This is right in the middle of town and next door to it is Adelaide House which was the first hospital/nursing post in Central Australia. It was from here that the first ever pedal radio transmission was made. It went between Alice Springs and Hermannsburg, a distance of 125 kms.
After a quick lunch, we went out the northern side of town to look at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station which was opened in 1872. The Overland Telegraph line between Darwin and Adelaide played a key role in Australia's development. The line reduced the isolation of Australia from the rest of the world and messages took hours instead of months to reach their destination.
The Alice Spring waterhole from which the station took its name is part of the Todd River which runs past the Telegraph Station. It was named in honour of the Post Master General's wife, Alice Todd.
No comments:
Post a Comment