Overview
The Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve marks the original site of the first European settlement in Alice Springs.
Established in 1872 to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide, it is the best preserved of the 12 stations along the Overland Telegraph Line.
Construction of this Telegraph Station began in 1871. The township of Alice Springs takes its name from the waterhole a short distance to the east of the Station buildings.
This Telegraph Station operated for 60 years, and then served as a school for Aboriginal children.
How to Get There
By vehicle, the Reserve is around 4km north of Alice Springs along the Stuart Highway.
Alternatively there is a walking and cycling track into the Reserve via Schwartz Crescent and another along the west bank of the Todd River.
What to See and Do
Guided Tours of the Historical Precinct operate throughout the year. Phone 8952 3993 to confirm tour times.
The Station was protected as a Historical Reserve in 1963, and a number of stone buildings have now been restored. These buildings house furnishings and artifacts from early last century, and are preserved as an historic display.
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
