The Overland Telegraph
| Connecting Adelaide and the rest of Australia, through Darwin, with England by means of a single wire in 1872, was one of the greatest engineering achievements of the nineteenth century. It was completed by South Australians, under the direction of Charles Todd, in less than two years. It turned out to be a top business deal and a political triumph. Today government inquiries, feasibility and Environmental Impact Studies would take twice that time before the job could even commence. through mountains, flood-plains and deserts. Before the completion of this line, Australians were fed on a diet of stale news, often months old. Charles Todd had already established a telegraph line from Port Augusta to Adelaide in 1865, connecting it with Victoria. A year later a telegraph station was completed at Melrose. Being well aware that a submarine cable from England reached as far as Java, it was planned to bring this cable to the nearest point of landfall, and Capital City, in Australia. In 1870 the South Australian government, with the help and influence of Charles Todd, agreed to build a 3200 kilometre overland telegraph line connecting Darwin with Port Augusta, if the British-Australian Telegraph Company would lay a submarine cable from Java to Darwin. When completed in 1872 Australia could speak with the rest of the world. Before it was completed though, John Ross, a Scottish born bushman in his fifties, had to mark out the trail which the line would follow. There had to be enough water and timber and no mountains. Ross followed John McDouall Stuart[GR1] ‘s  tracks as close as possible but had deviated in the MacDonnell Ranges. It was during March 1871 that the Todd River was named and Simpson Gap and the Alice Springs were discovered by William Whitfield Mills, Sub-overseer of Sub-section C. On 11 March Mills wrote that he had found a dry riverbed, ‘with numerous waterholes and springs, the principal of which is the Alice Springs, which I had the honour of naming after Mrs Todd’. WC Gosse (SLSA) Within twelve months of its completion four expeditions had struck out to explore the west using the line as a starting point. Two expeditions were started by Ernest Giles, one by W.C. Gosse and another one by sixty-one year old Philip Egerton Warburton[GR2] . Another problem during its early days were attacks by Aborigines. A particular serious one occured on 22 February 1874 at the Barrow Creek Repeater Station. This resulted in the death of James Stapleton and John Franks. A number of Aborigines were shot later by a party under the command of Samuel Gason. ************* ******* Samuel Gason During the summer of 1895 rain washed out the line, and railway, just north of Strangways Springs. The stationmaster wired to Charles Todd, ‘Tried to get wire across but, when the blackboy was nearly over, the binding wire broke and he was washed down stream and lost the wire. I was unable to do anything till the binding wire arrived by special train from Hergott. This afternoon I got the assistance of a good swimmer and we worked hard till evening.  The wire proved too heavy to swim with, so we passed over a strong wire with the binding wire attached. The line was finally joined on the other side in complete darkness. When we hauled the wire with blocks and tackle, and got it almost out of the water, it caught on a snag in the middle of the stream. If it doesn’t break we will have it joined after daylight’. Forty-seven years later, news of the bombing of Darwin in 1942 was sent in Morse code down this line. On 22 October 1999, a plaque was unveiled at the G.P.O. in Adelaide, commemorating the reception of the first messages from overseas via the new line in 1872. It reads: THE OVERLAND TELEGRAPH,ADELAIDE TO DARWIN, 1872. The Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1999 Australia Post SA/NT |
[GR1]John McDouall Stuart (7 September 1815 – 5 June 1866), often referred to as simply “McDouall Stuart”, was a Scottish explorer and one of the most accomplished of all Australia’s inland explorers. Stuart led the first successful expedition to traverse the Australian mainland from south to north and return, through the centre of the continent.
[GR2]Philip Grey Egerton-Warburton was born in 1877 at Yeriminup, and his birth was registered at Albany, Western Australia, Australia. He was the son of George Grey Egerton-Warburton and Amy Sophy ( Hester) Egerton-Warburton.
He took over running Yeriminup (via Cranbrook) following the death of his father.
Philip Grey Egerton-Warburton married Verna Grace Rowe in 1909 at Perth, Western, Australia, Australia.
He had three children Dorothy, Geoffrey and Ronald. He was buried in the Church of England Cemetery in Albany on 15/9/1954.
Philip Grey Egerton-Warburton age 78, passed away in 1954 at Perth, Western, Australia, Australia.
[GR3]Sir Charles Todd KCMG FRS FRAS FRMS FIEE (7 July 1826 – 29 January 1910) worked at the Royal Greenwich Observatory 1841–1847 and the Cambridge University observatory from 1847 to 1854. He then worked on telegraphy and undersea cables until engaged by the government of South Australia as astronomical and meteorological observer, and head of the electric telegraph department.
[GR1]John McDouall Stuart (7 September 1815 – 5 June 1866), often referred to as simply “McDouall Stuart”, was a Scottish explorer and one of the most accomplished of all Australia’s inland explorers. Stuart led the first successful expedition to traverse the Australian mainland from south to north and return, through the centre of the continent.
[GR2]Philip Grey Egerton-Warburton was born in 1877 at Yeriminup, and his birth was registered at Albany, Western Australia, Australia. He was the son of George Grey Egerton-Warburton and Amy Sophy ( Hester) Egerton-Warburton.
He took over running Yeriminup (via Cranbrook) following the death of his father.
Philip Grey Egerton-Warburton married Verna Grace Rowe in 1909 at Perth, Western, Australia, Australia.
He had three children Dorothy, Geoffrey and Ronald. He was buried in the Church of England Cemetery in Albany on 15/9/1954.
Philip Grey Egerton-Warburton age 78, passed away in 1954 at Perth, Western, Australia, Australia.
[GR3]Sir Charles Todd KCMG FRS FRAS FRMS FIEE (7 July 1826 – 29 January 1910) worked at the Royal Greenwich Observatory 1841–1847 and the Cambridge University Observatory from 1847 to 1854. He then worked on telegraphy and undersea cables until engaged by the government of South Australia as astronomical and meteorological observer, and head of the electric telegraph department.
