TO BE COMPLETED John McDouall Stuart tracked the route for the OT. After a series of lengthy negotiations, the SA Government passed an Act in June 1870 authorising a 120,000 pound loan for the construction of an overland telegraph line. The Government contracted the British Australian Telegraph Company to build the line and to open communication by telegraph with Port Darwin on or before 1 January, 1872. The undertaking was tremendous. The line needed to traverse over 3000 kilometres over virtually unknown territory. Work on the line began in September 15, 1870 under the direction of the SA Postmaster-General Charles Todd. Todd divided the work into three main areas – the southern, central and northern. As Maisie McKenzie writes in her book Flynn’s Last Camp, the task was a formidable one and yet after ‘two years of adventure, illness, deaths, troubles and delays, the last of the 37,000 poles was cut and erected and the vital wire up.’ (50). On August 22, 1872, the wires were joined at Frew’s Ponds and on 21 October the colonies were connected by the wire. Todd was knighted for his achievement and now the main road and the river both bear his surname while the town, which was previously known as Stuart, was changed to its current name in homage to Todd’s wife Alice. During development of the OT, a great degree of exploration was concurrently carried out with workers such as John Ross, Alfred Giles and other surveyors adding to knowledge about the interior. References: Maise McKenzie, Flynn’s Last Camp, Boolarong Publications, -----
