New South Wales.
In an article published by the Sydney Morning Herald of 9 November 1858, some space is devoted to describing the nature of the equipment used for the first line in N.S.W. - that from The Exchange to Liverpool:
The instrument now being used at the Exchange is one of Sieman and Halske's Morse's Double Recording Telegraph. It is an improvement on what is commonly known as Morse's Recording Telegraph, which is the invention of an American of that name and is generally used in the United States as well as on the continent of Europe, on account of its simplicity. It is worked with a single wire, and the system on which it is worked is far less complicated than that of almost any other instrument in use. The process consists in simply conveying a current of electricity, generated by means of a battery, along a wire — that wire being attached to a bar of soft iron which is covered with successive folds of fine insulated copper wire which will thus be temporarily converted into a powerful magnet. Immediately the current is stopped, the folds of insulated copper wire cease to be a magnet. Suspended upon a pivot directly over the coil of copper wire is a piece of soft steel with a fine needle at one end. A narrow strip of paper is carried by a piece of machinery somewhat resembling the works of a clock, between two rollers just above the point of the needle, so that when the current of electricity is passed from the battery along the wire to the coils of copper wire, the temporary magnetism is imparted to the coil, and it attracts the little piece of soft steel suspended on the pivot, and thus the needle placed at the other end of the pivot is forced against the strip of paper, thereby making a mark equivalent in length to the duration of the pressure or, in other words, the pressure is continued as long as the electric current is transmitted. Instantly upon the current being suspended, the coil loses its magnetic power, and the needle is drawn down to its normal position by a spring placed at the front end of the bar, or at the other extremity. The action of the current of electricity being instantaneous, the marks made by the needle may be as many hundred per second as it is possible to move the hand of the operator. The electric current is alternately transmitted or suspended by means of a commutator or key, and thus the whole power of the telegraph may be said to be in the key, which completes the circuit of the electric current. The character in which this wonderful machine makes known its secrets is a system of dots and dashes, which represent the letters of the Roman alphabet.
The signs are so very simple that a few hours' practice would enable any one to decipher the communications on the tape. It is a common practice with experienced persons to read the message by the ear; and Morse's telegraph has the additional advantage of being a self recording Instrument, so that if a person made a mistake by the sound he could rectify it by referring to the ribbon of paper. The main battery consists of thirty-five cells, besides the local batteries, which are generally supplied with two or three cups to each instrument.
See also Capt. Martindale's Lecture of the working of the Electric Telegraph.
Add-in references to McGowan's reports and others