Tennant Creek and Devils Marbles [Dateline 30 July -  31 July 2006]

A very interesting part of Australia...  with equally interesting history for both Aboriginals and the white people.  The Red Centre was not really fully traversed by European settlers until the mid 19th century; the main motivation being to connect Australia with the motherland and outside world, by way of the Telegraphic Line.  Everything here is big, flat, dry, arid and dusty (except in the wet season when it literally floods!!)- we could not help but admire those who choose to live and work in this harsh environment. 

Chris is reading the story of Charles Todd who immigrated from England in the 1860s to implement the new technology (Telegraph comms) allowing Australia to "connect" with the rest of the world (more of this in the photos and dialogue below).  And here we are (only 150 years later) doing the trip with mobile phones and wireless broadband technologies... complaining when we have to travel a few hundred kilometres with no mobile phone connection - yes... most of this land we cover at present has no mobile phone connection.

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The Telegraph Station at Tennant Creek.

This was one of 12 repeater stations supporting the original Telegraph Line running from Adelaide to Darwin. Many of the towns in the Red Centre owe their existence to this massive project... to the Project Managers and Comms people out there - this project commenced in 1870 and took just two years to complete.... comprising almost 3100km of telegraphic line and 12 repeater stations, each station requiring up to 120 chemical batteries to provide the power for transmitting the signals. I wonder if we could deliver such a project today?