Featuring
Todd’s Telegraph Dream, a four-minute video which is an excerpt from
the film A Wire Through the Heart from the National Film and Sound
Archive. <click the image below>
The Overland Story in Two Pages
The National Museum of
Australia succinctly
summarises the challenges
faced by those who
conceived of and built the
South Australian Register, 16 Feb 1871
This website will grow as more content is added through the year. OT-150 is committed to not only
work with existing materials but to undertake further research and writing to leave a legacy.
We welcome your suggestions and interest in helping to create that material.
Ending the Isolation
In 1872 a population a third the size of modern Sydney was scatterred across
a continent the size of the United States. This article, dated 16th February
1871, before the Overland Telegraph Line (OTL) was completed, shows that
newspapers and letters travelling from England by sailing ship took 7 weeks
to arrive, and telegrams sent via Ceylon (Sri Lanka) took almost a month. A
conversation by mail took approximately 14 weeks to send a message and
get a reply.
A single wire strung on poles across the vast inland of Australia was our first
electric and digital connection with the world. It’s impact on the economic
and social fabric of the country was as dramatic as the Internet of the 20th
century.
the Overland Telegraph Line. There was keen competition
between colonies to complete a connection and reap the
benefits of being the first to have almost immediate access
to foreign news as it happened.
<click image>
Sponsors of OT-150
URPS is a dynamic and diverse firm of
town planners and allied professionals.
We believe that everyone should live in
healthy, connected and prosperous
cities and regions.
We achieve this through our work in
development, engagement and policy.
UniSA STEM, creating innovative
solutions and ground- breaking
developments covering a broad range
of disciplines in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics through
quality teaching, learning and research
excellence.
image from The Great
Northern Telegraph Company
South Australian Register, 16 Feb 1871
Ending the Isolation
In 1872 a population a third the size of modern Sydney
was scatterred across a continent the size of the United
States. This article, dated 16th February 1871, before the
Overland Telegraph Line (OTL) was completed, shows that
newspapers and letters travelling from England by sailing
ship took 7 weeks to arrive, and telegrams, probably sent
via Ceylon (Sri Lanka) or Batavia (Indonesia) took almost a
month. A conversation by mail took approximately 14
weeks to send a message and get a reply.
A single wire strung on poles across the vast inland of
Australia was our first electric and digital connection with
the world. It’s impact on the economic and social fabric of
the country was as dramatic as the Internet of the 20th
century and even the NBN of the 21st Century.
Featuring
Todd’s Telegraph Dream, a four-minute video which is an excerpt from
the film A Wire Through the Heart from the National Film and Sound
Archive. <click the image below>
The Overland Story in Two Pages
The National Museum of Australia succinctly summarises the
challenges faced by those who conceived of and built the
This website will grow as more content is added through the year.
OT-150 is committed to not only work with existing materials but to
undertake further research and writing to leave a legacy.
We welcome your interest in helping to create that material.
Sponsors of OT-150
UniSA
STEM,
creating
innovative
solutions
and
ground-
breaking
developments
covering
a
broad
range
of
disciplines
in
science,
technology,
engineering
and
mathematics
through
quality
teaching,
learning
and
research
excellence.
URPS is a dynamic and diverse firm of
town planners and allied professionals.
We believe that everyone should live in
healthy, connected and prosperous
cities and regions.
We achieve this through our work in
development, engagement and policy.
