Qld telegraph lines

The Electric Telegraph Office in Queensland opened in 1861. Immediately plans were developed to construct two lines:

the inter-colonial line through Toowoomba and Maryland to Tenterfield and through to Sydney. Several Telegraph Offices were opened along that line.
a local line to Lytton and Cape Moreton. Several Telegraph Offices were opened along that line and later within suburban Brisbane.

Details of subsequent line construction and the telegraph offices opened along those lines can be accessed through the various hyperlinks below.

Cape York: Extends from Somerset and Thursday Island in the north
to the Gulf line between Cardwell and Normanton and Burketown.

Telegraph offices on Cape York.

Gulf Line: Extends from Cardwell through Junction Creek to Normanton and Burketown.

Telegraph offices on the Gulf line.

Lines in the Normanton - Cloncurry - Mackay region.

Telegraph Offices in this region.

Lines in the Brisbane - Roma - Mackay region.

All lines along the coast from Brisbane north to Mackay.

Telegraph Offices in this region.

Lines in the South east region from Brisbane to Tweed Heads and east to Warwick.

Telegraph Offices in this region.

Lines in the Central West region:

Extends from Winton to Tambo south to Charleville and west to Birdsville.

Telegraph offices in the Central West Section.

Lines in the South west region: Extends from the line between Toowoomba and Charleville south to the NSW border.

Telegraph Offices in the South West region.

Background to the planning of the telegraph lines is provided in part by the population estimates of the number of inhabitants in the various towns at that time:

For 1861, it was estimated that the Colony had 42,000 people of whom 12,000 were aboriginal scattered across the territory.

Of the other people, it was estimated that 50 % were distributed as follows:

Brisbane	7,000
Ipswich	4,500
Toowoomba	1,500
Drayton	400
Warwick	700
Dalby	200
Gayndah	400
Maryborough	800
Gladstone	250
Rockhampton	800