A ceremony at the planting of the first pole of the overland telegraph near Darwin on September 15th 1870.

UNTIL 1870, AUSTRALIA’S only link with the outside world was via ships bringing people and mail. In the late 1860’s, with its growing importance as a colony and trading nation, the Governments of Queensland and Southern Australia appealed to John Pender to extend his cable system which already reached as far as India. In 1870, Pender formed the British Australian Telegraph Company with a capital of £660,000 to lay a cable from Singapore to Australia. The cable landed at Port Darwin in the Northern Territory. In June of 1872 the landline from Port Darwin to Adelaide was completed. From this time, Australia was a motive force in the demand for improved Empire communications.

The telegraph cable link laid during 1870-71	The Australian Telegraph engineers who laid the landline linking Port Darwin to Adelaide, 1873.	An invitation to a banquet, 10th May 1876.	The Instrument room, Sydney, 1920’s.	Medallion commemorating the 25th anniversary of the telegraph to the Far East

See Also
Australia 1940’s – 1990’s Eastern Extension Australasia & China Telegraph Co.