See & Do / The Outback / Alice Springs Telegraph Station
136 years ago, along came these pioneers and they built these buildings and one of the most famous towns in the world grew out of nothing.
If it hadn't of been for the Alice Springs Telegraph Station, Alice Springs wouldn't exist.
The Alice Springs Overland Telegraph Station reduced the time to send a telegraph to London from two months to two hours...
...but the original operators weren't allowed to use the Telegraph Station.
They actually had to communicate to their families by mail, which came in on the camel train every two months.
They lived in an incredibly harsh environment in the symbolic heart of Australia.
There's a little cemetery about a kilometre from the Station that's an incredibly powerful place to go to. You weave your way through some hills and you come to a little stone fence around five graves.
As you stand there you can see nothing else but the Telegraph Station. You can lean on that fence, let your mind wander and feel what life was like here 130 years ago.
Telegraph History
Central Australian native, guide Brenton McRae shares his passion for the pioneering history of Alice Springs.
He has a strong connection to the historic telegraph station, which was vital to the development of the outback and an intriguing technology at the time. Today he tells visitors about what life was like back then.
Wander through the station and feel the history that is alive within the walls.
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