OTL - Interruptions

Australia -South Australia/Northern Territory.
The Overland Telegraph Line - interruptions.

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Special aspects

Especially in the early months of the service, there were a number of interruptions to the telegraphic communication. Most of these were interruptions to the cable beyond Australia's shores.

A typical announcement of the interruptions which occurred is that carried by the SA Advertiser for Monday 24 February 1873:

"The Java line is still interrupted. The messages received last night were sent by post from Bezoeki to Banjoewangie. The repairing parties have started, and communication is expected to be restored to-morrow".

After the major interruptions in October 1888, the Company announced that "The interruptions have been much magnified as the total period during which communication has been interrupted since the duplication, including recent ones, has been only 41 days, averaging less than five days per annum". (Brisbane Courier, 8 November 1888).

An interruption of a different kind (reported on 23 April 1896 in the Kalgoorlie Western Argus) resulted in "a man named Fitzgerald being sentenced to six months imprisonment at Port Darwin for cutting the overland telegraph line. He severed the wire on three different occasions. Each time he said he required assistance".