Australia - Queensland to New Caledonia.
Laying the cable.

The details of laying the cable are provided as follows:

  1. Preparations involving the cable laying ship;
  2. the two components;
  3. the celebrations;
  4. the local connection.

Preparations.

The cable, which contained seven wires inside the tube, was made in three varieties:

The cable steamer Francois Arago arrived at Brisbane on Monday 14 August 1893. She then had to complete preparations, including coaling, before proceeding on her voyage to Noumea. The distance to be covered was between 800 and 900 miles and there were over 1,000 miles of cable on board. Given fine weather, it was expected that the work would not occupy more than a week.

The Arago left Brisbane for Gomen, New Caledonia on 20 August. People on board included M. Auguste Rouillard, Esq., engineer-in-chief of the Australian and New Caledonian cable expedition, the Hon. Mr. Audley Coote, M.L.C. from Tasmania and representatives of the Queensland Government (the Postmaster-General Mr. W. H. Wilson M.L.O. and the Under-Secretary of the Post & Telegraph Department Mr. McDonnell) and of the NSW Government (Postmaster-General of NSW Mr. John Kidd and Mr. P. B. Walker, Secretary of Telegraphs). Unfortunately there was a serious misunderstanding by someone because, on arrival of the steamer at her destination, no arrangements had been made by the local authorities to either receive or convey the Australian delegates to Noumea. Complicating matters further, Mr Kidd was requested to return to Brisbane urgently for Parliamentary duties. After not being able to use the Arago nor the H.M.S. Boomerang which happened to be at Noumea at the time, Mr Kidd and some others left on the Arago without having even visited Noumea.

The two sections of the operation.

The cable was laid in two sections from Bundaberg. Cape Moreton was the first place nominated for the Queensland base but hat was subsequently changed to Bundaberg.

Later the landing-place was removed to Southport because the Bundaberg route crossed a ledge in the ocean bed and that caused the cable to chafe with consequent interruption to communication. to Wilson Island on 21 August

Section 1: The Société Française Telegraphes Sous Marins provided that the cable should start from New Caledonia. Hence the first section was laid from the newly constructed cable-station at Gomen Bay on the north-west coast of the main island to a spot 280 miles offshore. Gomen offered a bay in a well-protected location on the island. To ensure this process, the cable was coiled into the tanks on the Arago and so arranged that the heaviest shore end for New Caledonia was on the top.

The short end of the cable laid from New Caledonia consisted of seven knots (about 13 km) of very heavy cable. Such a cable was considered to be important because of the unfavorable landing there. 

 
After laying to the designated 280 mile point, the cable was cut - on 15 September - and attached to a buoy in about 1,500 fathoms of water. This strategy was necessary to prevent the great strain upon the cable arising from the deep water existing off the New Caledonian end. It could have been taken direct from the Queensland coast had the cable been coiled to allow this operation but the depth of the water varying from 1,500 to 2,400 fathoms in some parts on the New Caledonian coast necessitated considerable care.

Mr Coote was able to send a message via the cable to the Governor of New Caledonia informing him of the progress. As the cable was being laid, it was continually tested and, up to the last moment of its being cut for buoying, all electrical and insulation conditions were in good order.

The Arago then immediately set for Bundaberg taking soundings to determine the real depths because of doubts about the previous seabed survey. The previous survey had reported that the seabed reached a depth of 2½ miles at a distance of 140 miles from the Queensland coast. In addition, it concluded that the ocean bed was rocky. The Arago found it to be of a white oozy clay, the depth of the water varying from 1,300 to 2,000 fathoms. Had the former soundings been reliable, a lighter cable would have been provided.

Section 2: from Bundaberg to the buoy off Gowen.
On 17 September, the Francois Arago arrived in Bundaberg and anchored off Almond's Landing at 10.30 p.m. At Mon Repose plantation - the Bundaberg shore end of the cable - the erection of the test-house proceeded almost up to the last hour with many hands being engaged on the work. By the morning of 18 September, everything was in readiness for the reception of the cable. A tug Hawk and a coal barge belonging the the dredge Maryborough were readied to assist in the operations.

Only three knots of shore end cable was provided because the conditions for laying were considered to be more suitable. That length of cable was sufficient to stretch the distance between where the François Arago was anchored and the shore. It was placed on the barge and towed to the shore by the Hawk. The end of the cable was then fixed to a rope, hauled ashore and taken as far as the test-house where it was later properly attached.

The Arago then left for New Caledonia and played out the cable as she sailed.

On 19 September, when the ship was 110 miles from land, a terrible gale struck causing the utmost consternation as to the safety of the cable until morning broke and then a slight lull occurred. Later on in the day, the storm increased in intensity and it was only by allowing a judicious length of slack that the safety of the cable was assured. The ship was at times enveloped in mountains of spray and the deck was swept by seas. On the following day, the storm eased until 6 o'clock when the wind veered round to due east bringing up a tremendous beam sea, which caused the ship to roll at an angle of 40°. The seas swept the tar and whitewash off the cable. Throughout the whole night, some disaster was momentarily expected owing to the terrible rolling and pitching of the steamer. How the cable held out was marvellous. The risk was so great that all hands had lifebelts ready for the worst. However, on September 22, the buoyed end of the section already laid was sighted, and a sense of thankfulness was felt that the terrible experience of the previous few days had not prevented the accomplishment of the task of safely laying the cable. The strain on the cable at times was 678 tons.

The gale continued until September 24, when it was decided to run to Noumea to effect repairs to the boilers. The vessel returned on September 30, but it was not until October 6 that it was possible to attempt to pick up the marked buoy.

On the following day, the Bundaberg end was sought to be raised, but the cable broke within 30 yards of the ship and four days were spent in grappling before the cable was recovered. The Gomen end was then raised with a view of joining the two ends, but this broke when 400 yards from the ship. The Bundaberg end then had to be buoyed to enable grappling to be continued. On 9 October 1893, the Launceston Examiner carried the news story that
"It is rumoured the buoyed end of the New Caledonia cable has been lost in deep water. It is further stated that the expedition is short of cable owing to defective soundings and the want of sufficient slack. Owing to these rumours the Paris cable officials are reported to be very anxious".

On the l5th October, both ends were got on board the Arago and the final splice was made amid much cheering. Mr. Audley Coote then released the rope holding the spliced cable.

Success to the first section of the cable was then drunk. Mr. Coote said that he was satisfied that, when the colonies saw the benefits accruing from the completion of the cable to Vancouver, all national jealousy would vanish. He a1so alluded flatteringly to the way in which M. Rouillard had proved himself equal to the dangers the ship had passed through. That officer responded and the ship then steamed to Bundaberg where the shore end was to be completed on the following day. (South Australian Register, 19 October 1893).

After the final splice had been made, the Governor of New Caledonia sent congratulatory messages to the Queen and the Presidents of the French and United States Republics.

On 15 October 1893 "the final splice in the New Caledonia cable was made and Australia is now in communication with New Caledonia. The cable is laid in a good and safe resting place in deep water and is not likely to suffer from attack by the teredo, as the soundings have proved conclusively that no coral exists on the route selected and the cool temperature of the water, which has been proved to be 10 degrees cooler than the Atlantic at similar depths, shows that it is too cold for this destructive element to the cable to survive" (Roma Advertiser, 21 October 1893).

The Arago then sailed to Bundaberg to unload surplus cable - which was stored in a large tank of water - and collect supplies before returning to Noumea to load cargo for the return home.

The celebrations

The Adelaide Advertiser of 18 October 1893 reported: "The Paris Figaro takes credit for France on account of the promptitude shown in the construction of the cable from Noumea to Australia and declares that, by this enterprise, a severe blow has been struck at England's monopoly of fame for the making and laying of submarine telegraphs".

On 23 October, a Ball was held in the Queen's Theatre in Bundaberg to celebrate the occasion of the opening of the Australia to New Caledonia cable. "The building was tastefully decorated, the most striking feature being Mr. F. Allen's picture affixed to the front of the gallery, containing a representation of the cable ship, the banners and emblems of the English and French nations with the Australian coat of arms and the legends "L'Amitié" and "Hands Across the Sea" (Brisbane Courier).

Not all people were happy. A local prominent businessman was interviewed by the Brisbane Courier and the issue of 19 September 1893 reported his views:

  1. "We have always done very well without cable communication in this place for the past 20 years.
  2. It will upset our business.
  3. The proposed tariff is simply exorbitant.
  4. Our home Government, without even consulting us, has deducted £8,000 for one contribution towards the cost of the cable - which money should have been spent in the colony.
Hence we say the whole thing is a delusion".

To put the above comment into a social context, the significant numbers of convict labourers employed by the municipal bodies had been charged for at 5d. per day per man although the home authorities have recently increased the charges to 1s. 5d. per day - a jump that is not at all relished by the local bodies. As of 15th July, 1892, trade was bad and money had almost disappeared from circulation.

Local connection.

The proposal to connect the shore end of the system with the town of Bundaberg by a cable laid along the river was abandoned on the grounds that it was impracticable. Instead it was conveyed to town by an underground system from the testing-house. The work entailed was however delayed and overhead wires were utilised until the necessary trench was dug.