Before diesel-powered four-trailer two-hundred-ton road trains in Australia, camel trains driven by “Afghan” cameleers hauled freight vast distances through the Outback.
Today, Australia has the largest population of camels in the world, with more than 1 million. This population is primarily feral (wild) and descended from camels initially brought to Australia in the 19th century for transport and exploration purposes. These camels now roam freely in the vast outback, especially in remote areas of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and South Australia.
Somalia and Sudan also have large camel populations, but these are predominantly domesticated camels used for transportation, food (milk, meat), and as part of their cultural heritage. In countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Mauritania, camels are also of great cultural and economic significance, although the populations there are smaller compared to Australia’s feral camels.
Camel trains played a significant role in Australia’s history, particularly in exploring and developing the country’s vast and arid interior. The first camels arrived in Australia in 1840, but it wasn’t until the 1860s that their use as pack animals began to grow.
Peak of Camel Train Use
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, camel trains had become familiar in the outback. It’s estimated that there were around 12,000 camels in Australia by the early 1900s, with numerous camel drivers or “cameleers” running these trains as independent businesses and importing camels. These camel drivers were primarily Afghan and Indian immigrants who had experience with camels and played a vital role in the success of the camel train system.
As Australia’s settlement and development expanded, camel trains became an important mode of transport for goods. They carried mail, food, and other essential supplies to remote mining settlements, Aboriginal communities, and pastoral stations. Camels were particularly useful in regions like the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia, where distances were vast and infrastructure was limited.
With the introduction of motorized transportation in the 1920s and 1930s, camel trains began to decline. Many cameleers released their camels into the wild, resulting in the world’s largest population of wild camels, estimated at over 1 million.
Diesel-powered trucks replace camel trains
The origins of road trains can be traced back to Australian bush mechanic Kurt Johannsen in the years following World War II. He is credited with developing a three-trailer self-tracking road train in 1948, hauled by ‘Bertha,’ a Diamond T 980 truck used in World War II.
The total length of ‘Bertha’ was 54 meters, and it could navigate the “narrow, unmade, winding, sandy bush tracks” of the Northern Territory with 100 head of fully-grown cattle on board. He eventually grew the fleet to three prime movers and nine trailers.
After World War II, the use of road trains expanded as the Australian economy grew, especially in the north and west, where industries like mining and agriculture relied heavily on road trains to move resources like cattle, wool, and minerals.
Today, road trains are integral to Australia’s transport infrastructure, especially in the outback and remote areas. They transport heavy loads such as cattle, mining equipment, fuel, and construction materials and often travel on unsealed roads across the country’s vast interior.
