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Traveling Down Under, Part Two: An American's Train Ride Through Timeless Australia
| Article
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12222 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
2 / 1987 |
3,627 Words |
| Author
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Martin Morse Wooster
Martin Morse Wooster is the Washington editor of
Harper's. |
Townsville, September 1, 1985
At this point, I have to say a few words about Australian politics.
Australia has two political parties - the Australian Labor Party (socialist) and the Liberal Party (conservative). All of Australia's states (except Queensland) and the federal government were controlled by the Australian Labor Party. Like all socialists, these states like to spend money on large public works projects - like trains, for example.
Queensland had been controlled since 1956 by the Country, or National Party. This was the farmers' party, conservative and allied with the Liberals. They stayed in power in Queensland by the time-honored method of the rotten borough. The farmers responded by reliably voting for Country MPs.
Queensland's conservatism had several curious results. The state parliament still kept many rituals from colonial days; "God Save the Queen" was still played before every session of parliament, and Queensland's politicians still accepted British honors. (The premier, for example, had the improbable name of Sir Johannes Bjelke-Peterson.)
Because Queensland was controlled by frugal conservatives, Queensland Railways was charmingly antiquated. Its cars were older than any other state's trains, and the toilets had the only grammatically correct flushing instructions in the English-speaking world. "Passengers are requested not to use toilet whilst train is standing at station," The sign warned.
They didn't provide linen in second class, so I had a hard time sleeping. When I woke, we had entered central Queensland. This was an immense sea of grass, and the train's slow speed gave the illusion that we were sailing through it. The landscape was unchanging, infinite, broken only by the occasional town, which usually consisted of a few houses and a siding.
It was at a town called Hughenden that I came across the meaning of central Queensland, found on a message posted in the station. It was quite brief:
"Ferguson. Hold box, gone walkabout. Stan Lee."
I had no idea who Stan Lee was, but I thought I could understand him. It
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