Lake Mary Ann Tennant Creek 14th July

We left Lake Mary Ann just after 8:00 and heading north and came across the tennant creek telegraph homestead so decided to have a look around. Tennant Creek Telegraph Station was built around 1872 when Stuart first explored the area. The telegraph was The only method of communication between towns and the outside world. The telegraph consisted of repeater station homesteads in all the major towns between Adelaide and Darwin and covered some 3600 ks. Physical wires up on poles had to be erected and legend has it that not only did the termites eat the wooden poles as soon as they were erected but the local aboriginals also cut them down believing the were evil magic. The two sections of lines ( north and south) were finally joined together at 3:15 pm on Thursday the 22nd of august 1872. Gangs of men often camping out for months at a time maintained the lines ensuring communication remained intact.The homesteads were where the men returned to restock with supplies and find out about local and sometimes world news. Australia was a very lonely and isolated place in those days. The telegraph was replaced by the telephone in about 1930.