TitleTelegraph cable segment, 220mm Datec 1900sAbout this objectMade around 1900, this segment of cable is similar to the type of cable used by the Eastern Extension Australasia & China Telegraph Company (EEA&CT) for the La Perouse – Wakapuaka submarine cable linking Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand in 1876. Its cutaway presentation suggests it was probably used for teaching or training purpose.
This segment of cutaway submarine cable is a rare example of the type of cable used in the late 1800s to connect the British Empire, although its insulated and armoured copper core date it to around 1900. Its cutaway presentation indicates that it was intended as an instructional aid or as a souvenir.
La Perouse was identified as the landfall site in Australia for the cable because its remote location avoided the shipping traffic common in Port Jackson. Cable laying commenced on 4 February 1876 and was undertaken by two ships, the Cable Ship (CS) Hibernia and Edinburgh, when contact was maintained with La Perouse during the entire voyage to New Zealand. The final splice in the cable was made in choppy seas near the terminus at Blind Bay, Nelson, on the South Island of New Zealand on 18 February. Three days later, on 21 February 1876, the cable was open for traffic. The link with New Zealand complemented a network of British-controlled and -operated electric telegraph cables known as ‘All-Red Line’ – the name derived from the colour used to indicate British territories and colonies on maps of the period.Object No.99.99SourceLa Perouse MuseumOn displayNoTypeMuseum objectsOrganisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse Museum (La Perouse, N.S.W.)ThemesScience and communication
