The Echuca (or Northern) line of telegraphs was constructed in Victoria in 1860. It was one of two extensions of the line to Sandhurst (Bendigo as is was later known) the other being the Wycheproof line. Echuca is close to the meeting of three major rivers - the Murray, Goulburn and Campaspe - and is the closest point on the Murray River to Melbourne. Commercial necessity therefore drove the urgent extension of the Sandhurst telegraph line to the north.
At that stage, the development of telegraph lines in New South Wales was comparatively slow. The line to Albury (a long way from Moama) as completed in late 1858 and the line to the Queensland border was completed in November 1861. The community in the Moama-Deniliquin area realised it would be many years - with much effort to be made - to convince the NSW Government to provide telegraphic facilities to their remote community. Their response "LETS BUILD OUR OWN LINE". Hence began a special activity in Australian telegraph history where a telegraph line was built and operated as a private enterpriseThe line of McGeorge - South Australia's first telegraph line - was also private. It was the inspiration of a single man and it operated for about 14 months before the SA Government purchased it. by a local community.
The development of this line from Echuca through Moama to Deniliquin is discussed in the following sequence:
1. The beginning of the community's initiative.
The people of Moama on the opposite side of the Murray River did not support the NSW Government's pace of action - many described it as inaction. The Armidale Express of 5 June 1858 reported that "A company has been formed for the purpose of connecting Deniliquin with Moama by electric telegraph. The shares are £5 each and £2,700, the whole amount necessary, is already subscribed". So, with the connection of the Victorian line to Echuca imminent, "the Moama (Maiden's Punt) people have combined to extend the telegraph from their own town to Echuca, as well as build a convenient office for the affair" (Bendigo Advertiser, 9 July 1858).
But wait - there's more!!!! The line did not stop there but was extended by the people of the region to Deniliquin!!!
"A public meeting of the shareholders in the proposed line of telegraph between Moama and Deniliqnin was held on the 19th (August). It was resolved that the line should be at once proceeded with, and it was promised that an advertisement should be published, inviting applications from station clerks qualified to fill the situations at either end of the line" (Northern Times 4 September 1858).
"Deniliquin and Echuca Telegraph Company.
A meeting of the directors and shareholders of the above line was held on Wednesday, the 22nd ult. The honorary secretary, Mr. Jones, reported progress and stated that they had received the telegraphic instruments from Sydney and had engaged the Station Master. A warm discussion took place as to which side of the river the station should be. As a matter of course, those shareholders who had not paid up had the most to say when it was finally settled on having the terminus station at North Deniliquin. It was decided that a temporary building would do for the present until the brick station was built.
Mr. Wipple, of the Wanderer's Inn, North Deniliquin, has given the use of his verandah-room for the telegraph office and we may now expect to see the line open in a few days.
(Border Post reported in The Mount Alexander Mail of 7 January 1859).
The Mr. Jones referred to in the above quote was Dr. D. G. Jones of Deniliquin who died in December 1876. The Riverine Herald wrote that "he may be reckoned amongst the pioneers of the great saltbush country north of the Murray. He was a zealous and energetic worker in the public interests and an able journalist ... Dr. Jones took the initiatory steps for connecting the Riverina district with Victoria by telegraph, and was one of the main supporters of the Deniliquin and Moama Railway, an undertaking first mooted by himself and to the accomplishment of which he assiduously devoted himself in the face of very serious obstacles thrown in the way by the Sydney Government".
Hence in a "Power to the People" news story, the Bendigo Advertiser of 24 March 1859 announced "By the courtesy of Mr. Penton, the officer in charge of the telegraph station here, we learn that this line (to Moama) - which has been started by a private company - has been opened for communication this day".
One implication of this initiative was that the people and business sector of Moama and Deniliquin not only had communication through Echuca and Bendigo but also to Melbourne and from there to Adelaide and soon after to Sydney and Brisbane.
The Bendigo Advertiser of 9 June 1859 reported:
"After many months of delay, caused by the usual amount of "red-tapeism" not by any means lessened by the introduction of responsible Government into these colonies, we believe the Government of New South Wales has consented to take the management of the above line into its own hands. This was the necessary consequence of the refusal of the Melbourne Ministry to recognise the Company, the Honorary Secretary having waited on the Postmaster-General in Melbourne, in March last, hoping to get some definite terms from that minister in order that the line might act in concert with the line from Echuca to Melbourne. Without this concert, the Deniliquin line is deprived of half of its promised usefulness. Every reasonable offer was made to the O'Shanassy Ministry, by the Company's Secretary - security for the faithful performance of the duties of the Station Masters, etc. In fact, there was nothing left undone to entice the Ministry to meet the efforts of the Company, but all failed. One Government must have the other work the line and then the difficulty is removed; so that there is an end to all future telegraph companies. There is no encouragement for private enterprise. Dr. Evans appeared to be totally ignorant of the existence of the Company, although his department had been corresponding with the officials in Sydney respecting the line for some time previous to the interview between the Company's Secretary and Dr. Evans, and the Chief Superintendent of Telegraphs".
With an alternative yet contemporary view of communication, the Bendigo Advertiser also printed the following in the same issue as above:
"DENILIQUIN AND MELBOURNE, VIA BENDIGO.
Mr. Wood's coach, running in connection with Messrs. Cobb and Co.'s Bendigo line, commenced its work on Tuesday last. It is intended to make Melbourne in thirty hours or thereabouts - good travelling looking at the bad state of the roads. Final arrangements have not yet been made so that we are not enabled to state how often the coaches will run. Our advertising columns will soon give particulars".
On 31 August 1859 - five months after the private line started operations - the Governor opened the NSW Parliament for its new session. In his speech, he noted, inter alia, "the Government proposed to make several additional telegraphic lines among others, an extension of the southern line from Gundagai to Deniliquin, connecting the latter with the Victorian line at Echuca".
The line from Deniliquin north--east to Wagga Wagga and Sydney was still being constructed at the end of 1860.
Finally - the demise of the Deliliquin and Echuca Telegraph Company: the Sydney Morning Herald of 12 August 1861 reported the account from the Pastoral Times (with dateline 2 August):
"TRANSFER TO GOVERNMENT OF THE DENILIQUIN TELEGRAPH LINE.
The arrival at Deniliquin of Mr. Cracknell, the head of the Telegraph Department of New South Wales, has had the effect of transferring the company's line to the Government of the colony. Deniliquin is now in direct communication with Sydney and Victoria. The Government gives the company the original cost of the line with ten percent added which, with the office furniture and instruments, will amount to £2,820. The Government does not take the two stations, one at Moama and the other at North Deniliquin.
The station at Deniliquin is in future to be on the south side of the river. Thus that vexed question is settled. The overland trade has so fallen off as to have rendered this change of the locality of the station desirable. The chief source of revenue received by the company's line was from the overlanders, now it is not so - the general public using the telegraph.
The company's affairs will now be brought to a close. On Monday the Government Board of Management of the line met Mr. Cracknell, and the agreement between the parties was then signed. Everything terminated agreeably. Mr. Cracknell was fair in his proposals and the Board of Management, acting for the company and the Government, desired nothing more. Mr. Cracknell is courteous and gentlemanly in his official capacity and does not seem to share in the feeling of many of the Government officials viz., a disposition to be overbearing because they are Government employees.
The following telegram was received from Sydney subsequent to the transfer of the line: "Mr. Arnold, the Minister for Public Works, congratulates the inhabitants of Deniliquin on the opening of a telegraph line which will place them in immediate communication with the most important points of the colony as well as with the neighbouring colony of South Australia and shortly with Queensland and which will also afford them the means of transmitting small sums of money without the delay or risk incident to other modes of remittance".