Telegraph lines in the Goldfields Region: Southern Cross to Coolgardie.
- Australia 1901-1988
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
- International
- Special aspects
The Goldfields Region is defined, for the purposes of describing the construction of telegraph lines to the Goldfields, as extending:
- from the junction of the Mid West and Wheatbelt regions east of Southern Cross;
- from Coolgardie through Menzies to Wiluna in the north;
- beyond Boulder and Bardoc in the east to the South Australian border;
- through Dundas and Norseman and including Ravensthorpe in the south but stopping north of Esperance but so that the line to South Australia can be discussed coherently.
The small map below represents an area of about 955,000 km2 - bigger than Texas (676,000 km2) and nearly four times the size of the U.K. (242,000 km2). If Western Australia was a country, it would be ranked 30 in terms of size.
The construction of the telegraph lines in the Goldfields region is described on two pages and the developments can be accessed from the following:
Traces of gold had been found in Western Australia since at least the early 1850s. None showed significant results (that we know of). Robert Austin, a Government Surveyor, found good traces of gold in the Murchison in the 1850s but his reports were buried in the files - the Government did not want a gold rush which would take workers away from the newly established outposts of Perth and Albany.
The first major discoveries of gold in the Southern Cross region (the Mid West) had occurred in 1887. Again nothing much happened that we now know about). Subsequently gold rushes started at Coolgardie in 1892 after initial reports from Arthur Bailey and William Ford and at Kalgoorlie in 1893 after reports from Patrick "Paddy" Hannan, Tom Flanagan and Dan Shea. For an excellent review of the history of the gold rush 1893-1897, see the Chapter by Warren Bert Kimberly and the WA Now and Then website. The importance of the gold discoveries for the current discussion is that the discoveries brought so many people and support mechanisms (Wardens, hospitals, police, etc) that rapid communication became an absolute necessity.
| This map extends north to Goongarrie and Menzies. |
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| This map extends west further into the Wheatbelt region. |  |
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| This map extends south to Norseman and Dundas. | ||
1.1: Southern Cross to Coolgardie.
After the Yilgarn gold discoveries around Southern Cross in 1887, a telegraph line was finally extended from York to Southern Cross with the Telegraph Office at Southern Cross opening on 4 February 1892. On 27 June 1891, the Western Mail had reported that "We now wait for the speedy erection of the telegraph which will prevent famines and delays of all kinds, stimulate business and do more to open up the country and develop the mines than anything yet attempted".
The two main problems facing communication in the area.
The road from York to Southern Cross had only been constructed in the last 3-4 months of 1890. Extending the road beyond Southern Cross was a major undertaking which followed some time after the gold discoveries in Siberia and Coolgardie. An insightful report is given in the Adelaide Advertiser of 10 January 1893 about travelling from Albany to Coolgardie.
The area to and beyond Southern Cross was very remote - and very dry - even for those early days. The Perth Daily News of 1 May 1894 described one aspect as follows:
"The road between Coolgardie and the Cross is in a very precarious condition. The stage between Boorabbin and Coolgardie - about sixty miles - is absolutely waterless. Water is also very scarce between Boorabbin and the Cross and, not only a water famine is threatening, but also great scarcity in provisions unless the traffic is regulated and the road kept open. A complete cessation of traffic is probable any moment".
The water problem was one of the major issues facing the development of the Goldfields. Water was incredibly scarce and bores were sunk everywhere and holding tanks constructed or dug everywhere. Road construction had to consider the water supply. An excellent report on the situation and the actions being taken was published by the West Australian on 8 November 1895.
Finding gold.
Gold rushes followed at other locations including those further east from Southern Cross in the Goldfields Region especially at Coolgardie in 1892 where Bayley and Ford had pegged their reward claim there - that being several years after Charles Hall and Jack Slattery had been the first to discover gold in the Kimberleys. The ubiquitous Mr. William J. H. Carr--Boyd was amongst the first 50 to arrive at Coolgardie. Naturally hopeful prospectors fanned out over the surrounding area to search for other finds. Some prospectors even went 30 miles east to an area now called Kalgoorlie - see elsewhere. With an increasing number of people on the fields and the consequent need for communication about leases, equipment, etc becoming more and more significant, it was not long before the immediate needs for postal and telegraphic services became more apparent and urgent. Rapid telegraphic communication in particular was essential.
The gold discoveries were of world-wide interest and the overseas press commented on developments regularly. The Colonist Press in Vancouver, Canada carried the following on 15 February 1894:
"There is something striking and theatrical in these West Australian gold finds. The richness of some of them is indisputable, and their permanency seems a reasonable assumption to experts. But the accidents of discovery are romantic.
A man falls over a big stone , strikes it maliciously with his pick in the anger of a bruised shin and reveals a mass of gleaming gold. Chunks of gold, bars and pillars and blocks of gold are what the telegrams speak of, not merely good prospects or the absolute certainty of payable returns. The latest big sensation is the discovery of a rich reef in the backyard of a hotel in the main street of Coolgardie. This ought to be the greatest money-making concern in the world for the publican, who will have a double gold mine on the premises".
The construction of the telegraph line to Coolgardie.
Immediately following the discovery of a number of gold deposits between Southern Cross and Coolgardie and around Coolgardie, the need for extending the telegraph lines for communication became urgent. Increasingly large numbers of miners were flocking to the new fields. Nevertheless, for reasons now unknown, telegraph line construction appears to have been suspended for two years from the opening of the Southern Cross Telegraph Station until survey work resumed in early 1894 commencing from Southern Cross with the aim of extending the line to Coolgardie.
A concerned statement was printed in the West Australian on 6 January 1894: "Nothing has been heard lately of the Coolgardie telegraph line. No one knows what is happening to it. It is a work of immense importance to the goldfield, and will be an important source of revenue to the Government".
 A Survey or Inspection team going out to part of one of the Goldfields to prepare for the telegraph construction. |
The West Australian was about the first report progress on 16 January 1894: "The survey of the line of telegraph from Southern Cross to Coolgardie was concluded on the 5th January. The contractor, Mr. R. G. Pratt, experienced several difficulties which delayed him from starting from the Cross, and he did not commence the survey until the 1st December. The distance was 115 miles by line, or by road 130, and that the contract was completed in five weeks, is evidence of the energy with which it was conducted". |
The West Australian of 5 February 1894 commented:
"Another most important matter was the extension of the telegraph line from Southern Cross to Coolgardie. It was absolutely necessary, in the interests of the goldfields, that this line should be completed as soon as possible so as to place the people in communication with the city - and in fact the whole world - as the mines of the district are attracting attention even in England.
They wished the wire to be put up as soon as possible and, if as reported, it was proposed to wait until iron poles were imported from England, he hoped the Government would alter the specifications and substitute wooden poles, as the future of the field largely depended on the facilities for getting news to and from Perth.
He would also point out that the mails, which at present left Coolgardie on Monday, reached Southern Cross on the following Thursday and were allowed to lie in the office at that town till the following Monday. This was most unfair to the town and they wished arrangements made by which the mail would go through to Perth direct instead of lying at Southern Cross".
The Inquirer of 27 April 1894 reported on construction progress as follows:
As rapid communication was essential during the progress of construction of the line away from Southern Cross towards Coolgardie, "The Cycling Express Company has been floated locally to carry telegrams to and from Coolgardie and the head of the telegraph line, also to and from the outlying fields and rushes. A practical cyclist leaves for Perth to purchase the bicycles" (Australian Advertiser 9 May 1894)."We are now within measurable distance of connection by telegraph with Southern Cross. The contract for the erection of the line has been let and the material delivered, while a start has been made with the work of erection, about 10 miles having been completed. The contractor's time of completion of line expires with the month of June but, as the country along the line of telegraph is of an easy nature, there is every reason to hope that the work will be finished a week or two within contract time".
The Perth Western Mail of 14 July 1894 reported "The tools etc for the telegraph line are to hand, and the line is now fairly started and good progress is being made. Unless something unforeseen happens, it should be completed sometime next week".
In a newspaper section of the 20 July 1894 Southern Cross Herald, numerous items of interest were addressed - in a manner fairly typical of the day - in a section titled BREVITIES (for obvious reasons):
"Still dry. Rain wanted.
Gold at Merredin.
Cowboy v. Cyclist. Cowboy on top.
Telegraphic communication with Coolgardie to-day or to-morrow.
A movement is on foot to form a debating society at Southern Cross.
...
Sir John Forrest apparently rather slow in carrying out his promises to the deputations who interviewed him relative to local requirements.
...
All shopkeepers found obstructing the footpaths with goods will be prosecuted under the by-law.
...
The barber's art in Europe dates from the time of Alexander the Great, 330 B.C. He ordered every soldier to shave, less the beard should give a handle to his enemies".
"The through telegraph line to Coolgardie will be completed this evening (17th) and the first message will be sent either tonight or to-morrow morning (Barrier Miner 17 July 1894) - with the office opening on 22 July. Messages were sent through to the Premier, the Postmaster General and the Engineer-in-Chief announcing the completion of the line to Coolgardie and that it was in working order.
Details of the Coolgardie Telegraph Office are included elsewhere.
The work of erecting the line had been completed under the superintendence of Mr. O. Jobson of the Water Supply Department. A record in telegraph construction was claimed on that occasion, the distance of about 115 miles from Southern Cross to Coolgardie being stretched in only three weeks. "So pleased were the residents of Coolgardie at the rapid completion of the line that they entertained Mr. Jobson right royally to mark their appreciation of his energy and the despatch with which he had finished the connection".
A few months later, the Daily News of 12 December 1894 (and other outlets) commented that "As soon as a further supply of material is received from England, a line will be constructed from Coolgardie to the Ninety-Mile but it is expected that it will be three months before this work can be put in hand. With these extensions of the wire, the business of the field will be very greatly facilitated".
It is worthy at this stage of the discussion of Coolgardie's telegraphic operations, to reference the small article published by the Coolgardie Miner on 27 August 1895 which portended the major event at Coolgardie a few months later:
"There seemed to be a general feeling in the House last Tuesday (says the Enquirer) that the telegraph operators were considerably underpaid. The majority of the members who spoke pointed out the responsibilities attaching to the position and favored a substantial increase in salaries. One hon. member pointed out that the position was no ordinary one, the operators having to undergo a course of training, before they became qualified to do the work".
In November 1895, the strike of the Telegraph Operators and Clerks took place at Coolgardie. The strike reflected in various ways the poor planning and administrative capabilities of the Post and Telegraph Office under the control of Mr. Sholl. There were many criticisms of his planning and administrative decisions (and attitudes) in all regions of the Colony. The W.A. Record of 16 November 1895 reported on a speech given by Mr. Vosper of the Goldfields National League:
"Mr. Vosper took the Government severely to task for the manner in which they had dealt with goldfields questions. He was particularly irate when dealing with the reforms necessary in the Postal and Telegraph Departments, poignantly remarking:
'The seventh plank was to obtain necessary reforms in the Postal and Telegraph Departments. Here, he confessed that language failed him. His vocabulary was dried up and his expletives were exhausted (Laughter). The most lurid blasphemy, the most fearsome oaths, the most terrible objurgations, the severest invective, the most fearful abuse, the most bitter epithets and the most scathing satire all the powers of denunciatory language stood abashed, appalled and inadequate when confronted by the awful mess in the Department controlled by Postmaster-General Sholl". (Loud applause and laughter)".
Also on 16 November, the West Australian commented that "The telegraphic business between Perth and Coolgardie has again become congested. It is stated that the work is two days in arrears. Therefore if correspondents communicate by post, their correspondence will be more speedy than if they depend upon the Telegraph Department". This note was published four days after the strike had been resolved and the delay may therefore have resulted from the slow-down by the Telegraph Operators. So perhaps the strike did have some effect on the operations - although never mentioned publicly.
On 20 November, as Sir John Forrest arrived at Coolgardie on his visit to the Goldfields, the West Australian published a note that "The work on the telegraph lines between Perth and Coolgardie was still in arrears yesterday, being some thirty hours behind hand".
As noted elsewhere, from January 1896, the Telegraph Department took over the supervision of the construction of all telegraph wires (and some other works) in lieu of the Works Department. Some months previously, Mr. Wittenoom had been particularly severe on the Works Department, stating that it was impossible to procure material or have works carried out with anything like precision. Around that time, a considerable amount of telegraph line construction in the Goldfields was taking place.
1.2: The development of the Cycle Express Companies.
From about 1894, a number of Cycle Express companies around the Goldfields in Western Australia were established partly because of the inability of the Post and Telegraph Office to deliver letters, documents and telegrams to the goldfields. A fuller description of some of these companies and the types of stamps (now scare to rare) they issued are shown elsewhere.
1.3: Improving the operation of the line to Coolgardie.
By September, 1894 the traffic on the line was so heavy that the lines were already overloaded. There were delays in sending and receiving messages and the operators were requesting:
- duplication of the lines; and
- duplex instruments;
- quadruplex instruments.
1.3.1: Duplication.
A duplicate line from Perth to Coolgardie was required as early as the first half of 1895. The poor quality of this over-crowded line had already being noted in the Press as well as comments that it was falling down in several places. In October 1895, "The Inspector of Posts and Telegraphs, Mr. Snook, informs us that the following report has been received relative to the interruption to the Coolgardie line on the 4th inst: 'Man sent out reports that fault at 39½ miles from Coolgardie was caused by some person having climbed pole and deliberately twisted lightning arrester around the line wire - looks like a share market dodge'. The Postmaster General has offered a reward to any person that can give sufficient information to convict the perpetrator".
In September 1895, an additional £3,500 was placed on the Estimates for "Duplication of telegraph wires from Perth to Coolgardie". The duplicate line was completed in November 1895 - the Coolgardie Pioneer of 27 November 1895 reporting "The duplication of the wire between Perth and Coolgardie was completed yesterday. It now remains only to affix the instruments and the facilities of telegraphic communication with the capital will be considerably increased". In November 1895, the duplicate Perth to Coolgardie telegraph line had been erected as far as Southern Cross.
The Coolgardie Miner of 25 January 1896 reported that:
"The railway line is now within a few miles of the town and postal and telegraphic conveniences are slowly but sorely being placed on a better footing".
"On the motion of Mr. S. W. F. Whittingham, the Coolgardie Stock Exchange yesterday afternoon passed the following resolution: "That in view of the increase of business on the telegraph lines and the extension of these lines to the I.O.U.Bulong., Kurnalpi, Norseman, Black Flag and Broad Arrow, a letter be forwarded to the Minister for Telegraphs requesting him to place two extra wires on the poles between Coolgardie and Perth which will relieve the congested business which already exists".
The Inquirer of 3 January 1896 noted that "Within the last few weeks the line has been duplicated and the extra wire has done much to relieve the congestion. This line, however, has been faultily erected if reports be true, and serious complaints have recently been made regarding it. In one quarter, the public were informed that miles of the wire had fallen off the insulators and that, where it crossed the railway line, it had been strung so low that high laden trucks caught it as they passed underneath and pulled it down. These are serious reflections on the construction department if the statements be true, but we are greatly inclined to think that much of the damage is done by the teamsters, who are not very careful - and certainly not very particular - about pulling down a post or two by driving their waggons too close to the line".
1.3.2: Duplex instruments.
On 15 August 1894, "The Postmaster General has decided to have duplex instruments erected on the Coolgardie telegraph line, and already the instruments have been ordered. The chief advantage of the duplex system is that it will permit of messages being sent from both ends at the same time, and, therefore, it is possible to send twice as many telegrams along the line as at present". During a visit to Coolgardie at about that time, Mr. Sholl announced that
"with regard to the telegraph service he was afraid there must necessarily be delays until the duplex system was introduced. This would cost £500, but it was highly necessary, and a complete apparatus had been ordered. When it arrived, the Coolgardie people would be able to forward and receive messages at the same time. (Applause) Even the duplex system, he thought, would not be equal to the requirements in time, and something would have to be done to meet the times.
The great telegraphic business of the field was principally with the other colonies. The question of constructing another line to Eucla was of course a very big one considering that the present line cost £35,000. He was sure South Australia would not consider Western Australia at all in the matter and provide a wire" (Coolgardie Miner, 15 September 1894).
"The language here is very emphatic over the breakdown of the telegraph line. Coolgardie has been entirely cut off for two days and thousands of pounds has been lost to the department owing to the uncertainty of messages going through" (Australian Advertiser 28 January 1895).
1.3.3: Quadruplex instruments.
In early August 1895, the Daily News reported "The quadruplex system was inaugurated yesterday between Coolgardie and Perth. It worked with great smoothness". It was hoped that the new technology would go some way to alleviating the pressure on telegraph operators at Coolgardie who were constantly working into each night until the early hours. An early report on the situation appeared to show that hope to be forlorn, A few days later, on 7 August, the Coolgardie Pioneer unfortunately had to report:
"Telegraphic communication between Coolgardie and Perth was very erratic on Saturday morning and, towards ten o'clock in the evening, the line positively refused to work probably as a protest against the increased activity necessitated by the adoption of the quadruplex system.
At any rate - like the head of the telegraph system — the line jabbed at the mere idea of progress and dropped to earth and refused to carry any more messages that day or the next. In the evening it showed signs of returning vitality and, at half-past seven o'clock, it consented to work moderately well.
The fact is the line is in anything but a good condition and it requires a thorough overhaul. This is a work the Department should set about without delay. With the rapid increase of business, these interruptions affect the district very injuriously and the profit made on this line warrants the authorities in going to the expense of putting the line in thorough working order".
More detailed information about the operation of the line came in the form of a statement in the Coolgardie Pioneer of 19 February 1896:
"Mr. B. Snook, Inspector of Telegraphs, has been interviewed in Perth as to the reason of the very considerable delay which occurs in the transmission of messages between Coolgardie and the capital.
Mr. Snook said that of the two wires to Coolgardie, No. 1 was being used solely for Coolgardie business, and No. 2 for business with Southern Cross, Woolgangie, Boorabbin, Kellerberrin, Kalgoorlie and other places, the volume of which was sufficient to keep the line constantly occupied. No. 1 line is being worked with the quadruplex instruments, but No. 2 with the simplex. The latter would also be worked with the quadruplex as soon as the necessary instruments arrived.
Mr. Snook stated that the instruments comprised in an order to the value of £500, which was sent to England in August last, which would reach Albany in the R M.S. Cuzco on Friday last and would be at work at an early date".
As a follow-up, "Mr T. P. Stevens, Manager of the Electric Telegraph, has returned to Perth from the eastern goldfields. He completed several improvements in the goldfields telegraph service, amongst these being the installation of duplex instruments at Kalgoorlie and duplex repeaters at Southern Cross. The effect of these improvements is that messages from Kalgoorlie to Perth, which had hitherto been repeated at Coolgardie, will be transmitted direct with a consequent saving of time".
Given all the effort to upgrade .and improve the line from Perth to Coolgardie, there were still some who were convinced the operational efficiency of the line was still below what might e expected:
"A Coolgardie miner came to Perth a few weeks ago on business bent. He sent a telegram to his wife on the day of his arrival and in the following week wrote a letter in which reference was made to the 'wire'. He was surprised to learn, from a return letter, that the telegram had not reached his wife until the day after the letter was received. He met a telegraph messenger in the street, and said to him
'What sort of a telegraph is that you fellows run? Talk about a bullock waggon badly beating it, why, a one-eyed pigeon minus a wing would lick it out of sight'.
Well, our telegraph is slow; no sane man would attempt to gainsay that. But a 'one-eyed pigeon minus a wing' is really too bad. There would be plenty of backers for the bullock waggon, but very few for the maimed pigeon" (Inquirer, 17 July 1896).
Although the duplex system had been introduced, those with experience in the matter, such as the newspaper press of the colony, realised only too unpleasantly the inability of the line to do its duty. Every week without exception there was a break down. It was a task for the new Minister to see what, if any, remedy can be applied.
"To duplicate the southern line is open to two objections:
- in case of fire or trees falling across the wires, both lines are interrupted at once;
- the ill-working of the line is freely explained by the influence of the ocean winds and salt dampness which must always remain a trouble.
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 (West Australian 20 December 1894).
1.4: Other bits and pieces about the line.
Coolgardie was a thriving centre of activities by the end of 1895. For example, the Coolgardie Miner of 31 December 1895 summarised in a review of the town:
"New finds, too, have been reported from all points of the compass, and the close of the year was appropriately enough distinguished by the discovery of the biggest nugget yet found in West Australia ... The railway line is now within a few miles of the town, and postal and telegraphic conveniences are slowly but surely being placed on a better footing.
The visit of the Premier has led us to expect that many of the inconveniences from which we have suffered in the past will be rectified.
Nothing phenomenal really occurred during the year ... altogether the town has mightily improved in many respects, thanks to the town council. Taking everything into consideration, Coolgardie is now a clean, fairly healthy town. One public building is nearing completion — the Post Office — but it is such a ghastly structure that we wish old 1895 would cart it off to the limbo of the past".
An excellent report about the nature of the society and the offerings of activities especially at Coolgardie was published in the Daily News of 18 November 1895. Most interesting.
As an aside that shows a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, the Inquirer of 11 September 1896 reported a perceived problem on the Southern Cross - Coolgardie line:
"A correspondent at Southern Cross relates that, owing to the proximity of the telegraph and telephone wires on the Southern Cross-Coolgardie railway, they very often become crossed and that, by the process of 'induction', the messages that are being flashed along the telegraph wire leak into the telephone wire and find their way to the ears of people for whom they are not intended. He points out that this state of things is serious, and demands immediate attention".
Very close to Coolgardie were the Londonderry Mine (to the south-west) and the Bayley's Reward mine (to the north-east). They are two of the biggest mines ever found in the world. For information about announcements and brief details of the mines, see:
- the story as it happened in March 1894;
- the efforts of Directors to salvage the Londonderry mine;
- the announcement in the Miner's Right of 5 July 1894;
- the MINDAT description.
- An 1895 progress report - typical of many others.