Two sides of the wire: how the Overland Telegraph brought colonial triumph and Aboriginal devastation

A crowd celebrates the planting the first pole of the Overland Telegraph near Port Darwin. Photograph: Imaging Services/National Archives of Australia

In 1872, 150 years ago on Monday, Australia celebrated its connection to the world. A heroic effort had conquered the tyranny of distance, and the Overland Telegraph, stretching more than 3,000km from Adelaide to Darwin, was heralded as a triumph.

In 1872, 150 years ago on Monday, the devastating effects of colonisation were being felt through the middle of Australia. The telegraph line brought settlers, the destruction of the environment and death for Aboriginal people.