telegraph
and
Trans-
Australian Railway.
The first cameleers
In
the
1800s,
explorers,
settlers,
ranchers
and
prospectors
sought
to
unlock
the
mystery
and
potential
of
the
vast,
inhospitable
interior
of
Australia.
Horses,
and
to
a
lesser
degree
donkeys
and
bullocks,
were
the
traditional
beasts
of
burden
on
early
expeditions
into
Australia's
interior.
Many
of
these
expeditions
ended
in
disaster
and
tragedy.
As
well
as
requiring
regular
watering
and
large
stocks
of
feed,
horses
were
easily
exhausted
by
the
tough
and
often
sandy
ground
and
supposedly
'spooked'
by
the
Australian terrain.
One
camel
being
winched
over
the
side
of
the
boat
while a number of Afghans watch.
Unloading camels at Port Augusta, ca.1920.
Image
courtesy
of
the
State
Library
of
South
Australia: B 68916.
A 'solution to the problem'
As
early
as
1839,
camels
were
proposed
as
the
solution
to
the
problem
of
transport
while
exploring.
The
first
expedition
to
use
a
camel
was
the
1846
Horrocks
expedition.
'Harry',
as
the
camel
was
named
by
the
party,
proved
the
worth
of
using
camels
in
expeditions.
In
1846
a
Melbourne
newspaper
reported
that
the
camels
could
carry:
from
seven
to
eight
hundred
pounds
weight
...
they
last
out
several
generations
of
mules
...
the
price
paid
for
them
does
not
exceed
one
half
of
that
paid
for
mules
...
and
it
is
proved
that
these
'ships
of
the
deserts'
of
Arabia
are
equally adaptable to our climate.
Other
small
successes
followed
and
by
1858,
many
prominent
Australians
were
calling
for
the
introduction
of
camels,
including
South
Australian
Governor,
Richard MacDonnell:
“I
despair
of
much
being
achieved
even
with
horses;
and
I
certainly
think
we
have
never
given
explorers
fair
play
in
not
equipping
them
with
camels
or
dromedaries
and
waterskins,
which
in
Africa
I
found
the best methods of carrying liquid.”
Governor
Richard
MacDonnell
to
Charles
Sturt
10
August
1858.
Quoted
in
Mrs
Napier
Sturt's
'Life
of
Charles Sturt' (1899)
.
Purchase and recruitment
At
the
same
time,
the
Victorian
Expedition
Committee
commissioned
George
Landell,
a
well-known
horseman
who
exported
to
India,
to
buy
camels
and
recruit
cameleers,
because
'the
camels
would
be
comparatively
useless
unless
accompanied
by
their
native
drivers'
(from
VEE
committee
minutes,
19
May
1859).
The departure of the Burke and Wills expedition.
The
departure
of
the
Burke
and
Wills
expedition,
1881, Lithograph. Image courtesy of the
State Library of Victoria: mp010346.
In
1860,
24
camels
and
three
cameleers
from
arrived
in Melbourne to join the Burke and Wills
expedition.
Although
this
expedition
ended
in
disaster
with the loss of many lives, including those
of
Burke
and
Wills,
the
camels
again
proved
their
ability to survive the harsh and dry conditions of
the Australian outback.
By
the
late
1860s,
most
Australian
states
were
importing
camels
and
cameleers.
In
1866,
South
Australian
Samuel
Stuckey
brought
in
more
than
100
camels
and
31
cameleers.
Over
the
next
decade,
more
and
more
camels
and
cameleers
were
brought
to
Australia
as
breeding
programs
and
trading
routes
were
established.
It
is
estimated
that
from
1870
to
1900
alone,
more
than
2,000
cameleers
and
15,000
camels came to Australia.
Servicing infrastructure projects
The
cameleers
were
also
instrumental
in
the
success
of
some
of
early
Australia's
most
ambitious
infrastructure
projects.
They
carried
food
and
supplies
to
the
surveying
and
construction
teams
working
on
the
Overland
Telegraph,
which
ran
through
the
heart
of
the
continent
between
Adelaide
and
Darwin.
Once
the
project
was
completed,
they
continued
to
carry
supplies
and
mail
to
the
settlements
and
townships
which sprang up along the line.
They
also
operated
supply
and
equipment
trains
during
the
development
of
the
rail
link
between
Port
Augusta
and
Alice
Springs,
which
became
known
as
the
Afghan
Express,
and
later
the
Ghan.
The
Ghan's
emblem
is
an
Afghan
on
a
camel
in
recognition
of
their
efforts
in
opening
up
the
inhospitable
interior
to
the rest of Australia.
The cameleers
The Ghan Logo
The
Ghan
logo.
Image
courtesy
of
Great
Southern
Rail Limited.
The
cameleers
were
collectively
known
as
'Afghan'
cameleers.
While
some
were
originally
from
Afghanistan,
others
came
from
countries
such
as
Baluchistan,
Kashmir,
Sind,
Rajastan,
Egypt,
Persia,
Turkey
and
Punjab,
so
spoke
a
variety
of
languages.
Their
common
bond
was
their
Islamic
religion
and
the
fact
that
they
were
almost
exclusively
young
or
middle-aged men.
Not quite welcome
Almost
all
of
the
cameleers
who
came
to
Australia
during
this
period
faced
enormous
hardship.
While
their
skills
were
needed
and
mostly
appreciated,
they
were
largely
shunned
by
the
European
communities.
Indeed, racism and anger towards them was rife.
The Mosque, Marree
The
Mosque
at
Hergott
Springs.
The
pool
in
the
foreground
was
used
by
worshippers
for
washing
their feet before
entering
the
Mosque,
ca.1884.
Image
courtesy
of
the
State Library of South Australia: B 15341.
'Ghan Tours'
The
vast
majority
of
cameleers
arrived
in
Australia
alone,
leaving
wives
and
families
behind,
to
work
on
three
year
contracts.
They
were
either
given
living
quarters
on
a
breeding
station,
such
as
Thomas
Elder's
Beltana,
or
marginalised
on
the
outskirts
of
towns
and
settlements.
It
was
not
uncommon
for
outback
towns
to
have
three
distinct
areas—one
for
Europeans,
one
for
Aboriginals
and
one
for
cameleers,
which
became
known
as
Afghan,
or
Ghan,
towns.
This
social
division
was
even
reflected
in
the
town
cemeteries,
such
as
those
of
Farina
and
Marree.
But
while
it
was
extremely
rare
for
the
cameleers
to
interact
with
Europeans,
there
was
more
acceptance
by
the
local
Aboriginal
populations.
Indeed,
some
cameleers
married
local
Aboriginal
women
and
had
families here.
In
the
so-called
Ghan
towns,
cameleers
would
often
build
a
mosque
that
would
not
only
serve
as
a
place
of
worship,
but
as
a
gathering
place
that
offered
the
cameleers
a
sense
of
community
that
they
could
not
find
elsewhere.
The
remains
of
the
oldest
mosque
in
Australia,
built
in
1861,
are
near
Marree
(Hergott
Springs)
in
South
Australia.
This
was
once
one
of
the
country's
most
important
camel
junctions
and
in
its
heyday was called Little Asia or Little Afghanistan.
Portrait
of
Saidah
Saidel,
last
of
the
Afghan
camel
drivers
Robin
Smith,
Last
of
the
camel
drivers,
unknown.
Image courtesy of Territory Stories: PH0780/0010.
In
some
instances,
European
attitudes
to
the
cameleers
focused
on
their
religion.
In
other
cases,
it
was related to their
perceived
pride
and
independence
as
at
the
time,
Afghanistan
was
really
only
known
to
most
Australians as the country
that
had,
unlike
British
India,
resisted
the
British
forces.
This
perception
was
further
enhanced
in
the
settlers' eyes when
cameleers
on
Beltana
station
went
on
strike—one
of
Australia's first successful strikes.
Relations
on
the
Western
Australian
goldfields
1890s
As
the
cameleers
became
more
established,
many
set
up
their
own
competing
businesses
and
enterprises,
often
resulting
in
ill-will
and
sometimes
even
open
conflict.
One
of
the
most
notable
examples
of
this
was
on
the
Western
Australian
goldfields
in
the
late
1890s.
Years
of
simmering
tensions
between
Afghan
cameleers
and
European
bullock
teamsters
escalated
to
the
point
where
the
cameleers
were
openly
demonised
in
the
press
and
accused
of
various
acts
of
aggression,
including
monopolising
and
befouling
waterholes.
This
resulted
in
Hugh
Mahon,
the
local
federal
Member,
raising
the
issue
with Prime Minister Barton in parliament.
A
subsequent
investigation
by
police
was
ordered
and
the
state's
Police
Commissioner
ultimately
reported
that,
while
there
had
been
many
'reports
and
rumours
of
Afghans
polluting
the
water
and
taking
forcible
possession
of
dams',
there
was
actually
'no
evidence
obtainable'
to
support
these
reports
and
complaints.
In
fact,
the
investigation
found
that
the
only
trouble
'of
a
serious
nature'
was
that
a
cameleer
had
been
shot
and
wounded
by
a
white
teamster
for
failing
to
give
way.
Camel Train
Camel
train
laden
with
chaff
for
interior
stations
in
the
far
North
with
an
Afghan
camel
driver,
ca.1911.
Image
courtesy
of
the
State
Library
of
South
Australia:
B
14808.
Providing
drought
assistance
in
far
western
New
South Wales, 1900s
But
not
all
white
Australians
shunned
the
cameleers.
When William Goss became the first European to
see
Uluru,
he
named
a
nearby
well,
Kamran's
Well,
after his lead cameleer and a nearby hill, Allanah
Hill,
after
another
cameleer.
And
in
1902,
after
the
devastating Federation Drought, the Attorney-
General
received
a
letter
from
a
John
Edwards
stating that:
It
is
no
exaggeration
to
say
that
if
it
had
not
been
for
the
Afghan
and
his
Camels,
Wilcannia,
White
Cliffs,
Tibooburra,
Milperinka
and
other
Towns,
each
centres
of
considerable
population,
would
have
practically ceased to exist.
Contractors and entrepreneurs
As
the
cameleers
became
accustomed
to
the
Australian
landscape
and
people,
many
saw
a
way
to
create
opportunities
for
themselves
by
branching
into
business
on
their
own
or
in
partnership
with
Europeans.
So
successful
were
they
that
by
the
end
of
the
nineteenth
century,
Muslim
merchants
and
brokers dominated the Australian camel business.
Fuzzly Ahmed and Faiz Mahomet
Some
of
the
most
successful
of
the
cameleer
entrepreneurs
included
Fuzzly
Ahmed,
who
worked
the
Port
Augusta–Oodnadatta
line
for
many
years
before
moving
to
Broken
Hill,
and
Faiz
Mahomet,
who
arrived
at
the
age
of
22
and
settled
in
Marree,
where
he
operated
as
a
Forwarding
Agent
and
General
Carrier
before
moving
to
and
setting
up
an
operation
in
the
Coolgardie
goldfields
with
his
brother,
Tagh
Mahomet.
Abdul Wade
Camels
and
camel
merchants
at
Mt.
Garnet,
Queensland, ca. 1901
Unknown,
Camels
and
camel
merchants
at
Mt.
Garnet,
Queensland,
ca.
1901
[The
man
in
the
suit
and hat,
holding
the
camel,
is
Abdul
Wade].
Image
courtesy
of
the State Library of Queensland: 13127.
But
perhaps
the
most
successful
of
all
the
Afghan
cameleers
was
Abdul
Wade.
Wade
arrived
in
Australia in
1879
and
initially
worked
for
Faiz
and
Tagh
Mahomet.
In 1893, Wade moved to Bourke, NSW, and began
importing
camels
and
recruiting
Afghan
cameleers
for
the recently formed Bourke Camel Carrying Co.,
New South Wales.
In
1895,
Wade
married
widow
Emily
Ozadelle,
with
whom he had seven children, and in 1903 purchased
Wangamanna
station
in
New
South
Wales,
which
he
established
as
a
camel
breeding
and
carrying
business.
At
the
height
of
his
success,
Wade
had
four
hundred
camels and sixty men working for him.
Respected
by
his
employees
and
nicknamed
the
'Afghan
prince',
Wade
worked
hard
at
being
seen
as
an
equal
by
his
Australian
peers.
He
dressed
as
a
European,
educated
his
children
at
top
private
schools
and
even
became
a
naturalised
citizen.
But
success
in
Australian
society
eluded
Wade
and
his
attempts
at
fitting
in
were
ridiculed.
At
the
end
of
the
camel
era,
Wade
sold
his
station
and
returned
to
Afghanistan,
where
he
surrendered
his
Australian
passport.
The end of an era
In
the
early
twentieth
century,
motorised
and
rail
transport
was
becoming
more
common
and
the
need
for
camels,
and
cameleers,
was
slowly
dying.
Ironically,
two
of
the
greatest
contributions
of
the
Afghan
cameleers,
the
Ghan
railway
and
Overland
Telegraph,
were
also
to
herald
the
start
of
their
demise.
Immigration Restriction Act 1901
Certificate
exempting
Said
Kabool
from
the
Dictation
Test,
1916.
Said
Kabool
arrived
in
Australia
in
1896
and worked in
Coolgardie
for
seven
years.
Image
courtesy
of
the
National
Archives
of
Australia:
NAA:
E752,
1916/42,
p. 12.
As
many
of
the
cameleers
were
in
Australia
on
three
year
contracts,
they
would
usually
return
to
their
homes and family
after
each
contract,
before
returning
to
Australia.
Some
discovered
that
they
were
no
longer
granted
permission to return
to
Australia.
Others
found
that
they
now
had
to
sit
the
dictation
test
under
the
Immigration
Restriction
Act,
1901 (which
kept
out
new
cameleers
and
denied
re-entry
to
those
who
left),
or
apply
for
exemption.
Many
were
denied
naturalisation
due to their 'Asian' status.
In
1903,
a
petition
on
behalf
of
more
than
500
Indians
and
Afghans
in
Western
Australia
was
placed
before
the
Viceroy
of
India,
Lord
Curzon.
The
petition
made
four
major
complaints
against
'certain
legislative
restrictions'
facing
the
cameleers:
they
were
unable
to
hold
a
miner's
right
on
the
goldfields;
they
could
not
travel
interstate
for
work,
'except
under
the
most
stringent
conditions';
they
were
not
allowed
to
re-
enter
Australia
if
they
left;
and
they
were
not
able
to
be naturalised. Nothing was to come of their petition.
Rail and road transport
Feral
Camels
cover
approximately
40%
of
land
area
in the NT. Image courtesy of the Northern Territory
Government
Natural
Resources,
Environment,
The
Arts and Sport.
By
the
1930s,
Australia's
inland
transport
was
controlled
by
rail
and,
increasingly,
road
networks.
Facing
the
prospect
of
no
employment
and
a
sometimes
hostile
government
and
people,
many
of
the
cameleers
returned
to
their
homelands,
some
after
decades
of
living in Australia. Others remained and turned to
other
trades
and
means
of
making
a
living.
Rather
than see their camels shot, they released them into
the
wild,
where
they
have
since
flourished.
In
2007,
the estimated feral camel population of Australia
was
around
1
000
000,
approximately
half
of
which
were in Western Australia.
The last of the cameleers
By
1940,
few
cameleers
remained.
Philip
Jones
relates
the
tale
of
some
of
the
last
of
the
Afghan
cameleers
in
reCollections,
the
Journal
of
the
National Museum of Australia:
“In
the
Adelaide
summer
of
1952
a
young
Bosnian
Muslim
and
his
friends,
newly
arrived
immigrants,
pushed
open
the
high
gate
of
the
Adelaide
mosque
As
Shefik
Talanavic
entered
the
mosque
courtyard
he
was
confronted
by
an
extraordinary
sight.
Sitting
and
lying
on
benches,
shaded
from
the
strong
sunshine
by
vines
and
fruit
trees,
were
six
or
seven
ancient,
turbaned
men.
The
youngest
was
87
years
old.
Most
were
in
their
nineties;
the
oldest
was
117
years
old.
These
were
the
last
of
Australia's
Muslim
cameleers...
Several
had
subscribed
money
during
the
late
1880s
for
the
construction
of
the
mosque
which
now,
crumbling and decayed, provided their last refuge.”
It
is
only
in
recent
years,
with
the
South
Australian
Museum's
Australian
Muslim
Cameleers
exhibition
(developed
with
support
from
the
Visions
of
Australia
program)
and
book,
that
the
story
and
the
contribution
of
these
pioneers
to
Australia's
history
and
development has been told.
Australia’s Muslim Cameleers exhibition pictures &
dialogue courtesy ABC Alice Springs.
…. CLICK TO VIEW
The above information and more can be accessed on the
Australian Government website
http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story
/afghan-cameleers
