OT Stations

The Overland Telegraph Stations & Bores

Stich panorama by M. Owen of view from Government House - OT & BAT buildings at left. NTL PH1060-0034 & NLA.obj-141835455-1 P. Foelsche

Port Darwin Overland Telegraph Station

SLVic H141665 - Sam Sweet image - Port Darwin - First Telegraph Station

(L>R) OT Stn - BAT Offices - Residency. M. Owen stitch of NLA 11360266-72 & 11360266-68 - June 1879 Foelsche paste up of plates 75 & 71 at NTL PH0238/0411

'The Telegraph Office was opened in March 1869 as the northern end of the soon to be Overland Telegraph Line. In March 1873, the Palmerston Office was relocated as the Port Darwin Telegraph Office.' First Pole wasn't planted until 15 Sept 1870 - Sweet image No. 5 so an album & pre June 1872 - probably on the OT/BAT block or the land between Bennett & Herbert Streets which would make up Todd's 4 acres - later site of the Superintendent's house - line runs N/S & Mitchell is SE/NW - distance from fence line to poles seems too much unless the road is between them & line on eastern side of Mitchell Street - early lenses are tricky. Logically it would be built on the OT end of the block in Mitchell Street. Corn cob style pipe - Postal Hat & English straight stock should be 1st Post Master but doesn't look like him & he should be down the Roper - no shortage of 'fencing' wire. Could be another staged image to show solid progress in the Dry of 1871 before it went awry.

Southport OT Station

Southport Telegraph Station 1879 SLSA B-5782 Foelsche

Survey Creek - Adelaide River

The Shackle - Yam Creek - OT Station

The Shackle Telegraph Station, Nov. 1879 - on Yam Creek, 75 miles from Southport. nla.pic-an11360266-80 Foelsche

Pine Creek OT Station

'Pine Creek was not listed as being on the line even as late as September 1872. This omission was surprising because of the gold mining operations in the immediate vicinity especially north at Yam Creek. The Telegraph Office did however open in November 1873, closed soon after only to reopen in July 1874. It closed again on 19 August 1881 - and then re-opened on 1 September 1884. It then closed so as to merge with the Post Office on 30th Sept. 1889.' SLSA

nla.pic-an11360266-82 Foelsche, P. (Paul), 1831-1914. Telegraph Station, Pine Creek, November 1879

Pine Creek Telegraph Office opened in November 1873, closed soon after only to reopen in July 1874.

It closed again on 19 August 1881 - and then re-opened on 1 September 1884. It then closed so as to merge with the Post Office on 30 September 1889. Telegrams Australia

No poles – no line no insulators – because it's the Railway Station. Telegrams Australia

Pine Creek Post Office Telegrams Australia - in fact the Railway Station

5 May 1908

Katherine OT Station

SLSA B-24181 Foelsche image Katherine Telegraph Station c1890

SLSA PRG 280/1/2/237 Searcy Collection Katherine Telegraph Station - half a ferry service & Pub on the right?

The Elsey - temporary station

Daly Waters OT Station

SLSA B-22559 Daly Waters OT Station 1895 - two wires

Daly Water OT Station - Life on the Line

OT Memorial Frew's Ironstone Pond

p125 G Pike NTOT

Powell Creek OT Station

Powell Creek Telegraph Station - 60kms South Elliott - West side of Stuart Hwy - odd that the chimneys didn't survive

Powell Creek Telegraph Station 1895c SLSA B-61434

Women's Rations Day SLSA B-61455 Powell Creek c1895

SLV FL15566151 - Sam Calvert engraver 21-5-1887

Banka Banka

Banka Banka Station SLV FL15828322 1927 Jean Beatson

Tennant Creek OT Station

Tennant Creek Telegraph Station

Tennant Creek Telegraph Station SLV FL15830186 1927 Jean Beatson

Bonney Well

Bonney Well SLV FL15653673 1927 Jean Beatson

Dug out in 1878-79 by Arthur & Alfred Giles - overlanding sheep to stock Springvale Station on the Katherine. Deepened between 1883/1884 with the stone dump & whip system added in 1892.

Barrow Creek OT Station

Barrow Creek Telegraph Station

Barrow Creek Telegraph Station SLV FL15588929 1927 Jean Beatson

Ryan's Well

Ryan's Well Station SLV 1927 Jean Beatson

Alice Springs OT Station

SLSA B-61450 Alice Springs Telegraph Station 1900

SLSA B-22499 Alice Springs 1902 - Telegraph Station Line party leaving to go North : left to right 2. Pat Moore, 5 line foreman Tom Hanley, 6 Linesman Hablett [or Hallett]

Alice Springs Telegraph Station 2015

Charlotte Waters OT Station

Affair with Byron

Charlotte Waters Telegraph Station - HYL Brown c1880 SLSA B-11608

Bloods Creek

SLSA PRG-1218-34-933 Bloods Creek OT Station 1938 Mountford

The Peake OT Station

The Peake 1880s L>R Smithy - Telegraph Station - Bagot's Station - Mt Kingston Range

The Peake Overland Telegraph Station - SLSA 3444

'Peake Telegraph Station was completed in 1872 as one of 12 repeater stations established between Adelaide and Darwin. Peake stands just south of Oodnadatta.

It is estimated that 36,000 poles and 3,200 kilometres of wire were used in the making of the communication network. This photograph from the 1880's of Peake shows the blacksmith workshop, the Telegraph Station, Bagot's Station and Mount Kingston Range in the background.' SLSA Peake Collection

SLSA B-11364 Peake Telegraph Station 1872

"The Telegraph Office itself was actually built from stone in January 1871, under Todd's instruction, as a store in which to keep the rations. On 24 June 1871, tenders were let for the supply of building materials for the Peake Telegraph Station itself - for the cost of £75 1s 11d. The station at the Peake - which began as one of the three repeater stations in the southern part of the line. It was a substantial stone structure of eight or nine rooms and roofed with galvanized iron. On 1 October, 1871 the bricklayers were still busy completing the Station-master's residence and offices. When those were finished and trees planted round about, it was apparently "a very pleasant-looking place.

In January 1872, Mr. A. Baldock, formerly of Goolwa, was appointed as the Stationmaster at the Peake — a position rendered vacant by the death on the Overland Line of Mr. Kraagen." SLSA B11364