Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve

Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve

Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve
4.5
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Located within the Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve, the Telegraph Station is the birthplace of the Alice Springs township. Is is an excellent value and must see destination to add to your itinerary while visiting the Northern Territory, and situated 4km north of the Town Centre, is easily accessible for a visit. The Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve marks the original site of the first European settlement in Alice Springs. Established in 1871 to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide and also linking with an underwater cable network to London. Consequently creating the first real communication between Australia and England. Time your visit with one of our 4 daily guided tours (included in the price of your entry). The guided tours will immerse you in the history of the Telegraph Station and the township. Most noteworthy, you will learn about how this monumental innovation that connected Australia to the rest of the World!
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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  • JanetB20102013
    Livingston, New Jersey144 contributions
    Worth a visit, but w/ a guided tour
    There is not a lot to do in Alice Springs. It seems to be basically a stopover for deeper exploration of the Outback. That's why we were there and only stayed for one night. Our tour company included this on our itinerary. It's very interesting if you get the unvarnished story, the indigenous experience here. So if you go, ask questions.
    Visited March 2023
    Written 15 April 2023
  • Lorraine L
    Tarwin Lower, Australia3,009 contributions
    An interesting historical site
    We visited the Telegraph Station at Alice Springs, there are nine structures here all in very good condition. The station has been set up well as a tourist destination and you enter the station beside a cafe/souvenir shop. We had a good look around Robb likes to read the boards and then pass the information on to me. We lucked out today because the Morse Code club spends a week here each year and it happened to be this week, we were fortunate enough to see a demonstration on sending messages through morse code and one of the club members gave us a brief but interesting history or this form of messaging through the years. There are some beautiful walks around here which seem to be very popular with the locals.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 April 2023
  • KatielouAustralia
    Hobart, Australia1,734 contributions
    Interestng for a visit but would not bother with the dinner
    Went to a “dinner under the stars” experience at the Telegraph Station as part of a trip on The Ghan. Well-maintained history of the laying of the communication line between Adelaide and Darwin and then to the rest of the world was most interesting. The dinner itself was a letdown - a very mediocre meal - but the band performance and talk from the astronomer were interesting.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 5 November 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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rob27898
Port Kennedy, Australia385 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Couples
Wasn’t sure what to expect with ‘the oldest buildings in NT’ but I was impressed - more so with the history than complex.
The staff were friendly and coffee hot so we just wandered around and read the interp.
it’s November so not busy at all with mainly people stopping by for refreshments off the nearby walking tracks.
It’s all certainly worth a visit to take a look around but it shouldn’t be your sole visit.
Written 12 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KatielouAustralia
Hobart, Australia1,734 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Friends
Went to a “dinner under the stars” experience at the Telegraph Station as part of a trip on The Ghan. Well-maintained history of the laying of the communication line between Adelaide and Darwin and then to the rest of the world was most interesting. The dinner itself was a letdown - a very mediocre meal - but the band performance and talk from the astronomer were interesting.
Written 6 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jajavalB
Lampang, Thailand2,732 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Solo
This attraction are 3 km from Alice town center with many important historical details. It’s historical reserves as first settlement of whites in central australia , where indigenous habitat of people of arrenrte. It’s hill with historical buildings, with well organized outdoor/indoor exhibition. There is lovely cafe with souvenir shop. There are wide selections of walking, cycling trails around there with well paved paths.
Written 27 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Elizabeth W
Melbourne, Australia9 contributions
Jun. 2023
A well presented and maintained history of the laying of the communication line between Adelaide and Darwin and to the rest of the world.
Written 4 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire B
15 contributions
Jul. 2023 • Family
Great way to learn about the history of the telegraph and the life of those that built and ran the station. We opted for the tour which was brief but informative. You could also just read the information. There are static displays of the homestead and then a morse code machine that the kids can have a go with. Little cafe/shop where we had warm scones straight out of the oven.
Written 1 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael-4551
Caloundra, Australia5,458 contributions
May 2023
Visited on Thursday 4th May. I was travelling on The Ghan and the evening excursion was out to The Telegraph Station for dinner under the stars. It was good being able to wonder around the building, all lit up at night.
Written 20 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Susan H
sydney63 contributions
Jun. 2023 • Couples
We went to a “dinner under the stars” experience at the Telegraph Station, which although it turned out to be a cloudy night, was still a very worthwhile experience, with an astronomer using a laser beam to point out where the various stars in our night sky moved throughout the year.
Arriving just before sunset gave us a chance to look around this interesting historical spot, only 4kms out of Alice Springs. The various old buildings provide the opportunity for a self guided tour of Morse code stations, life in the bush back then, and even a real life demonstration by blacksmiths.
Such an important part of Australia’s history!
A live band played during dinner, which was buffet style and eaten at large white linen cloaked round tables, gently lit by lantern encased groups of candles. A Didgeridoo was played in the band which was an added highlight.
Meanwhile, the audience danced in the red sand, next to illuminated ghost gums; all making for a memorable night indeed!
So glad we made the trip!
Written 11 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lorraine L
Tarwin Lower, Australia3,009 contributions
Apr. 2023 • Couples
We visited the Telegraph Station at Alice Springs, there are nine structures here all in very good condition. The station has been set up well as a tourist destination and you enter the station beside a cafe/souvenir shop. We had a good look around Robb likes to read the boards and then pass the information on to me. We lucked out today because the Morse Code club spends a week here each year and it happened to be this week, we were fortunate enough to see a demonstration on sending messages through morse code and one of the club members gave us a brief but interesting history or this form of messaging through the years. There are some beautiful walks around here which seem to be very popular with the locals.
Written 30 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JanetB20102013
Livingston, NJ144 contributions
Mar. 2023
There is not a lot to do in Alice Springs. It seems to be basically a stopover for deeper exploration of the Outback. That's why we were there and only stayed for one night. Our tour company included this on our itinerary. It's very interesting if you get the unvarnished story, the indigenous experience here. So if you go, ask questions.
Written 15 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Adventurers049
Brisbane, Australia3,377 contributions
Mar. 2023
This is a very important site in Australian history. It is located on the banks of the Todd River and was the source of the "Spring" of Alice.
Written 13 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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