THE INITIAL FOCUS of the Victorian submarine telegraph cable network was to the East with major cable chains to India, Australia and Africa. However, the West Indies and South America soon became areas of feverish cable-laying activity and one by one, the small companies set up to lay cables in the Western hemisphere were taken over by the Eastern Telegraph Company.
In recognition of this widening geographical coverage, the company adopted a group name, The Eastern and Associated Telegraph Companies, fondly known to its employees as ‘Father Eastern’. This remained in existence until the formation of Imperial and International Communications Limited in 1929.
