1. Life on the
Overland Telegraph Line

2. More Memories of Life on
the Overland Telegraph Line

3. The Railway Dream

4.Overview of A Picnic
with the Natives

5. A summary of the
Barrow Creek conflict
as told in An End to Silence
by Peter Taylor

6. Kaytetye Country:
An Aboriginal history of the
Barrow Creek Area

7. The Tragedy at
Strangways Springs

8. Northern Territory
Survey Expedition

9. Adelaide to Darwin
by foot


Review of Frederick Goss' "Never Never Telegraphist"

This description of service as a Telegraph Operator on the Northern Section of the Overland Telegraph, and covering the years 1878 to 1903, was published in serial form (10 parts) by TELECOM in 1978.

It is by far, the most accurate and detailed description of work and living conditions in the "Top end" of the Northern Territory that I have read. As such it is a most interesting and historically valuable document.

C Leonard AUGUST 1980


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Adelaide to Darwin by foot

This is part of a story provided by an OT descendant by the name of Barrie Skidmore, it comes from an article titled 'Overlander' about his grandfather.

'I was speaking to a man who once covered practically the whole distance between Adelaide and Darwin, about 2,200 miles, on foot. He is Mr Chris Dabovich of Forestville, now 73. He used to be head linesman in the Telegraph Department, and in 1900 took part in duplicating the wire to Darwin. "We didn't have motor trucks and tower wagons in those days," said Mr Dabovich.

"Horse-drawn wagons and camels were used by our gang. We lived on damper and tinned meat, and struck some pretty dry stages." A year or so later he went through to overhaul the line, walking from pole to pole practically the whole way from Adelaide G.P.O. to the Darwin Post Office. A 14-ft ladder, carried from post to post, was used to examine the fastenings to the insulators. The job took about two years.'
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