The Early History of South Island Telegraphs 1862-1867

Abstract

In view of its importance in speeding up commercial, political and social development, surprisingly little has been written concerning the telegraph in New Zealand. This thesis is an attempt to explore some of the early history of this important subject. Today, following the Canterbury Centennial, seems an opportune time for research into one field in which that province set an example for the rest of the country. A search through the Otago Centennial Historical Publications shows scarcely anything dealing with the telegraph. This lack is also apparent when studying the history of Canterbury and Southland, the other two provinces which pioneered the telegraph in New Zealand. Though many books have been written on particular towns and districts in which telegraph history could have figured largely, it is exceptional to find even a bald statement as: "In 1862, Port Chalmers and Dunedin were connected by telegraph line and shortly afterwards a telegraph office was opened." In such local histories there is often a lack of sufficient research. Mistakes in one publication are repeated until they are accepted without question. Ignorance of where manuscript documents can be studied may account for this shortcoming.