Australians are rightly very proud of their Overland Telegraph Line (OTL). This was a 3,200 kilometre line that connected Darwin with Port Augusta in South Australia. Completed in 1872 the OTL allowed fast communication between Australia and the rest of the world.
Initally, the line was supported by Cypress poles, but these swiftly succumbed to termites and bush fires. Oppenheimer poles, were galvanised iron structures, imported into the UK from Germany and from there shipped to the antipodes. Therein they were placed with an 80 metre spacing and with a repeater station every 250 km.
Many of these Oppenheimer poles are still standing and are much cherished by the Aussie telegraph enthusiast community. I know all this because I have been in communication with Mike Patterson (VK4MIK) of Tableland Radio Group who recently erected their own Oppenheimer pole at the Mareeba Heritage Centre, Queensland, top right hand corner of Australia.
I previously reported on a request by Norma Warren for any information on the 14 iron poles made by Buller Ltd UK which still stand locally to Esperance, Western Australia. These, she tells us were the original poles used to link Adelaide to Albany via Ceduna, Eucla and Esperance. Bullers Ltd were based at Joiners Square Works, Hanley, Stoke-on–Trent by the way. 
The photos alongside were provided by Mike Patterson. The first is taken at Cooktown in 1900 showing the Oppenheimer pole beside the Cooktown to Laura railway with the tree that Lt James Cook RN tied HMS Endeavour to whilst undergoing repairs after hitting a coral reef in 1770. The second shows an ‘o” pole still sitting where it was erected in 1876 on the Palmerville to Maytown telegraph line – this photo taken only recently.
Finally, for those interested in reading further the fascinating history of Australia’s overland telegraph…
1. Celebrating 140 years of the Overland Telegraph Line
2. Wikipedia entry
3. The Overland Telegraph by Ron McMullen. (Document disappeared from original web location – I saved it before it went)