This article from the Brisbane Courier of Saturday, December 22nd, 1923, puts our modern world of global and near earth communications in perspective – this was a mere 100 years ago.
TELEPHONIC CHAIN. LINKING UP.
FOUR STATES CONNECTED.
SYDNEY, December 21.
There Is now a complete chain of telephone lines along the Australian coast from Mackay, In Queensland, to Port Augusta, In South Australia.
A new trunk line between Sydney and Lismore has just been completed, and conversation is easier than between Sydney and Redfern. Brisbane now talks to Sydney, and Brisbane can talk to Melbourne, but commercial calls are not yet a practical proposition.
However, the lines between Sydney and Melbourne are being tuned up to make this possible The coast line is not used for this, though the main trunk line follows the railway It will be a matter of time only before the four States are linked up. Communication is possible now, but only under difficulties.