Certificate of service on Overland Telegraph Line

Certificate of service of the engagement of Alfred Giles on R.G. Burton's section of the Adelaide to Port Darwin Telegraph Line as officer-in-charge of stock from September 1871 to the line's completion. Signed by Burton and Charles Todd in 1872 on a printed certificate form

John Ross was the explorer associated with the central construction team. He was detailed to examine the southern parts of the Northern Territory and also to link up with William McMinn at the Roper River in March-April 1871. Ross was to examine the vast area north from Mount Margaret (28 29'S 136 04'E). Specifically he was to look for supplies of 20 feet tall gum saplings for poles. His team consisted of William Harvey, Alfred Giles, Thomas Crispe and William Hearne. Alfred Giles had been appointed to John Ross's exploratory party 4 July 1870. His wages were one pound a week with food and kit which included 3 pairs of moleskin trousers, several shirts, 3 pairs of boots and 2 hats.

The men would find the gear totally unsuited to withstand the harshness of the bush--poor quality canvas packbags would be torn to shreds quite readily; the saddle girths were not leather but webbing and the saddle trees were constantly breaking, resulting in the horses' backs being rubbed. Tents were inadequate and the rest of their kit had been scrimped on by the suppliers. Fortunately the quality of the horses was more than adequate as their selection had been closely supervised by John Ross.

In his book Exploring in the Seventies ... Alfred Giles recorded an occasion when Ross and his party had gone 36 hours without water, in Central Australia. The heat was scorching and the grass dry and inedible for thirsty horses. Giles compared it to a previous occasion when the party went 72 hours without water, but the temperature that time was considerably cooler and the horses had access to green feed.

Following the conclusion of this work, Giles found further employment exploring the northern section of the Line. Later he also overlanded stock from South Australia for the construction teams. Following the completion of the work on the Overland Telegraph Line, Alfred Giles became manager on a number of pastoral properties for Dr. W J Browne.

The construction of the Overland Telegraph Line was an enormous engineering feat, stringing a strand of copper wire across the centre of the Australian continent, to link it to the underwater telegraph cable that would enable almost instant communication with the rest of the world.

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