ADELAIDE CONNECTED TO MELBOURNE BY TELEPHONE - DIARY ENTRY 11

Happenings at Home,
April - July 1914
Adelaide Connected to Melbourne by Telephone

Image: early Australian telephone advertisement - Follow a Digger through WWI with this historically engaging Great War Diary which recreates the life of a typical Australian soldier in the trenches. Available for purchase here.

This is a less exciting development but I think it worthy of inclusion as it carries with it an obvious downside for Father. On Sunday the first telephone call between Adelaide and Melbourne was made. Apparently the callers could hear each other as if speaking from the next room despite the call travelling across 500 miles of copper. I expect at this moment you are contemplating the obvious downside of this development. Aunt Winifred might soon replace her vitriolic letters with telephone calls to the house. Father groaned when he read the news but was relived to read the service does not yet afford people in Adelaide the ability to connect to Sydney through Melbourne, although it suggested this development would be possible at some point. Father took heart that even if it were possible for her calls to reach Sydney all parties to the call must be on the central exchanges, not suburban exchanges such as ours. It is only a matter of time before the whole country and every house with a telephone is joined by copper. Poor Father.

Gordon, there is as always more to say, but I will end the journal here and put effort into finding a way to get it to you before you reach home. I believe Burn Philp has a ship departing for the islands shortly and I want to call at the office to see if it will cross your path. News of your homecoming fills me with more excitement than I can express. John.