Historic Engineering Marker - The Overland Telegraph - Alice Springs, Northern Territory
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denben
S 23° 40.349 E 133° 53.237
53K E 386534 N 7381591
The Australian Overland Telegraph Line was one of the great engineering feats of 19th century Australia and probably the most significant milestone in Australia's telegraphic history.
Waymark Code: WMMZX4
Location: Northern Territory, Australia
Date Posted: 11/29/2014
Views: 7
The marker is located on the site of Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve.
The Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve marks the original site of the first European settlement in Alice Springs. Established in 1872 to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide, it is the best preserved of the 12 stations along the Overland Telegraph Line. Construction of this Telegraph Station began in 1871. This Telegraph Station operated for 60 years, and then served as a school for Aboriginal children, known as The Bungalow.
The marker inscription reads:
HISTORIC ENGINEERING MARKER
THE OVERLAND TELEGRAPH, ADELAIDE TO DARWIN, 1872
The 3178 kilometre line was built in less that two years and joined on 22 August 1872. It linked Australia to an undersea cable from Indonesia that came ashore at Port Darwin and made communication between Australia and the rest of the world possible in hours rather than weeks. The project was under the direction of Sir Charles Todd, KCMG, MA, FRS, FRAS, FRMS, FSTE, Superintendent of Posts and Telegraphs. The first telegraph messages from overseas were relayed through this station which was first linked to Adelaide on 3 Janaury 1872.
DEDICATED BY THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, AUSTRALIA, 1999
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