l-keydates

On This Day Below are monthly lists of significant dates in the Overland Telegraph story. Most of the dates are in the period from 1870 when the British Australian Telegraph Company was formed in London and when the South Australian Government made a commitment to build the Overland Telegraph Line, to 1872, when the Line was finally completed. All dates are referenced to their source. NOTE: New months will be added at the start of each month in 2022. Click an image to download a copy (PDF format):

Calendar Order

Chronological Order

Timelines

Below are two lists of 150+ significant dates in the Overland Telegraph story in both calendar and chronological order. Most of the dates are in the period from 1870, when the British Australian Telegraph Company was formed in London and when the South Australian Government made a commitment to build the Overland Telegraph Line. The list ends in 1872, when the Line was finally completed. NOTE: These lists are subject to update. Click an image to download a copy (MS Word format):

22 August 1872 Finally it’s come down to the last few miles of the Overland Telegraph Line. To speed things up, poles have been placed at ten to the mile, not the specified twenty, but it’s enough to hold up the wire for now. Robert Patterson is showing the symptoms of malaria and has made camp at Frew’s Ironstone Ponds. The Line is a few miles to the east where he has had a cut made in the wire so that he can make a ceremonial join. But the news has already flown down the Line and Adelaide is celebrating the completion of the Overland Telegraph.!.