Western Australia: 1869 - 1900.
The 1896 Coolgardie - Ponton's - Eyre - Eucla telegraph line.

Although the line from Albany to Eucla in Western Australia to Port Lincoln and Port Augusta in South Australia was a catalyst for significant social and economic development in Australia - one Premier had described it as being one of the major factors supporting the movement to Federation - the 1877 inter-colonial telegraph line via Eucla soon became overwhelmed. The demand on the line was in part a result of its own success. Consequently, it was not long before plans were being discussed to create a second line.

Ultimately there were two other lines:

  1. the 1896 line via Ponton's Station, Eyre and Eucla;


    8.1: Operational problems with the existing W.A. lines.
    8.2: Discussions about an inland Coolgardie - Eucla line.
    8.3: Constructing the 1896 line.

    8.3.1: The South Australian activities.
    8.3.2: The Western Australian Activities.
    8.3.3: The Route.
    8.3.4: Eucla to Dundas.
    8.3.5: Delivery of materials.


    8.4: Completion of the line.

  2. the 1926 line via Coolgardie which was constructed to the north.

 

8.1: Operational problems within the existing W.A. lines.

The overloaded Perth-Coolgardie line.

By the late 1880s, the sea air was adversely affecting the line and the transmission of all telegrams was being significantly affected. The spiders were happy. Many questions were being asked over a long period in both the South Australian and Victorian parliaments as to why the additional charges were being imposed when the Western Australian line - especially between Eucla and Esperance - was so frequently inoperative.

Newspapers in all Colonies constantly carried reports with the general heading

Eucla Telegraph line again interrupted.

For example:

"Communication was again interrupted on the Eucla telegraph line last night. Although the line is now required to be in continuous working order, these interruptions have apparently increased since it is now required to accommodate the constant pressure of business especially in relation to the discovery of the gold fields. The interruptions are becoming unbearable and are causing the loudest complaints. Important messages are often delayed hours in transmission and the work has even been known to be days behind.

There can be no doubt that before long this intolerable nuisance will have to be rectified by the erection of another telegraph line and people cannot understand why, in view of the importance of the matter, steps have not already been taken to rectify this constant series of interruptions to which business is being subjected.

Several suggestions have been made but it is agreed on all sides that before long, steps will have to be taken to alter matters in this respect".
Western Australian 12 January 1895.

Difficulties with the operation of the inter-colonial line were being raised - as from the first day in Office of Mr. E. H. Wittenoom as Minister of Post ad Telegraphs as well as him being Minister of Mines and Minister of Education: West Australian 20 December 1894

Nothing will in all probability sooner claim the attention of the new Minister than the condition of the telegraph service between Perth and the Eastern Colonies and Coolgardie. We do not now speak of the simply intolerable interruptions on the southern inter-colonial line, as to which no-one is in a position to say how far the cause rests with the Telegraph authorities. The blame is freely laid upon conditions outside the control of the office and, the more it is examined into, the clearer it becomes that the burden imposed upon the southern line is even now greater than it can bear. A very little more increase of work and the line, whatever may be said to the contrary, will be quite insufficient for the demands made upon it.

To a lesser degree, the same may be predicted of the telegraph to Coolgardie. When the extensions are completed from Coolgardie to Hannan's, Kurnalpi, 25-mile, 45-mile, 90-mile and White Feather, the present difficulties of getting messages through in fair time may rise into impossibilities.

 

The Southern Line to Albury and the 1877 eastern line to Eucla.

The Perth - Southern Cross - Coolgardie line was completed in mid-1894. The rapid rise in the value of gold-mining north and east of Coolgardie soon resulted in that line being overwhelmed. Neither duplication of the line nor the introduction of duplex instruments made much improvement (even temporarily) of efficiency and effectiveness of telegraphic communication in the eastern region of the Colony.

But the most serious case is that of the great artery which connects Western Australia with the Eastern colonies and them with us. If, in busy times, there is imminent danger of a block in the messages on the Coolgardie line of which a great share has again to go and come over the Southern Line, when all the messages to and from the rest of Western Australia are added, the wonder is how it comes that the difficulty found in working the southern line is not very much greater.

 

"Beyond doubt, the best course would be to carry a second line from Coolgardie well inland to Port Augusta, or to the point to which the South Australian Government have carried their system in our direction. This would not only provide an alternative route, in case of the failure of the other, but it would allow all the Coolgardie messages to and from the Eastern colonies to pass direct without troubling the Eucla system.

The obstacle to this proposal is the length of line which the South Australian Government would have to construct, and to which they might object. Still they might be ready to assert when they consider that the advantage both in convenience and profit will be largely theirs. If, however, they should hesitate, it might be possible to connect Kurnalpi with Eyre or Eucla. This would give an alternative line for a good part of the way, while it would throw the strain of working upon a definite length, for which special arrangements could be made.

But every month makes it plainer that things cannot remain in their present position. Twice a week or oftener, the telegrams are late. Sometimes they fail to come to hand altogether. In a year's time we may expect these complications to be doubled" (West Australian 20 December 1894).

 

8.2: Discussions about an inland Coolgardie - Eucla line.

In a wide-ranging and constructive Editorial about the telegraph system in Western Australia, the Coolgardie Miner of 19 January 1895 wrote as follows:

"We always feel a measure of content when our telegrams come to hand, if they convey news not more than four days old, and we have grown so used to receiving and paying for messages announcing that the Eucla line is interrupted, that we have ceased to publish them, lest the continued reiteration should be mistaken for a standing advertisement.

That there is trouble on this line is not surprising. Its contiguity to the sea has an evil effect on the wires which materially shortens their period of usefulness; besides which, in the long stretch of uninhabited desert which the line intersects, bush fires are frequent and add to the uncertainty of communication. From what we learn from those who have travelled overland from Port Augusta along this track, the line is insufficiently manned, a portion is nearly always down or in some way non-insulated, and in many places, if the wire does not actually lie along the ground, it is only supported on forked sticks or a kind of dog-leg fence.

It would be wonderful, therefore, if the communication was regular. To meet this difficulty there are three schemes suggested:

  1. to continue the line from Hannan's inland to Port Augusta.
    The only objection to this scheme is that South Australia would not bear her share of the expense but, as that colony would derive as much revenue from the line as Western Australia and relatively her expenditure would be far less, opposition in any great degree is scarcely to be looked for in this quarter. The line, if constructed would give us telegraphic communication with Kurnalpi and Peak's, and bring all the eastern centres of the field within easy distance of the telegraph while the Eucla route would be relieved of from 50 to 75 per cent of the business which now overcrowds it.

  2. to erect a line from Coolgardie to Dundas and so on to Esperance.
    This scheme has Mr. Wittenoom for sponsor but it does not present half these advantages and it leaves Eucla pressure practically untouched.

  3. to connect Wyndham with the Katherine station on the Port Darwin or Trans-continental route.
    A line from Wyndham to the Katherine is, if not impracticable, almost unattainable, on account of the great expense of transport to the scene of the work, the well-known hostility of the native population and the round-about character of the track suggested to say nothing of the fact that the Port Darwin line, being the one used for all European and other foreign communication, is more likely to become congested than the present system.

We trust, therefore that the Premier when, on his coming visit to Adelaide, will make such arrangements as shall lead to the construction of the Kurnalpi-Augusta wire and thus at once extend our own local system and facilitate the business of the entire colony. Either of these schemes will, however, take time to realize and meanwhile steps should be taken:

  • to repair the Eucla line effectively;
  • to clear the places where bush fires are most to be feared; and
  • to place duplex instruments along the route.

When this is done we may reasonably hope to see something more approaching modern notions of telegraphy than the extraordinary vagaries which now assume and caricature that title. Our free communication with the eastern colonies is too important — financially and socially — to be left to the mercy of the elements and official caprice".

Even at this stage, various reports were still proposing a decision had to be made between Coolgardie-Dundas-Esperance-Eyre route and the Coolgardie-Dundas-Ponton's-Eyre route. There were also a number of comments that the route would be continued from Coolgardie through the the Murchison (presumably via Menzies and Lawler's).

Even the respected and experienced Richard Knuckey contributed to the discussion:

"An interesting letter on the telegraphic lines appeared in Saturday's Courier from Mr. Richard Knuckey, formerly of the South Australian Telegraph Service. He states that, so long as the line follows the present coast route from Eucla to Albany, interruptions must arise, increasing as the line increases in age. It is absolutely essential that the line should be removed from the effect of the sea air if the duplex system is to be worked successfully.

He suggests that a new line should be constructed by South Australia to Streaky Bay via Gawler Ranges, and from Streaky Bay to Eucla the line is sufficiently far from the coast. To relieve the pressure on the existing lines, a wire should be stretched from Coolgardie to Eucla, while the line to Perth should be duplicated, the business being too extensive for a single line to cope with"
(West Australian 28 January 1895).

Finally the two Colonies sorted out a solution which involved, in part, running a second line using quadruplex instruments direct from Port Augusta to Streaky Bay via Yardea. The Western Australian Government was also trying to construct the alternative line from Coolgardie via Eyre to Eucla to use quadruplex instruments.

 

8.3: Constructing the 1896 line.

8.3.1: The South Australian activities.

Sir Charles Todd was interviewed by a reporter for the Daily News office and reported on 6 January 1896:

"With regard to the duplication of the inter-colonial telegraph line, the Postmaster-General of South Australia said the work had been authorised by the South Australian Parliament and was in course of being carried out. Iron poles had been ordered from England, and work would be started in the course of a few weeks. The line would be taken from Port Augusta along the Gawler Ranges to a point west of Streaky Bay. From there it would run on the same posts as the present line. The distance from Port Augusta to Streaky Bay was 230 or 240 miles and the total distance that the line had to be taken by South Australia was 570 or 580 miles.

Their terminal point was Eucla, which was just on the West Australian side of the border. Sir Charles considers that it will take South Australia eight or nine months to complete her portion of the contract, the delay occurring on account of order for posts and instruments having to be sent to England. Speaking on the question of the respective merits of wooden and iron telegraph poles, the visitor said in timbered country they always used wooden posts. There was a certain amount of danger of the wooden poles taking fire, but the precaution was always taken of clearing a track 30 feet wide through densely timbered country".

 

8.3.2: The Western Australian activities.

The route for the new Western Australia - South Australia telegraph line was confirmed about May 1895 to be from Coolgardie south to Dundas and then east to Eucla. Most interested parties agreed with this route and emphasised that the South Australian Government would also have to construct a new line away from the coast. The business along the inter-colonial line was simply too much for a single line. Being close to the coast, it was also subject to the vagaries of the sea air and winds. The Government had estimated the whole line would cost £35,000 and so allocated £25,000 in the August Estimates for the Western Australian component.

The Mayor of Perth, Mr. Alex Forrest, visited Kalgoorlie in September 1895 for a week to inspect mines in the area (he was "interested" in them - and later invested). He said the the Premier (John - his brother) had informed him about several developments in the Goldfields. One was that "The work of erecting a telegraph line to Esperance and Eucla, via Dundas, would have been put in hand long since but for the fact that the whole of the materials had gone down in the ship West RidingLost at an unknown location enroute from London to Fremantle in January 1895.. A fresh supply of materials had since been shipped and the line would be started as soon as this came to hand" (Western Argus 5 September 1895).

The West Australian of 25 September 1895 provided its readers with a comprehensive statement of the problem and the need for the identified course of action to be implemented.

 

8.3.3: The route.

The new line was to extend from Eucla in the east via Ponton's Station (Balladonia) to Dundas and thence north to Coolgardie. It had been agreed by all that the first part of the new line should be as far from the coast as practicable:

The West Australian of 23 January 1896 noted: "Mr. Grant, the surveyor for the Public Works Department, has arrived at Eucla, and will proceed at once to lay out the telegraph between Eucla and DundasDundas is just below Norseman - so about 100 miles (150 kms) above Esperance.
The line was then to pass through to Coolgardie..

This survey is the second largest of its kind in Australia, the survey from Adelaide to Port Darwin being the longest. In tbe present undertaking some 600 miles of unknown country have to be traversed. This work will entail great hardships on the part of the West Australian surveyors, owing to the scarcity of water, one stage of 130 miles being without a supply. Mr. Grant has been provided with a portable condenser and 13 camels. A surveyor will shortly start from the Dundas end".

To support that construction, Mr. Graham from the Eyre Telegraph Station - in March 1895 - "carted 50 gallons water on top of cliffs and had insulators 40 miles out, so linesman made another start this morning to try and insulate as far east as possible".

18 March 1896: "The Post and Telegraph Department recently invited tenders for the carriage of material for the Dundas-Eucla section of the new inter-colonial telegraph line from the coast. There were three tenders submitted, and in addition several minor tenders from persons willing to undertake the carriage of material for certain sections were also sent in.

It has transpired that the three tenderers' prices were: Mr. I. J. K. Cohn £30 18s per mile, Faiz & Tagh Mahomet £32 per mile, and Messrs McKenzie, Grant and Co, £40 per mile.

The tenders have since been under the consideration of the Department and, although the general desire is to have the work commenced at as early a date as practicable, it has not yet been possible to come to a decision with regard to the tenders, owing to the fact that no definite understanding with the lowest tenderer as to certain conditions which the department requires to be observed could be come to. The matter, however, is now approaching a definite stage as Mr. Cohn was lately notified by the Telegraph Department that his tender would be accepted under certain conditions, the principal of which are that there should be a deposit of £1000 as a guarantee for the due performance of the work, and that the tenderers should have the work completed within six months' time after receiving notice from the Department that the material is available. In the event of failing to complete the work within the time specified, the contractor will have to pay £30 a day demurrage.

Mr. Cohn has been requested to definitely inform the department, not later than to-day, whether he is willing to undertake the work on these conditions. Should he accept the terms, the contract will be entered into. In the event of replying in the negative, the same conditions will be offered to Faiz and Tagh Mahomet, who submitted the second lowest tender.

[A representative of the Golden Age called at Mr. Cohn's office this morning and was informed that Mr. Cohn had accepted the conditions imposed by the Government, and will proceed with the work without delay.] (Golden Age).

The £1,000 bond was paid by Mr. Cohn and the final contract required him to complete the work in four months. He planned to employ 200 men and use 500 camels.

The Inquirer of 17 April 1896 reported an interesting (but unusual) discussion about the construction activity. In essence, Mr. Cohn, the contractor for the carting and delivery of telegraph material for the Coolgardie-Dundas and the Dundas-Eucla sections of the new inter-colonial telegraph line had sought a bonus for completing the line earlier that the date specified in the contract. Mr. Cohn was impeded in his work because of the delay in the delivery of insulators for the first of the two sections of the line and that, for some reason or other, the department has come to the extraordinary decision to erect a single line of wire between Dundas and Eucla instead of a double line, as provided in the specifications. Mr. Cohn explained his view as follows: "The department must have intended to have two wires fixed along the whole of the route, for the additional weight is provided for in the specifications. This decision of the department to have only one wire is to be regretted, as the additional expense of running the extra wire along the poles would not be worth considering and the extra cost of repairs would be also very small. I suppose the difference in the weight of the wires will be about 4 cwt. per mile. A lighter kind of iron pole is also to be used now that they have to carry only one wire".

3 January 1896: "The construction of the line from Coolgardie to Eucla, a distance of 625 miles, has been authorised and the surveys completed as far as Dundas for which section the posts are being delivered. This is expected to be a very difficult work. The line will run through a very bad - if not absolutely the worst - part of Australia. There is not even a salt lake in it where water could be procured and it is quite expected that sea water will have to be condensed on the coast and carted inland to the line. Camels will doubtless have to be employed in carting posts and carrying the water and altogether it will take quite £50.000, the amount voted, to finish the work" (Inquirer).

On 7 March 1896, the Norseman Esperance Guardian summarised the situation at that time as follows:

"The preliminary surveys along the proposed route of the West Australian portion of the new overland telegraph line have demonstrated the extreme difficulty that will be found in erecting the section from Dundas to Eyre. This portion of the line will be 320 miles long and there is practically only one spot along the entire distance at which a supply of water may be relied upon. This spot is Ponton's station, which is about 170 miles from Dundas.

There is also practically no timber which may be used for poles on the section and it will probably therefore be necessary to use iron poles for the whole distance.

It would be impossible to convey the material for this portion of the line to its location except by camel teams. The telegraph department has accordingly been in communication with Messrs Faiz and Tagh Mahomet, the well-known Afghan firm of camel carriers, with the object of entering into a contract for the conveyance of the material from the coast to the line. If satisfactorily arranged, no time will be lost in order that the erection of this difficult section of the line may be started without delay.

It is intended to ship the poles, wires, brackets and other material to Esperance, Israelite Bay. Eyre and Eucla in quantities proportionate to the mileage of line which may more expeditiously be reached from those ports".

 

8.3.4: Eucla to Dundas.

An observation is necessary here - the line to Dundas from Coolgardie and Norseman was being constructed at the same time as the Dundas - Ponton's - Eyre - Eucla inland line (May-June 1896). Indeed there were five working groups constructing the lines in various localities in this region.

In 1877, the Ponton brothers, who had established a significant pastoral lease around the area later known as Balladonia, assisted (under contract) in the carting of equipment and supplies for the 1877 inter-colonial telegraph line from Esperance through Israelite Bay to Eucla. Several years later, they decided that messaging would be easier for them and their community if another telegraph line to their property came from the Norseman/Dundas area or from Israelite Bay. In 1897 - after the Dundas-Eucla line had been completed - they were associated in the construction of a Telegraph Office near their station at Balladonia.

Some pictures included for the Eucla Telegraph Station show the nature of the terrain across which the telegraph line had to be constructed. One picture in oarticular is cited as being taken on the line.

On 13 April 18, 1896 the Golden Age reported:

"This urgently needed work is progressing while the suffering public are anathematising.

Grant's survey party has now completed the preliminary work between Eucla and Eyre, and the construction should start immediately.
The line is now almost completed from Coolgardie to Dundas but the work has been delayed somewhat owing to the lack of material.
The insulators did not come to hand at Coolgardie and Mr. Cohn, the transport contractor, consequently could not despatch them down the line".

As noted elsewhere, The Inquirer of 15 May 1896 summarised the situation on reaching Norseman in May as follows:

"The distance already covered (from Coolgardie) was about 103 miles, and there remained about 380 miles to accomplish. The country that has been so far covered was known and, but for the difficulty experienced at times in getting water, there was practically little trouble to overcome.

The difficult section has yet to be traversed and it is expected that the work of completing the line will take another six or eight months. The country has never been explored and there will be many difficulties to surmount.

Instructions have been issued to push on the work as speedily as possible".

In early May 1896, eighty tons of telegraph material were landed at Esperance for the Eucla telegraph line. To implement Mr. Cohn's contract, he used ten teams to cart the material to Dundas at a cost of £14 12s. 6d. - which was a big reduction in the cost of the freight.

On 19 May 1896, the Golden Age reported on developments for the next stage beyond Dundas:

"Messrs. Grant and Gladstone, engaged in the survey of the Dundas-Eucla section of the overland telegraph line, have completed their work and are now here. Mr. Grant reports a phenomenal fall of rain, which is doing much good to the stock country between Ponton's station and Eucla. He states that he came across no permanent supplies of salt or fresh water but only rock holes. The party fell in with plenty of game, and saw rabbits 170 miles west of the South Australian boundary, near the coast. The distance from Dundas to Eucla is 424 miles, and the whole of the distance has been surveyed. There is one straight line of 140 miles. The line passes within six miles of he present Eucla station".

Grant and Gladstone presented their Report on the route for the Eucla - Dundas line to the Postmaster-General in July 1896. In part their Report noted:

"the new line leaves the present Eucla station and follows along the foot of the limestone terrace which forms the southern boundary of the Hampton Tableland. The line gradually recedes from the coast and, at 61 miles from Eucla, passes in close proximity to the Mundrabilla Homestead, owned by Messrs. Kennedy and McGill.

At this point, the line is about 15 miles from the coast, at 110 miles it is 25 miles inland and from here it gradually approaches the coast till, at 157½ miles, it is about six miles from the present Eyre telegraph station which is on the coast. A loop is run from the point before mentioned to Eyre, and the main line then turns on a direct bearing for Ponton's and immediately crosses the limestone terrace already mentioned, and at 180 miles is about four miles and a half from the coast. This is the nearest point on the line to the sea, and thence the line recedes inland until, at Ponton's Homestead, 301 miles from Eucla, it is some 80 or 90 miles inland. From Ponton's, the line runs in a general direction for Dundas, a total distance of 428 miles from Eucla.

One of the most remarkable features of the line is the length of the straights. One, from the angle north of Eyre to Ponton's, is 145 miles, which is probably a record, at least for Australia. The length of this straight is all the more remarkable as no surveys had ever been made in the vicinity of Ponton's, and consequently its position had never been actually determined. Mr. Grant, the Surveyor who had charge of the party from the Eucla end, fixed its position by latitude on his way to Eucla and, on his return when marking the line, had the satisfaction, after running a a distance of 144 miles without an angle, to find that the line passed within 30 chains of the homestead, and thus cleared the Granite Rock by only eight chains.

Another striking feature of the country passed over by the line is its remarkably level nature and, from Eucla to where this line crosses the limestone terrace at 158 miles, it is one level plain and in the whole distance from Eucla to Ponton's, there is not a single watercourse" (Western Mail 17 July 1896).

The article continues with a discussion of the availability of water (or the lack thereof) and anticipates the future problem with rabbits.

The West Australian of 3 August 1896 provided an update on construction. It emphasised the multi-faceted approach to construction that deployed several construction gangs to different areas:

"Owing to the fact that most of the parties engaged on the construction of the new intercolonial telegraph line seldom touch telegraph stations, news of their progress is not received at frequent intervals. The latest information the department possesses is not, therefore, up to date.

Five parties are at work on different sections of the new line.

    1. Mr. Hanley's party had on the 30th ult. completed 48 miles of wiring eastward from Dundas, which may be considered as the starting point of the overland line proper.
    2. Mr. Gladstone's party - which is engaged on the section westward towards Dundas from Ponton's station, which will be a repeating station between Dundas and Eyre - had on July 20 completed 27 miles of clearing and hole sinking.
    3. Mr. Giles's party, working eastward from Ponton's station had completed 35 miles of clearing and hole-sinking on the same date;
    4. on the 18th, Mr. Graham's party, working from Eyre westward towards Ponton's station, had completed 36 miles of clearing and hole-sinking. The same party, which had subsequently been transferred to the section eastward from Eyre towards Eucla, had on July 26 completed 34 miles of clearing and hole sinking on that section.
    5. Mr. Brown's party, on the section westward from Eucla, had on July 11 completed 60 miles of line, and on the 30th of the same month 40 miles of clearing and hole-sinking.

The whole distance between Dundas and Eucla is 424 miles and the above returns of the work done refer to 108 miles of line and 172 miles of clearing and hole-sinking completed. The particulars, however, not being up to date, for the reason previously given, by the present time much more progress must have been made.

Little information is obtainable as to the progress made by the contractor with the distribution of the material, but it is expected that he will be able to lay it out fast enough for the constructing parties now engaged, and that he will have completed his contract soon after the end of October.

The South Australian authorities, it is stated, expect to have their section of the line completed by the end of the year but, as the construction parties on this side expect not to be long behind the contractor who is distributing the material, it is thought that they will have the whole of the West Australian section finished some time before the end of the year".

The same source updated readers on various developments on 2 September 1896. The description of the approach to work in those days contrasts markedly with the multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects recommended by "Nation Building Australia" and its Utopian ideals of today. The following is an complete extract from the West Australian of 2 September 1896 - which is continued in part in the Israelite Bay Telegraph Office entry.

"I left Eucla on the 23th July on horseback, following the new line. The 60 miles completed by Mr. Inspector Brown's party is undoubtedly the best piece of work I have seen in the colony. I could not detect one pole that was not planted to its proper depth, nor did I see one out of line. The whole 60 miles presents a substantial and neat appearance, and is electrically perfect.

Mr. Brown and his party I found camped 100 miles west of Eucla, up to which point the clearing and sinking were completed and, as the Afghans employed by Mr. Cohn were rapidly approaching with the distributing of material, Mr. Brown had decided to return to bring up the wire after completing the sinking to Madura, where he expected to arrive in three or four days.

Mr. Boker's party, who were working from Eyre towards Eucla, had made good progress, being within 12 miles of Madura, with the sinking and clearing, so that by the time Mr. Brown had brought up his erecting party he would have a clear run right through to Eyre and, if no hitch occurs with the distributing, that section of the line will be available for use by the end of the month.

From Madura I travelled south to Coonganna on the coast, and thence along the old line to Eyre. Mr. George with his party of repairers is doing good work on this section and will soon have all old insulators replaced with new ones.

I reached Eyre station at sunset on the 30th July. One hardly needs the assistance of the gathering gloom at that hour to realise what a 20 years' residence at such a place means; but, not withstanding the surrounding solitude, I found Mr. Graham as full of activity as when I first met him 20 years ago, and everywhere can be seen evidences of his untiring energy. We have not seen much of Eyre in the actual transmission of traffic during the past four or five years, but no one will question my assertion that this station has done more to keep the business going by hard work and constant attention to the line under most adverse circumstances than any other station between Perth and Eucla.

I was somewhat disappointed to learn that the Macgregor's contract had been suspended for a month. I had counted on having a few days at Israelite to get the quadruplex repeaters in going order, and then going on by steamer to Albany; but as an overland trip right through was unavoidable, I concluded it would be better to take the shortest route and make the most of the opportunity to see the progress that was being made with the new line and acquaint myself with the nature of the country traversed. I therefore, abandoned the idea of calling at Israelite and started for Ponton's station direct on the 1st inst.

Mr. Graham, Junr., with a party of men, had reached a point 56 miles from Eyre with the sinking and clearing. He had, however, been obliged to leave about 15 miles of sinking unfinished, having run out of dynamite. The difficulty of getting holes down on this section is much greater than was anticipated, every hole after rising the cliffs six miles from Eyre having to be blasted, the formation being a hard flinty limestone.

I had rather a rough time of it between his camp and Mr. Giles's (a distance of about 40 miles). The country is very thickly timbered and horses could only be got through it at a slow walk. To make matters worse, I could not obtain more than a couple of gallons of water each for them at Giles's camp. This was all they had for three days, there being no water along the route between Ponton's and eighty miles east. Mr. Giles's party had completed 50 miles of clearing and sinking and expected to be able to start erecting in about a fortnight. It would have seriously interfered with the water supply arrangements had I taken a camel from this camp to continue my journey westward. I therefore decided to hire horses at Ponton's to take me on to Mr. Gladstone's camp.

I stayed a day at Ponton's, looking up a suitable site for a station and noting particulars of the building offered for our temporary occupation, details of which I am forwarding you under separate cover. I met Mr. Gladstone's camels about 35 miles from Ponton's on their way for water and reluctantly rode back with them 17 miles to water the camel I was to take on to Dundas.

The following day I reached Mr. Gladstone's camp, 44 miles west of Ponton's. The work of clearing and sinking was finished up to about 47 miles, leaving only about 20 miles intervening between this camp and Mr. Stanley's, from whence to Dundas the erection is completed. Travelling by open coach from Dundas to Coolgardie, I could only catch occasional news of the line and cannot, therefore, report as to its condition. I did notice at Dundas that white ants have already attacked the poles and I fear we shall ultimately have to substitute iron for wood poles. The progress made between Dundas and Eucla is far beyond my expectations. It is a pleasure to be able to state that each party is well manned and that the officers in charge are thoroughly competent and reliable.

The distribution of material is proceeding satisfactorily and, unless some unforeseen difficulty arises, we may expect to have the whole line available for traffic by the middle of October.

The country through which the line passes is for the most part thickly timbered with mallee and ti-tree, offering a capital shelter from the wind and, as there are only a few slight angles throughout the distance, interruptions from falling poles are not likely to occur. The route is the best I think that could be chosen. The geological and climatic conditions are alike favourable to first-class telegraphy and the maintenance and supervision of the line will be a much easier matter than has been generally supposed.

It is to be regretted that a larger wire was not ordered for this line, especially as it will be necessary to work it on the quadruplex system and, although the new bracket employed to support the insulators has a neat appearance, I still regard it as the weakest point in the line and the one most likely to cause trouble. It is, however, gratifying to be able to assure you that whatever we may have to contend with in the way of casualties, we shall suffer very little from the "climatic influences" that have caused so much delay on the old line during the summer months and for which the Department has been so mercilessly ridiculed, but which has nevertheless disappeared during the past four or five months, as predicted.

I might also mention in conclusion that the thousands of poles that were said to be falling during the summer have miraculously ceased their vagaries during the winter gales.

(Signed) G. P. Stevens,
Manager and Electrician"

On 11 September 1896, the Western Mail reported: "The Postmaster-General on Tuesday received a telegram addressed from Eyre from Mr. Brown, officer in charge of the telegraph construction party which is engaged in recovering the cargo of telegraph material from the wrecked ketch Swift at Twilight Cove. Mr. Brown stated that 35 tons of material had been recovered up to Monday morning. Since Saturday the salvage operations had been hampered by heavy surf at the wreck, and the only boat remaining had been stove in. A raft had however been made and, with this, it was hoped, if the weather permitted, to bring the balance of the material ashore in a day or two".

Despite the best preparations, things can go wrong - especially when bad advice is given. The (Norseman) Miner of 21 October 1896 reported:

"Mr. Brown, who had charge of the construction of the Norseman-Eucla telegraph line, and Mr. Bernard Giles the electrician and operator, returned to Norseman with a portion of the party on Monday last. They report that the country east of Ponton's is very dry and that the stock route, which a man named Thompson states has water holes every 25 miles, is one of the driest and most barren places in W.A. The route as set down by Mr. Thompson as being well watered, has dry stages of over 100 and 150 miles. We therefore warn anyone against placing any faith in this man's statements or, if they do, they may leave their bones as a monument to his inaccuracy.

Messrs. Brown and Giles are two typical bushmen and they seem none the worse for the hardships they experienced in their five months' labor in the parched country the line traverses".

A reply from Mr. Thompson was published in the Miner on 9 December 1896.

 

The line was generally referred to as the Dundas-Eucla line. That description omits not just Balladonia but also Eyre which had been constructed on the original 1877 line. Eyre was really the "exit" point from the desert to the coast. It was perhaps one of the most isolated places in Australia (even considering the telegraph offices along the Overland Telegraph line). But it had stories and character!!

One story about Eyre originated in the attempts to cycle from Adelaide to Melbourne. Many had achieved this feat successfully. But "as bad as is the route between Melbourne and Adelaide, it cannot be said to be on a par with the track from Coolgardie to the South Australian capital, and the man who sets himself the task of accomplishing the feat of journeying on a 26 lb. bike from the town of the "Golden West" to Adelaide, must indeed be a lover of the wheel". The journey was first achieved by 24 year old Mr. Arthur Richardson formerly of Port August but who had been practicing in Kalgoorlie for a few months. The amazing story can be referenced elsewhere. Anyway - Richardson spent one day with Mr. Graham, the Station Master at Eyre who had the seven daughters. Mr Richardson "though charmed with the hospitality of his friend, he was not so delighted with the place, for the sandpatch is acknowledged to be the worst of its kind in Australia - and there are some pretty bad ones elsewhere". Later in his effort while west of Yardea, he spent a day with the party who was constructing the duplicate telegraph line in South Australia.

CUTTING THE OVERLAND TELEGRAPH LINE: An amazing account of a man cutting the telegraph line between Norseman and Balladonia was included in the Golden Age of 10 February 1897. After going without water until the point of exhaustion, the unknown man cut the wire then dug for water with his bare hands and then dug his own grave and lay down. After making an amazingly determined effort, he resumed walking and soon after found a spring. Read on ...

 

8.3.5: Delivery of materials.

Extreme weather again beset progress on the line construction:

"The recent severe gale on the south coast has been the cause of an extraordinary mishap in connection with the arrangements for commencing the erection of the new overland telegraph line. A short time ago, the ketch Swift conveyed a cargo of telegraphic material from Albany to several points on the south coast convenient for its subsequent removal inland. A portion of the cargo, consisting of 584 iron poles, 606 bales, 119 coils of line wire, 2 small coils of binding wire and 516 base-plates with points, was landed at Knoweley, a spot about 25 miles west of Eucla where there is a good landing place.

Every precaution was taken by Mr. Brown, telegraph inspector in charge of the construction party who were also passengers by the Swift from Albany, to place the material when landed well above high-water mark. The recent storm, however, produced what Mr. Brown has described as a tidal wave which flowed a quarter of a mile island and over the spot where the material was lying. When the storm had subsided, it was discovered that the material had been buried to a depth of three feet by sand which had been driven up by the storm water. Mr. Brown and his party commenced the excavation of the material at once, and were occupied five days with the work. At latest, they had disinterred the greater portion of it but a small quantity had not been found. The whole will, however, probably be recovered before long and without difficulty.

The contractor for the carriage of the material inland had not commenced the work and the mishap will not therefore cause any delay in connection with the construction of the line".
(West Australian, 22 April 1896).

In a context such as this was, it is imperative that each party works together with others involved. Unfortunately, it appears that one of the boats in particular "did its own thing". The Esperance Chronicle of 10 April 1896 described the situation as follows:

"News from Israelite Bay.

Great dissatisfaction is expressed here at the manner in which cargo is treated by the steamer Macgregor. When going to Eucla last trip she carried it on, then landing on return and keeping teams who were waiting for their loading on the coast. This meant big expense to them.

Last trip of the steamer here, two boat-loads were landed - one of which contained flour that was swamped in the surf and a considerable quantity was spoilt. The second load was landed about three quarters of a mile from the first but in comparatively smooth water. All the rest of cargo for this port was carried back to Albany".

 

One problem which arose was the required distance of the Western Australian line. The Western Australian of 6 June 1896 reported clarification of this problem:

"When the estimate of the distance between Coolgardie and Eucla along the intended route of the new overland telegraph line was first made, the figures were much greater than those which have since been found to represent the correct distances. According to the survey recently completed, the distance between Coolgardie and Dundas was set down at 125 miles, and between Dundas and Eucla at 525 miles.

The first mentioned distance was found to be only slightly in excess of that which has now been covered by the line, but a considerable reduction has been made between Eucla and Dundas. The principal difference was been Dundas and Ponton's Station, which proves to be 115 miles instead of 170 miles. The length of the line will be 436 miles. There is one stretch, from Ponton's Station almost to Eyre, where the wires run 140 miles in a straight line".

 

8.4: Completion of the line.

The Duplicate Line.
Kalgoorlie Miner: 19 December 1896.

"The construction of the duplicate telegraph line to Western Australia has been completed and communications opened direct with Perth. The new line owes its origin chiefly to the development of the goldfields and the increased trade with South Australia consequent upon the progress of the western colony. Its construction was authorised by the present Minister of Education, the Hon. Dr. J. A. Cockburn, who is Minister controlling the Post and Telegraph Services and Parliamentary approval was given on October 3 last year. Sir Charles Todd, the Postmaster-General, planned the new line, which has been completed very successfully and without serious accident or death.

The wire joins the direct wire from Eucla to the South Australian border to Coolgardie, which has been erected by the Western Australian Government. It runs from Port Augusta almost direct west to Streaky Bay and is therefore free from the influence of sea fogs to which the coastal line is subject. The sea fogs of summer are perhaps more injurious than the storms of winter.

The old line traversing the coast to Eucla is 780 miles in length, while the length of the South Australian section of the new duplicate wire is 582 miles. The first pole of the old line was planted on 25 August, 1875, by Mr. T. McTurk Gibson, the first Mayor of Port Augusta. The survey of the new line from Port Augusta to Eucla was begun on 16 October, 1895.

It has been constructed in two sections by Government overseers and line parties — one section being from Port Augusta West to Flagstaff Landing and the other from Flagstaff Landing to Eucla. Mr. J. Murphy oversaw the portion to Flagstaff Landing, having with him a party of twelve men. Mr. T. Hanley, with eight men, was the overseer of the other part.

The distance from Port Augusta West to Flagstaff Landing, Streaky Bay is 229 miles. A station will be established at Yardea - 143 miles from Port Augusta West. This portion of the telegraph passes to the north of Coralbignie Run and Thurlga to Yardea and thence westerly through many of the new hundreds (sic) which are not yet settled.

The first pole was planted at Port Augusta West on April 30, 1896. For the first 100 miles 2,052 wooden poles have been used, and 2,072 iron poles are employed between the 100th mile post and the junction of the old line at Flagstaff Landing. The average number of poles to each mile is 20. From Flagstaff Landing to Eucla, a distance of 353 miles, the old line has been strengthened".

No date for the opening of the new inter-colonial line is recorded - possibly because it opened in stages. What is however recorded is a descriptioon of a fire in the Telegraph Office in Perth on Sunday 30 October 1897: "the line between Perth and Adelaide, via Coolgardie, has been interrupted for the first time since its erection, rendering it necessary for all Coolgardie district business to be transmitted via Perth over the coastal line. The fire last night had the effect of further delaying messages. It may be mentioned that the Perth-Adelaide line is expected to be put in proper order early this moning, owing to the excellent work done by lineman Graham, of Eyre, who has travelled over 85 miles of a waterless stage in two days".

There also appears to have been a subsequent problem in duplicating the Eucla - Dundas line. Evidence of this was printed in the West Australian of 19 October 1904:

"We are informed that the dispute arising out of the contract for laying material for the duplication of the telegraph line between Eucla and Dundas has been settled. The contractor (Mr. J. .W. W. Graham), who has been in Perth for the past two months with the object of endeavouring to bring the question to a conclusion, was interviewed by a representative of the "West Australian" yesterday.

Mr. Graham stated that, on the completion of the work to Eyre, a distance of 163 miles from Eucla, a dispute arose between himself and the Commonwealth authorities in regard to the delivery of material at Eyre. The agreement provided that the Commonwealth should deliver the material to him at the various ports in the neighbourhood of the route. When he arrived at Eyre, he found that the greater portion of the material, which had been landed on the ocean beach some months previously, was buried in the sand while some of it had been washed away. He did not consider that the Commonwealth, by landing the material on the beach, had delivered it to him within the meaning of the terms of the contract and he refused to take delivery of it.

There were at the time due to him, three progress payments that had not been settled and he felt that he would be justified in throwing up the contract, even in the face of the threat from the Commonwealth authorities that, if he did so, they would carry on the work at his expense. However, he threw up the contract and came to Perth to fight the matter out.

After several interviews with the Deputy Postmaster-General, Mr. Graham succeeded, he states, in gaining every point that he had originally asked for. He regrets that what he describes as the ponderous machinery of the Department should have been so long in settling the matter and that the country and he should have been put to considerable expense in bringing the dispute to a conclusion. As a result of the settlement, Mr. Graham will return to Eyre to complete the contract".

This new line also soon required upgrading by the new Federal Government due to increased demand:

  1. The first Federal Loan, prepared in 1902, provided "for about £3,000 for the substitution of copper wire in lieu of galvanized iron wire, on the Adelaide to Eucla line and on the Adelaide to Sydney line as far as the border near Tareena. Only the difference between the cost of copper wire and galvanized wire is provided - the balance being chargeable against revenue";

  2. "the line between Adelaide and Eucla (West Australia), and the increase in business caused by the reduction in inter-State telegraphic rates has resulted in serious congestion and delays. The Postmaster-General has therefore authorised the construction of a second line, via Yardea, on the existing poles across Eyre's Peninsula, from Port Augusta westward to Eucla, at a cost of £3,500. The construction of the line will be begun at once". (Advertiser 18 Feb. 1903).

 

The 1926 line.

A third line to Eucla was constructed through Coolgardie when the expansion of business through the gold discoveries rendered such a course absolutely necessary through the occasional failure of the line from Albany.

17 May 1926:

"Although the public works committee has approved of the erection of the new telegraph line from Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie, the work of construction has not yet been begun. When the line is completed, the Eucla Telegraph Station will be considerably reduced in status. Extensions on the west coast are planned by the Postal Department. It is intended to construct a telephone line from Port Augusta to Cowell and to link up eventually with Port Lincoln, which is gradually being converted into a receiving station for west coast business. It will be possible eventually to speak from Adelaide to Port Lincoln by telephone and this will expedite the conduct of business with commercial houses in Adelaide".