Victoria - Colonial period: 1854 - 1900.
The Western Coast line.
The Western Coast line was formed very significantly by combining the section west of Warrnambool - which had been constructed for the first line to South Australia - with a direct link from Warrnambool to Geelong in the east. The line from Melbourne via Geelong was contained in the Half-Yearly Report to December 1858 by McGowan where he noted (page 6) the need to improve the telegraphic link with South Australia through the provision of a single wire of line direct from Melbourne via Geelong, Winchelsea, Colac, Camperdown and Warrnambool to connect at Portland with the line from Mt. Gambier. This section was also associated, in part, with the construction of the special security and humanitarian line from Geelong to Cape Otway which linked with the first cable from Tasmania.
Western coast

The Argus of 27 September 1856 reported that: "The construction of the Western Line, embracing Geelong, Ballaarat, Raglan, Warrnambool, Belfast, Portland and Mount Gambier (about 260 miles) will be proceeded with during the ensuing summer so that by the latter part of 1857 our most important outposts and remote districts of the colony will be brought within speaking distance of Melbourne. The total cost of this most invaluable addition to our public works, when fully completed and in working order, will not exceed the sum of £60,000. This amount will compare favorably with many large sums expended for other works whose utility and advantage are not so generally felt and acknowledged as are the benefits of the electric telegraph".

In the Legislative Assembly of 15 January 1857, "Mr. Childers, in moving the resolution respecting the establishment of inter-colonial telegraphs, said the attention of the Government during the recess had been drawn to the expediency of extending the line in accordance with the original intention and communications had been made with the Governments of South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania. The Government of South Australia was most desirous of proceeding with the work and they had good reason to because they would be put to some disadvantage compared with the neighboring colonies in the contemplated arrangements for steam postal communication. The arrangement for an electric telegraph would be very much to their advantage.

It was proposed that the line should pass from Ballarat to Raglan, Portland, Warrnambool, Belfast and Mount Gambier. It had been agreed that each colony should construct its own line to the borders. Of course the concurrence of the Legislature was required to the scheme.

A scale of charges would be found set out in the schedule. He had stated that the line was to be constructed to the boundary of the respective governments and the results would go to the credit of each colony. International messages would be equally divided between the two colonies.

The Legislature of South Australia were almost unanimous on the point and, on the 11th December, passed a motion appropriating £20,500 for the work. The cost of the line from Ballarat, that is for this Government, would be about £18,000 besides some provision for stations. He asked the House to confirm this agreement in order that contracts might be at once entered into ...The estimated revenue of the Adelaide line (that is on this side) was £14,000 per annum and the expendíture £6,350 leaving a net profit of £7,650".

The first line to South Australia was constructed from Ballarat through Streatham to Hexham and then south to Warrnambool before running west to Portland then across the border to Mount Gambier.

When the Western line was being developed, the establishment of a Telegraph Office at Casterton was foreshadowed. The route for the second inter-colonial link then became closer to being a reality. Two lines were therefore constructed by separating the lines from Hexham - one north-west to Casterton and the other south to Warrnambool. It was then logical to construct the line east from Warrnambool.

The construction of this new line was undertaken in 1863 when the two intermediate offices were opened at Camperdown and Colac. At that time, the line ran direct to Geelong although, on 25 February 1874, the Telegraph Office at Winchelsea was opened near the point where the 1859 line ran through to Cape Otway.

On 2 October 1873, in a discussion in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, it was noted that

"a proposition which originated in this (Victorian Electric Telegraphs) Department, and which harmonises with the South Australian scheme, has been under consideration for construction of a short line from Camperdown or Terang to Mortlake and it has been decided to carry out this work, so that the South Australian business need not necessarily be transmitted by way of the coast stations. The effect of this will be that messages can then be sent between Melbourne and Adelaide via Hamilton and Casterton and along the line about to be constructed by the South Australian Government (from Penola) without being repeated at Mount Gambier as at present".

This line was therefore easy to form yet it was critical to the proper operations of telegraphic communications in Victoria. The traffic with South Australia was increasing very quickly and indeed this line was in constant for many hours each day.Details of the Portland to Hamilton line are provided elsewhere.

The Argus of 30 July 1884 revisited a common theme for outcops along the entire Victorian coastline - the absolute necessity of having security for maritime shipping:

"The article in The Argus of yesterday on the importance of making Cape Nelson lighthouse a station for signalling vessels has evoked from the Post and Telegraph authorities an intimation that negotiations are proceeding between the Customs and Postal Departments with a view to the erection of a telegraph line from Portland to Cape Nelson. We learn from the Customs that the suggestion offered in yesterday's issue, as to despatching the news by telephone from Cape Nelson lighthouse to the telegraph office at Portland, was made to the postal authorities some three months before the completion of the new lighthouse by the Minister of Trade and Customs but this proposal failed to find acceptance, and hence the delay".

Other Telegraph Offices which were located near the Western Coast line and which are referenced elsewhere are: