The laying of the central railway line began in Port Augusta in 1878 and had reached Alice Springs by 1929. The narrow-gauge track passed through Quorn, the Flinders Ranges, Marree and Oodnadatta on its way to the centre.

Originally dubbed the Afghan express because of the large number of 'Afghan' camel herders in northern South Australia, the train service soon became known as the Ghan. (Although these 'Afghans' actually came from a number of different countries, including modern day Egypt, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey, they were referred to by South Australian authorities collectively as Afghans because of their non-Anglo Saxon appearance, way of dress and belief in Islam.)

In 1980 the line was replaced by a new standard-gauge track that ran north via Tarcoola and in 2002 the South Australian State Government launched a heritage trail to commemorate and preserve the abandoned 'Old Ghan' line.

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Lamshed, Max. 'Monty' : the biography of C.P. Mountford, Adelaide : Rigby, 1972, pp. 56-60

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Newell, Brian R. Following the Old Ghan railway line 1878-1980, Aldinga Beach, S. Aust. : Brian, R. Newell, 2000

Price, A. Grenfell. The Mystery of Leichhardt : the South Australian government expedition of 1938, South Australia : Royal Geographical Society, 1937-38

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