South Australia - Colonial: 1856 - 1900.
Telegraph lines in the Barossa region.


Todd's overall planning had to address the various objectives he had established for the development of South Australia. Some of these objectives were:

The first line constructed into the Barossa region came from Gawler. It was an extension of that line through Roseworthy and Freeling and it was then extended directly to Clare. Lines built after 1861 were all contained within the valley and finally met those lines coming from Nairne and Gumeracha.

This map extends to Salisbury, Port Wakefield and Auburn. This map extends to Overland Corner and NSW.
This map extends to Mount Barker, Strathalbyn and Wellington.

The line to Blanchetown.

The start of the inter-colonial line from Gawler to NSW raised much discussion and inspired many public meetings. Where to start the line - from Gawler and Lyndoch or from the more northerly Freeling? This discussion has all been included in the Gawler to NSW lines to encompass the whole context.

 

Lines within the Valley.

In May 1865, the Estimates made provision for £600 for two branch telegraph lines to connect Angaston with Nuriootpa and Greenock with Tanunda in the half year to December 1865. The line was constructed from Gawler to Nuriootpa - via Lyndoch and Tanunda - and then through Stockwell and on to Truro (at a cost of £250). Stockwell was not connected for another 10 years. Haste was important and it was critical to construct the line past Truro to Blanchetown.

On 29 July 1865, the Adelaide Observer that "the telegraph posts are now erected but it is not yet known where the office (in Nuriootpa) will be". Telegraph Offices were opened in the following year at Lyndoch and Tanunda (where Mr. Schroeder would be employed in 1878). The branch line was constructed to Greenock.

The discussion did not end there however. The South Australian Register of 23 April 1879 (p. 5) noted :

"At an influential meeting held at Greenock last night 22 April, a resolution was unanimously carried to memorialize the Government to provide direct  telegraphic communication between the townships of Greenock and Freeling, such being of great importance to Freeling, Daveyston, Greenock,  Truro and the whole district".

As the telegraph became more important and depended upon by citizens, the chances of abuse increased. One such incident occurred in along the north-east line in 1870:

ANGASTON, October 27. "On Sunday morning people going from chapel were almost electrified by observing a placard outside the Telegraph Office announcing the arrival of the English mail, that the French had been victorious and Prussians defeated, the Emperor Napoleon was dead, &c, giving full particulars, so that nearly all believed it, especially as a rumour had been spread the evening before that the mail was in sight.

A large concourse read and took copies for friends at a distance; and it is seldom that such excitement is observed in Angaston. The news soon reached the neighbouring town of Nuriootpa, where the excitement rose - if possible - to a greater extent, the Telegraph Master being immediately requested to ask the Head Station at Tanunda why they had not sent the news.

The reply that they knew nothing about it was not deemed satisfactory and other queries followed but nothing further could be obtained than that no news had been received. A few doubted the telegram being genuine from the first, knowing from experience that public information cannot be obtained at Angaston station without its being paid for. About 3 o'clock it proved to be a complete sell. The author luckily could not be found but considerable indignation was expressed by those duped".

 

The Eden Valley line.

Questions had been asked in the House at least since November 1873 about the promised extension of the telegraph lines to Eden Valley. The Adelaide Observer of 1 August 1874 reported:

"we presume that Paper No. 171, which was recently ordered to be printed by the House of Assembly, is intended to throw light upon Mr. Ward's motions upon telegraphic extension. It consists of two reports by Mr. Todd - the first of which is dated September 1867 - and gives an estimate of the returns which a branch line to Eden Valley might be expected to yield ... Mr. Todd was of opinion that the revenue at Eden Valley would not exceed the average of the sums (of other nearby offices) and that, if such a branch were carried out, it must not be with a view to profit but simply to afford the same facilities to Eden Valley as are possessed by other towns of the same size. He supported this conclusion by the statement that very few of the country offices near Adelaide, even where marked as branches, pay their working expenses".

"Farmers (at Eden Valley) are desirous of seeing the telegraph line completed in time for their getting the earliest intelligence regarding the markets during the harvest" (Adelaide Observer 14 November 1874).

Finally the extension to Eden Valley from Mount Pleasant was completed in 1876 at a cost of £600. It would be 17 months before the Telegraph Office was constructed and the line could be used.

The intermediate town of Springton was never connected to the telegraph line but in July 1888, it was announced that telephone services would be provided to Springton.

The date at which Angaston was connected to Eden Valley is unclear but it would be soon after 1876.

Telegraphic communication was extended to Williamstown from Lyndoch and the new office was opened on Friday 18 May 1880.