Victoria - Colonial period: 1854-1900.
The Otways lines.


 

There were two named lines in this region in 1887:

  • the Cape Otway Line; and

  • the Lorne Line.

They complemented each other for security reasons. Both started in this area at Geelong and they joined at Apollo Bay (Krambruk).

1. The line to Cape Otway.

The construction of the telegraph line to Cape Otway so early in Victorian telegraphic activity was a recognition of its importance - for both humanitarian purposes and for economic purposes but also especially to facilitate the construction of the cable link with Tasmania.

In his Report for the period ending June 1857, Mr. McGowan noted:

"The overland line from Geelong or Queenscliff to Cape Otway, there to connect with the submarine section, has not yet been commenced as I considered it inadvisable to recommend the construction of this line until some progress had been made in the more important branch to cross Bass's Straits - the former would not occupy more than three or four months in course of erection, and may readily be provided between the time of ordering the cable and the arrival of the vessel conveying it".

Also reference the Report written by McGowan as an attachment to the December 1857 Report titled Cape Otway to Point Grimm.

In the Estimates hearing of 28 January 1858, the House voted £5,000 for the construction of the telegraph line from Geelong to Cape Otway. This line was to serve two purposes:

    1. to provide a line of telegraph to inform Melbourne about shipping movements and to provide humanitarian support in the case of a shipping disaster - which were common in the area;
    2. to meet the submarine cable from Tasmania.

On 31 March 1858, the Public Works Department of Victoria advertised a tender "for contracting a Line of Telegraph between Geelong and Cape Otway via Winchelsea and Apollo Bay with a branch from Winchelsea to Colac".

The Hobart Town Daily Mercury of 19 April 1858 noted:

"It is very evident that the Victorian Public Works Department has resolved that no delay shall be occasioned by any sluggishness or procrastination on its part and that by the time our Cable is ready, the station at Cape Otway will be ready also. We are quite convinced that not one hour will be wasted by the Contractors on this side of the Straits. By the time the cable arrives from England, the posts and stations on Hunter's and King's Islands will be erected and every preparation made for connecting it with the telegraphic wires. We are glad to find that a disposition seems to be evidenced to have the line completed and we trust that our Government will at once commence extending the line to Cape Grim so that no delay may arise on this side of the Straits".

On 24 April, 1858, the tender submitted by Mr. W. L. McKay at £55 per mile for construction of the 140 mile telegraph line was accepted. As this was not the lowest tender submitted, the House asked a number of questions as to why it was considered to be the best. The answer indicated that it was only 15s more than the lowest tender and, as McKay had performed good work previously, there had been no time to investigate the efficiency or quality of the other bidders.

In the Half-Yearly Report to June 1858, Mr. McGowan noted (page 1) that work can be prosecuted more effectively when it is not winter, "the contractor for the Cape Otway line abandoned the undertaking and his tender, having in consequence lapsed, it was considered advisable to postpone further action in respect of the line in question until the ensuing spring - say September next - during which month I purpose recommending that renewed tenders should be called for and the work may readily be completed within the year".

On 9 August 1858, The Star reported:

"THE CAPE OTWAY TELEGRAPH.
The survey of the line of telegraph between Geelong and Cape Otway terminated yesterday by the last connecting chain being measured on the immediate eastern side of the new tubular iron bridge in South Geelong. The whole distance is estimated to be 80 miles - the line running from the bridge through Winchelsea by means of the direct line of road, branching off at that township and running in a south-west direction for the coast. The telegraph line will, when the submarine portion is laid down, place us in immediate connection with Hobart Town and Launceston and will also form one of those great connecting arteries which are now bringing together the remotest corners of the earth
".

In his Half-Yearly Report to December 1858, McGowan again noted the contracting difficulties (page 7) but added "I believe the principal obstructions have now been removed and that the line will be completed, if not by the time when it is proposed to lay the cable to Tasmania, at least within a week or ten days thereafter".

He also 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 latter became referred to as the Western Coast line and then as the Mount Gambier line. It also established the basis for other lines in the Otways region.

The Gazette at the end of December 1858 announced that the tender submitted by E. L. Crowell had been accepted for the construction of the telegraph line between Geelong and Cape Otway for £54 15 s per mile.

The Argus of 19 January 1859 recorded the following (very familiar) exchange in the Legislative Council of the previous day:

"TELEGRAPH BETWEEN GEELONG AND CAPE OTWAY.

Mr. Moore begged, in pursuance of notice, to ask the hon, the Commissioner of Public Works under what circumstances the lowest tender for the construction of a telegraph line between Geelong and Cape Otway had not been accepted. He was unwilling to make the notice paper the medium of questions of this character, but his reason for asking this question was a statement which had been made to him, that the telegraphic line between Geelong and Cape Otway had been tendered for and the lowest tender was not accepted. Mr. Hutchinson, who had sent the lowest tender, had arranged to pay the 10 per cent deposit.

Mr. Horne replied that the first tender was one in which the person declined to carry out the works in the time specified and tender No. 3 was l5s per mile in excess of the price named in the second tender. It was necessary to carry out the line as speedily as possible in order to prevent the vote from lapsing. There was no time to make inquiries whereas the author of tender No.3 had been previously engaged in constructing a telegraphic line with great satisfaction to the Government. As the difference in price was very trivial, it was deemed better to give the contract to those who had already proved their efficiency".

 

Little is recorded of the construction of the line direct to Cape Otway except that the line became operational in September 1859. The Gazette of 7 October 1859 listed "E. L. Crowell - extra work on contract 1,316 of 1858 - Line of telegraph between Geelong and Cape Otway - £90".

The country side was dense and mitigated against any easy access either for those responsible for laying and maintaining the telegraph line to Cape Otway or for people wishing to traverse the general area.

In McGowan's Report for 1860, he lists 8 occasions across four of the months where the Cape Otway line was interrupted. Seven of those interruptions were caused by a tree falling on the line (5 days and 15½ hours in total) and an additional 6 hours interruption in September due to a gale.

The Argus of 7 March 1870 described what is probably an unintended result of an ill-thought out regulation:

"A mystery enshrouds the operations of the Telegraphic department in this colony, which the outer public ought to insist upon penetrating. All day Sunday, the same as week days, an operator is required to remain on duty at the Cape Otway station and at the Melbourne terminus also, as an official is required to mount guard. These precautions are taken with the laudable object of insuring prompt intelligence being transmitted to the metropolis in the event of shipwreck. The mystery is, that the gentleman who is compelled to keep a constant look-out at Cape Otway is not allowed to beguile the time by transmitting to his fellow-watcher in Melbourne the names of the ships which pass before his eyes. If he leaves his post, he neglects his duty and yet ready means at hand for securing his faithful attention are incomprehensibly neglected. There he sits, doubtless, for want of employment, frequently "aweary" like Mariana, in the moated grange; his Melbourne coadjutor similarly situated. Between them runs the wire erected and maintained at no slight cost to the country. Inward bound ships sail pass Cape Otway, whose arrival hundreds of persons in Melbourne are anxiously anticipating and these two wearily waiting gentlemen are not suffered to communicate the glad intelligence. How is this? Perhaps the Hon. Commissioner of Customs and acting Postmaster-General can tell".

The Australasian of 10 May 1873 described traversing the country side (albeit 15 years after the direct Cape Otway line was completed) as follows:

"Land Route to Cape Otway:

In reply to a question from Subscriber last week, a Geelong correspondent kindly supplies the following information: Assuming him to be a resident on the Melbourne side, he must start from this place and go via Birregurra on the Colac Road thence over Mount Sabine to Apollo Bay and along the coast track. He cannot practically follow the telegraph line. The track from Mount Sabine to Apollo Bay is only open for cattle not conveyances. The distances are, as we learn from another informant, from Birregurra to Gherangmite Station eight miles and thence to Mount Sabine 18 miles more and thence to Apollo Bay 13 miles. The track is cut all the way".

The Kilmore Free Press of 7 August 1873 gives a report from Mr. Byron-Moore, an Assistant Surveyor, who was about the visit the area around Cape Otway. He describes four possible tracks - none of which are available for vehicles the whole distance.

The first track "along the telegraph line from Loutit Bay (Lorne) passes over several very steep and lofty ranges occasionally following the coast which is in many places rocky and difficult of passage at high water. The journey along the track is a difficult one to any but good horses and the conveyance of a vehicle along it is an impossibility. The distance from Loutit Bay to Apollo Bay is about 30 miles. From Apollo Bay to Cape Otway, the track is cut through the forest a few miles inland - crossing several large creeks and it is only available for horses. The distance from Apollo Bay to the Cape is 16 miles.

 

2. The link from Geelong to the Western Coast.

The construction of a new line was undertaken in 1863. With increased traffic within Victoria and with South Australia, McGowan wanted to create alternative routes to avoid congestion and interruption. It was therefore appropriate to run a line direct from Geelong to Warrnambool and thence to Portland and Mt. Gambier.

Two intermediate offices were opened along the line making that link - at Camperdown and Colac. That line therefore could parallel part of the Geelong - Cape Otway line (which was a dedicated line with no other stations) and as well facilitate, in due course, the inclusion of other station - in particular Winchelsea as well as extending a line to Birregurra.

 

3. The inclusion of Winchelsea and Birregurra.

Finally, in July 1873, the Geelong Advertiser expressed the hope that "in the course of a few weeks, telegraphic communication will exist between Geelong, Winchelsea and Birregurra". Unfortunately a slightly too optimistic ambition by about 8 months. Nevertheless, the paper followed up the issue on 6 December 1873 with the report that "the erection of new Post and Telegraph Offices is being proceeded with at Winchelsea and Birregurra and it is anticipated that they will be completed by the commencement of the new year". Both Offices opened in February 1874.

By 18??, the Cape Otway line from Geelong encompassed Cape Otway and a branch line to Lorne. The Birregurra Branch also included Winchelsea while the Point Lonsdale from Queenscliff remained as previously.

The line to Krambruk (Apollo Bay) was needed by the local community. The Colac Herald of 26 March 1886 reported:

"The want of a (telegraph) station under the control of a competent officer is severely felt and the various sawmilling companies, backed up by the inhabitants, are moving in the matter. At present one of the Messrs. Carwood Bros. acts as operator and line repairer and when he is engaged, as he often is, on the latter duty, telegrams can neither be received or despatched. Many of the residents also object to the business being conducted in a private house and it has been suggested to the Telegraph Department that the Office be removed to the State School building, where there is room available, or the premises of either Mr. Gosney or Mr. Costin. The sawmill companies are doing their utmost to obtain greater telegraph facilities for the Bay and, to show how thoroughly in earnest they are in the matter, they have signified their intention of paying one-third of the expenses of the Office. On their representations, the Department sent an Inspector to the Bay on Saturday last and his Report thereon is anxiously awaited".

In 1878, a telegraph line was erected along the railway line between Winchelsea and Birregurra.

On 24 June 1884, the Colac Herald reported two interesting items related to the line from Birregurra:

"From the Post and Telegraph Department, Melbourne, stating that it is reported that a bridge (log) will be required at the Barwon Crossing, 15½ mile from Birregurra, to enable the telegraph line repairer to cross with a vehicle and further that the absence of such a provision will cause great delay and inconvenience. It was requested that the necessary work may be executed by the Council as early as possible. The Engineer pointed out that three bridges would be required over the Barwon - and the three would be within a distance of 100 yards. The question had been frequently before the Council - the road dispute between Hennigan and Blundy. The Engineer was instructed to visit the locality and report.

From the same department, in reference to the complaint of the Council that the work of carrying out the telegraph line from Birregurra to Apollo Bay was interfering with the cleared road stating that, on the report of an officer of the Department specially despatched to make inquiry into the subject, instructions have been issued for certain alterations to be made which will, it is believed, prevent the inconvenience apprehended by the Council. It is also added that the specification provides, as far as possible, for the clearing of the line being executed in such a manner as to leave no obstruction in the way of the ordinary traffic".

On 23 October 1891, tenders were called for "Sundry work required to be done renewing poles, etc on the section of the Electric Telegraph lines between Winchelsea and Lorne with extension to Split Point". Further information could be obtained at the Post Offices in Geelong, Winchelsea, Birregurra and Colac.

 

The 1890 classifications.

By 1890, increased construction and a re-configuring of the linkages meant that there was two lines to and in the general north area of Melbourne. The lines which were not solely for telephones were:

Line 8: Melbourne through Williamstown, Newport test box, Werribee, Geelong,
Birregurra to Apollo Bay.
Line 10: Melbourne through Newport test box, Werribee, Geelong, Winchelsea,
Lorne to Apollo Bay.
Line 109: Apollo Bay to Cape Otway.