The Telegraph Station
The historic Telegraph Station is a must-see on a visit to Alice Springs. Built in 1872 as part of the Overland Telegraph line linking Adelaide to Darwin and Australia to the world, it’s a window into Australia’s pioneering past.
Early explorer John McDouall Stuart led an expedition through the centre of Australia and first settled the town now known as Alice Springs in 1862. The Telegraph Station and surrounding stone buildings are still standing on the site of this European settlement not far from the waterhole which gave Alice Springs its name and are the best preserved of the 12 repeater stations on the Overland Telegraph line.
The Telegraph Station operated for 60 years relaying messages between Adelaide and Darwin and connecting communities in some of the most isolated parts of Australia. Some of the buildings on site were originally used as a home for the Station Master and his family, staff quarters and stables for horses. Later the buildings were used as a school for local Aboriginal children before being opened to the public as a historic site with a collection of early 1900s furniture and artefacts on display.
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