Search the collections
Telegraphy Collection
Image: Early demonstration morse system
Source: Museum Victoria
Museum Victoria holds a collection of about 230 telegraphy-related objects dating from the middle of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century.
The majority of the objects in the collection are instruments of the Morse type as used in the Victorian telegraph system. These instruments include keys, sounders, registers, relays and switches used for the transmission and reception of messages using Morse code. The earliest of these objects dates from the 1860s. In addition, there are a number of so-called 'ABC' or 'Alphabetical' telegraph instruments, which did not require the use of Morse code by the operator and were used on less busy lines in Victoria.
Other objects in the collection include several needle telegraphs. These instruments relied on successive deflections of a needle or needles to convey coded messages over the telegraph lines. They were not used in the Victorian Government's telegraph system.
Apart from actual telegraph instruments, the collection includes objects such as samples of submarine telegraph cables, telegraph line insulators, government reports on telegraph operations, and examples of telegrams.
The electric telegraph first began operating in Victoria (and Australia) in March 1854 with the opening of the line between Melbourne and Williamstown. The man responsible for bringing the telegraph to Victoria was Samuel Walker McGowan, an Irish-born Canadian. The collection includes several items of McGowan memorabilia, including a plate from his dinner service, a book sent to him by Samuel Morse and the inventor of the Morse telegraph system.
Items per page: 10 50 (showing 1 - 10) 33 items
-
Book - Samuel F.B. Morse, 'Processes in Telegraphy', 1867
Processes in Telegraphy by Samuel F.B. Morse, United States Commissioner to the Paris Universal Exposition, 1867. Book has handwritten inscription by Samuel Morse and signature of Sam ...
Images: 4 -
No Image Available
Document - Report of the General Superintendent of Electric Telegraph, 1862 - 3
Report prepared for the Victorian Parliament by the General Superintendent of the Electric Telegraph on the "Advancement and Condition of his Department for the year ending 31st Decembe ...
From: Melbourne, Australia Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Document - Reduced scale of charges on telegraphic messages, 1872
Single page document presented to the Victorian Parliament setting out charges for telegraphic messages sent from Victoria to the Exchange Company in Sydney, New South Wales.
Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Document - Victorian and Tasmanian Intercolonial Telegraph Service, 1869
Single page document presented to the Victorian Parliament setting out charges for telegraphic messages between Victoria and Tasmania.
Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Document - Submarine Telegraphic Connection, Cape Otway to Tasmania, 1858-9
Second report on a survey of the route for a submarine telegraph cable between Cape Otway in Victoria and Tasmania. Presented to the Victorian Parliament by the General Superintendent o ...
From: Melbourne, Australia Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Document - Correspondence on Intercolonial Telegraphs, 1856
Document presented to the Victorian Parliament setting out "Correspondence relative to the establishment of electro-telegraphic communication between the Australian Colonies." Included ...
Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Document - Victorian and Tasmanian Intercolonial Telegraph Messages, 1870
Document setting out rates for transmission of intercolonial telegraph messages between the Eastern Colonies (later states).
Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Telegram - Birth Congratulations, 1963
Telegram in envelope. Telegram message of congratulations on the birth of baby. Dated 31 May, 1963.
Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Telegram - Birth Congratulations, 1963
Telegram. Birth congratulations. 31 May, 1963.
Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Envelope - Telegram, Birth Congratulations, 1963
Telegram envelope. 31 May, 1963.
Images: 0
