Alice Springs Telegraph Station

The Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve marks the original site of the first European settlement in Alice Springs. Established in 1871 to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide along the Overland Telegraph Line which connected Australia’s population centres with the north of the country and Britain using the undersea telegraph network. Before the telegraph line was built, a message to England would have to travel by boat, taking 3-4 months each way. After the telegraph line was built, morse code messages could reach London in as little as 5 hours – slow by today’s standards, but revolutionary for people of the 19th century.

THE HISTORIC MUSEUM

Guided Tours through the heritage museum and precinct are great ways for your clients to immerse themselves in the history of the Telegraph Station, the origins of Alice Springs as a town and the Stolen Generation of the Bungalow era of the 1930s. Learn about the back story, and inner workings of the original Telegraph Station and Post Office, as well as experience a working display of Meidinger batteries – replicas of those that powered the Overland Telegraph Line back in the 1870s – which is unique in the southern hemisphere.

LEARN MORE

THE TRAIL STATION CAFÉ

The Trail Station Cafe is nestled along the vibrant Alice Springs Trail, next to the historic Alice Springs Telegraph Station. Offering all your on the go needs with freshly brewed coffee, toasted croissants, gourmet sandwiches, ice-creams and a tempting selection of cakes to choose from. Whether you’re planning a picnic on the grassy lawns, walking one of the marked trails or tackling the terrain on bike – the Trail Station Café is the ideal stop for adventurers and explorers alike.

LEARN MORE