Alice Springs Telegraph Station

Alice Springs Overland Telegraph Station. Work on the Alice Springs station began in November 1871, the initial building being the telegraph office and men's quarters. In the following years, a harness room, buggy shed, barracks, police station, and Station Manager's house were added. Initial staffing was the station manager, one assistant telegraphist, and four linesmen, the latter maintaining almost three hundred miles of line. The station remained in service until 1932

The laying of the Overland Telegraph Line also required the building and maintaining of 11 repeater stations. Staff at these stations were responsible for the retransmission of telegrams along the Line, but also for the maintenance of the line itself in their section. The stations were from 200 to 290 kilometres apart.

The Alice Springs station was situated on the Todd River adjacent to the spring in the river named for Charles Todd's wife. This had been discovered by William Whitfield Mills in March 1871 during explorations through the MacDonnell Ranges as part of the Overland Telegraph Line survey. The Alice Springs Telegraph Station began operating in January 1872 with a message sent to Adelaide. Constructed in November 1871, the station operated for 60 years, before being replaced by more modern facilities within the town proper. These remote telegraph stations had to be largely self-sufficient as supplies were received only once a year.

The town of Alice Springs was surveyed by David Lindsay in the mid 1880s. The town was originally named Stuart after the explorer John McDouall Stuart who was the first white man to explore through the centre of the continent. However the townspeople succeeded in having the name revert to Alice Springs in 1933.

Permission to use this item for any purpose, including publishing, is not required from the State Library under these conditions of use.

Buy a high resolution copy.