On the 150th anniversary of the Overland Telegraph Line, Michael speaks with historian Derek Pugh OAM, Author of ‘Twenty to the Mile: The Overland telegraph line’, about what has been described as the greatest engineering feat of 19th century Australia.

These days, computers and mobile devices provide news and information instantly, whereas in colonial Australia months would pass before letters could be answered and international news was always old when it was finally printed in the papers.

This all changed after the completion of the greatest engineering feat of the 19th century.  In 1872, the Overland Telegraph Line connected Adelaide to London, and communication channels were open.

Historian Derek Pugh says “the OTL was the internet of the day, allowing rapid communication with the world.  It provided almost instant access to information and broke the tyranny of distance.  The arrival of the international cable was the first step of this huge technological leap”.

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