First Telegraph London to Australia

1869-1871: The London-Adelaide Submarine Cable, using numerous ships

The route and length of submarine cable and land lines (in miles) were as follows from London to Adelaide:

• London to Falmouth in Cornwall (overland) 320
• Falmouth to Gibraltar via Lisbon Portugal (Cable) 1,250
• Gibraltar to Malta (Cable) 981
• Malta to Alexandria (Cable) 819
• Alexandria to Suez (Overland via Egyptian State Telegraph) 224
• Suez to Aden on the Gulf Cable 1,308
• Aden to Bombay India Cable 1,664
• Bombay to Madras Overland 600
• Madras to Penang Malaya Cable 1,213
• Penang to Singapore Cable 381
• Singapore to Batavia in Java (i.e. Jakarta) Cable 560
• Batavia to Banyuwangie in Java Overland 480
• Banyuwangie to Port Darwin (at that time called Palmerston) Cable 970 miles. Only a few houses there at the time.

• Finally, in 1872, a Telegraph line running from Port Darwin to Adelaide, the Overland Telegraph, is completed, linking Australia to the rest of the world. 1800 miles.

Total length of Cable 9,146 Total length of Overland 3,424 Overall Total 12,570 miles.

Yep, those were the days

Click here for photos from those early years, including a photo of the Cable Station at Port Darwin.

** End of article