Earn $10 Reward Vouchers
It was the greatest feat of engineering in nineteenth-century Australia, but it very nearly collapsed in the face of monumental obstacles.
The year was 1870, and mail took six weeks to get to England by sea. Australians hungered for the speedy communication a telegraph connection would bring. Engineer Charles Todd promised that he could string up wires on poles from Adelaide over 3,000 kilometres to an undersea cable in Darwin harbour in just eighteen months. It was a wild gamble that became an epic race against time.
This is the extraordinary story of the building of the Overland Telegraph. Three teams of workers crossed deserts, mountains, and rivers in flood, following the rough maps that John McDouall Stuart had brought back from his final expedition. They encountered Aboriginal people who had never seen a European, and battled crocodiles, mosquitoes, mysterious illnesses and starvation. Drawing on original letters and journals, historian David Dufty has uncovered never-before-published details about this groundbreaking project.
This is a tale of obsession and heroism, violence and tragedy, and above all, it's a totally compelling yarn.
'A gripping story' - David Hill
'A tale of endeavor and perseverance' - Roland Perry
'Meticulous research and Dufty's monster writing skills shape a cracking retelling of Charles Todd's race to stretch a single strand of telegraph wire across 3000km of remote Australia from Port Augusta to Darwin' - Glenn Morrison
'A good read, and speaks of the man and his team, illustrating the talents of a rare achiever' - Mac Benoy
By:
David Dufty
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 153mm,
Weight: 433g
ISBN: 9781761471353
ISBN 10: 176147135X
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 01 September 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
List of Maps Part I: Rising Stars 1 The Lightning Line 2 Samuel McGowan 3 Charles and Alice 4 Battle Lines 5 The Intercolonial Link 6 Todd's Progress 7 The Race to Cable the World 8 Alice 9 Escape Cliffs 10 The Cable Cometh Part II: The Deal 11 The Captain's Company 12 To Port Darwin, and Quickly 13 Double Deals 14 First Contracts Part III: The Great Work 15 Explorers for Hire 16 The Plan 17 Go North, Young Man 18 A Surprise for Port Darwin 19 From Port to Peake 20 Poles in the Jungle1 21 Number Two Depot 22 Doubters Part IV: The Sunburned Country 23 The Sweeping Plains 24 The Flooding Rains 25 The Ragged Mountain Ranges 26 The Steady, Soaking Rain 27 A Wilful, Lavish Land 28 The Far Horizon 29 The Grey Clouds Gather Part V: Patterson's Journey 30 The Ghost of Expeditions Past 31 The Wreck of the Gulnare 32 The Cable Has Landed 33 Heart of Darkness 34 The Voyage of the Bengal 35 The Pitiless Blue Sky 36 Hart Tumbles 37 Tidings on Birdum Creek 38 The Drovers 39 The Bengal or Bust Part VI: Todd's Journey 40 The Estafette 41 The Black Prince 42 Todd's Fleet 43 The Mighty Roper 44 The Arrival of the Tararua 45 Sending Supplies 46 Providence Knoll 47 The Mystery of the Missing Boat 48 Black and White 49 To the End of the Line 50 Across the Gap 51 The Join 52 The Long Ride Home 53 Goodbye to the Roper Part VII: Connection 54 Homecoming Hero 55 Patterson's Curse 56 The Fate of the Black Prince 57 A Link to the West 58 Barrow Creek 59 The Open Heart 60 Charles and Alice 61 The End of the Line Acknowledgements Notes Bibliography Index
David Dufty is an historian and researcher. He is the author of Nabbing Ned Kelly; The Secret Code Breakers of Central Bureau, winner of the 2017 Nib Military History Prize; and of Radio Girl, winner of the Best Non-fiction, 2020 ACT Notable Awards.
Reviews for Charles Todd's Magnificent Obsession: The epic race to connect Australia to the world
'The story of how it was finally done, overcoming the perils of deluge and desert, endless political infighting and contractual chicanery, is told with flair and contagious enthusiasm' - Sydney Morning Herald
