Description of the attraction
The Alice Springs Telegraph Station, founded in 1872 to carry messages from Adelaide to Darwin, was one of 12 similar stations along the Overland Telegraph Line. Today it is under state protection as a historical museum-reserve and the site of the first European settlement on the territory of modern Alice Springs.
The site was chosen in 1871 by topographer William Mills, who was looking for a suitable route for a telegraph line across the McDonnell Ridge. Construction of the station began in November of the same year. During the Second World War, it was used by army units. Be that as it may, but after 60 years of successful work, the building houses a school and boarding school for Aboriginal children.
Today the building of the telegraph station and its surroundings is a popular tourist attraction. The shady garden is ideal for picnics. There is a 4-kilometer hiking trail that runs along the Todd River through the Museum Reserve. Here you can ride a bike and see the very source of Alice Springs, after which the city was named. It is located near the station. The architectural component of the museum is also interesting: the station building has been under state protection since 1963, and during this time many buildings have been restored. Inside you can see furniture and other items from the late 19th century. It is still possible to send a letter from here with a special stamp. And, despite the proximity of the city, on the territory of the museum-reserve, located in the spurs of the McDonnell Ridge, there are also wild animals, for example, wallabies.
