Sending a Telegram via Morse Code

Friday, June 27:

Before doing a shop – our first major one since Port Augusta 3 weeks ago we decided to go to Simpson’s Gap and the Alice Springs Telegraph Station.

Simpson’s Gap was only a short walk but worth the look. On the way back into Alice we stopped at John Flynn’s Grave and that of his wife on the roadside. It has a large round rock on top which was taken from the Devil’s Mables, a sacred site further north. This upset the locals so after 20 years of delicate negotiations, the rock was replaced and the mable returned to its sacred home.

View of Simpsons Gap near Alice Springs.

John and Jean Flynn's memorial at Alice Springs.

Telegraph Station

 

The Telegraph Station was wonderful. The station was the reason Alice Springs was established. The station opened in 1872 as part of the north-south telegraph overland Telegraph Line.

The buildings have been beautifully resorted and each has informative interpretation to go with it. It was a community on its own in the early days.

A bonus was in the Post Telegraph office were a couple of guys – one young one old who told us all about Morse Code, how it developed and was used to send telegrams and messages. They had all the equipment and were linked with Adelaide. They sent a message and Adelaide replied. I ended up sending a telegram to myself at home and they assured me it would be delivered in a special envelope. I will have to wait until October to see it. The message was sent to Adelaide which transcribes it and arranges for it to be posted to home. In the early days that message would have been relayed to Melbourne then to Lilydale and then delivered to home.

In case you’re interested Sue in Morse Code is … ..- .

We had a great lunch at Uncle’s Tavern and then spent an hour or more shopping and spending lots of money.

Alice has very strict drinking and alcohol laws which prohibits drinking of alcohol outside in the town itself. Bottle shops don’t open until 1pm and alcohol limits apply – only 2 bottles of wine per person though you can buy a slab of beer or two bottles of Scotch.

Wine casks are virtually non existent and police are on duty at each outlet.

A camel crate at the Overland Telegraph Station at Alice Springs

One of the volunteers sending a telegram via Morse Code to Adelaide and then via post to the recipient at the Overland Telegraph Station at Alice Springs.