# Overland telegraph, Australia



## OzBoz (Dec 9, 2008)

I thought this article might be of interest to ships radio officers, for historical value if nothing else.









One of Australia's last Morse coders celebrates 150 years since the country's greatest engineering feat


It was the internet before the internet and it changed the country forever, built in a race against the clock and the harsh elements of the outback to connect Australia to the globe.




www.abc.net.au


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## spacetracker (Jun 17, 2008)

Here's another very interesting piece, with perhaps a different perspective.









Two sides of the wire: how the Overland Telegraph brought colonial triumph and Aboriginal devastation


The project connected Australia to the world 150 years ago, but central Australia’s Aboriginal communities paid a terrible price




www.theguardian.com


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## loco (Dec 10, 2010)

spacetracker said:


> Here's another very interesting piece, with perhaps a different perspective.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


There was a short piece about this on 'Great Railway Journeys-Australia' presented by Michael Portillo last night.

It was an interview with a former telegraph operator in Alice Springs (I think) and also gave a short story about why and when it was built.

Should be available to catch up on BBC iPlayer.

Martyn


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## barry john macauley (Sep 5, 2012)

Fascinating story, thank you.
I suppose the woke input is mandatory.


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## YM-Mundrabilla (Mar 29, 2008)

barry john macauley said:


> Fascinating story, thank you.
> I suppose the woke input is mandatory.


Either haven't seen this episode of Portillo (or have forgotten it) but in all these types of program there is always a woke segment for the benefit of we mere mortals who had bugger all to do with it.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

YM-Mundrabilla said:


> Either haven't seen this episode of Portillo (or have forgotten it) but in all these types of program there is always a woke segment for the benefit of we mere mortals who had bugger all to do with it.


I don't believe the idea is that you should do anything about the less pleasant aspects of actions taken by any individual or institution, just that you are aware of them. In the same vein, you are not expected to do anything about the more laudable aspects that you might celebrate.

Disclosure of all the facts is surely better than an incomplete account, carefully edited to remove anything that might show the perpetrators in a less-than favourable light.


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## spacetracker (Jun 17, 2008)

Thanks Ron. Nicely put.


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