Australian Overland Telegraph Line, Telegraph line between Darwin and Adelaide, Australia
The Australian Overland Telegraph Line extended 3,200 kilometers through central Australia, connecting the northern city of Darwin with southern Adelaide via iron poles.
Construction of the telegraph system concluded on August 22, 1872, reducing communication time between Australia and Europe from months to mere hours.
Aboriginal knowledge of water sources guided the strategic placement of telegraph poles and stations across previously unmapped territories of central Australia.
The line required staffed repeater stations every 250 kilometers to maintain signal strength and manage message transmission between the northern and southern terminals.
The project involved installing over 30,000 imported wrought iron poles at 80-meter intervals, creating a continuous communication path through the Australian interior.
Location: Australia
Inception: August 22, 1872
GPS coordinates: -25.92720,134.97400
Latest update: May 27, 2025 13:18
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