A large number of original documents are held by the developer which are important to reference to get precise details of a wide variety of aspects related to the development of the planning and construction of the Overland Telegraph Line.
The list below provides links to those Reports which have been uploaded to the site so far. If other Reports are required, please contact me.
Reports and correspondence preceding construction.
1. Proposed Submarine and Land Telegraph between Singapore and the Australian Colonies Further Correspondence Respecting:
- Part 1: dated from 19 May 1870:
- further arguments for the cable to be landed at Normanton;
- doubts about South Australia's ability to deliver by the end of 1871;
- Queensland's refusal to connect to the South Australian line at Darwin.
- Part 2: dated from 16 June 1870:
- the British and Australian Telegraph Company proposals and Queensland's request to not let South Australia to have any connection to the BAT line;
- the South Australian legislation;
- the BAT decision to only land the cable at Port Darwin;
- the BAT provisional agreement with South Australia.
- Part 3: dated from 15 August 1870:
- conditions on South Australia for the completion of the cross-continental line by the end of 1870;
- costing and the nature of cables;
- possible conflicts of interests with Queensland's suggestion of a second cable.
- Part 4: dated from 6 October 1870):
- NSW not wanting a competing line;
- Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company reaffirming the submarine cable would terminate at Port Darwin;
- South Australia agrees to consider the Queensland line meeting the South Australian line at the Roper River;
- the possibility of a cable linking the Roper River to Normanton;
- Continued skepticism about the completion of the Port Darwin to Port Augusta line.
Reports related to the South Australian and Queensland rivalry.
- 1871 - Overland Telegraph Lines in Queensland and South Australia (Correspondence relating to).
Letters from Thos L. Murray-Prior and
W. J. Cracknell.
Reports concerning Telegraphic Communication between Europe and Australasia.
- 1859-60: Telegraphic Communication between Great Britain and Australia, (Correspondence and Papers). Printed 21 March 1860. Victorian Legislative Assembly.
- 1873-74: Telegraph Cables - Papers relative to conditions for construction between New South Wales and New Zealand and between Normanton and Singapore.
Executive Council, Sydney New South Wales.
- 1878 (Queensland) Report of the Proceedings of the Conference respecting
The Duplication of the Telegraph Lines between Australasia and Europe
held in Melbourne in May 1878.
Reports following completion.
- 1873 Adelaide and Port Darwin Telegraph: Report by C. Todd on the Construction and Completion.
This Report was an attachment to the 1873 Victorian INTERCOLONIAL CONFERENCE: REPORT AND MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS -
Conference held in Sydney during the months of January and February 1873 (98 pages).
- 1874 (June) Report from the Superintendent of Electric Telegraphs on the condition of his Department (in 1873) - Queensland - tabled 12 June 1874.
Has discussion on the newly opened "South Australian Overland Line between Adelaide and Port Darwin)" on page
- 1878: Proceedings of the Conference respecting The Duplication of the Telegraph Lines between Australasia and Europe:
Part 1: The Report (5 pages).
Part 2: Minutes of Evidence. (20 pages)
Especially interesting are the sections reporting on routes, interruptions, costa and maintenance given by:
E.C. Cracknell (Queensland) - paragraphs 166 - 219;
Samuel W. McGowan (Victoria) - paragraphs 220 - 265;;
W. J. Cracknell (New South Wales)- paragraphs 267 - 327;
Charles Todd (South Australia) - paragraphs 328 - 431. The Todd paragraphs cover a wide range of construction and operational aspects of the first line.