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C1872
The Trans-continental Telegraph.-Alice Springs Station.
Artist:
Scarce engraving of the Alice Springs Overland Telegraph Station from a drawing by Edwin Stow Berry ( 1845-1934). The Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve is four km from the town centre. The Telegraph Station is the birthplace of the … Read Full Description
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Details
Full Title:
The Trans-continental Telegraph.-Alice Springs Station.
Date:
C1872
Artist:
Condition:
In good condition.
Technique:
Hand coloured engraving.
Image Size:
227mm
x 150mm
Paper Size:
248mm
x 175mm
AUTHENTICITY
Genuine antique
dated:
1872
Description:
Scarce engraving of the Alice Springs Overland Telegraph Station from a drawing by Edwin Stow Berry ( 1845-1934).
The Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve is four km from the town centre. The Telegraph Station is the birthplace of the Alice Springs township.
Construction began in November 1871 under the supervision of Gilbert Rotherdale McMinn, adjacent to the waterhole on the Todd River, named for Charles Todd’s wife. The river had been discovered by William Whitfield Mills in March 1871 during explorations through the MacDonnell Ranges as part of the Overland Telegraph Line survey. A number of structures were eventually built, including a harness room, buggy shed, police station, blacksmith’s workshop, telegraph office, kitchen building and station master’s residence. Supplies arrived from Adelaide just once per year, so self-sufficiency was critical. Stockyards and a large garden area were also developed. While the waterhole supplied the settlement with water, a well was later sunk to maintain supply during drought periods. The Station began operating in January 1872 with a message sent to Adelaide. The station remained in service until 1932, before being replaced by more modern facilities within the town proper.
Collections:
State Library Victoria: PCINF AS 14-06-73 P.53
State Library South Australia: B 1891
State Library Victoria: PCINF AS 14-06-73 P.53
State Library South Australia: B 1891
Edwin Stow Berry (1845 - 1934)
Berry was a surveyor and explorer, who took a leading part in two important expeditions to the Northern Territory. Born in Glenelg, to William and Hannah Berry, née Watts (c. 1804 – 15 October 1880), of Ringmer, Sussex, who arrived in South Australia in September 1839 on the Branken Moor from London. They lived for a while at Glenelg, then Grenfell Street, Adelaide, then built the family home "Ringmer" in Burnside. Edwin was educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution and in 1865 he was taken on by the Government's Survey Department> In the same year he joined George Goyder's surveying team. He was a head of the survey team attached to Goyder's 1869 expedition to the Northern Territory which laid out the plan for the town of Port Darwin, and lithographed by F. S. Crawford in 1869. The other surveyors were J. W. O. Bennett, A. Ringwood and W. M. Hardy. He was chosen as second-in-charge for Major Warburton's expedition which was to have left Adelaide in early September 1872 for Central Mount Stuart, and thence to Perth. That expedition was delayed almost a month and Berry was dropped from the party, and instead assigned to William Gosse as second-in-charge of his 1873 expedition to Central Australia, and whose other members were Henry Gosse (William's brother, died 1888 in Darwin), Henry Winnall and Patrick Nilen (possibly spelled "Nilan"), three Afghans and "Moses", an Aborigine from Peake. William Darton Kekwick, originally appointed the party's "Collector", was too ill to proceed and died 16 October 1872 on his return to Adelaide. Among their discoveries was the monolith Uluru which Gosse named "Ayer's Rock". The party reached a point 600 miles (970 km) west of the Transcontinental Telegraph Line and were forced to return due to lack of available water. ref; SLSA
