Writers @ Stanton: David Dufty

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.

Drawing on original letters and journals, historian David Dufty uncovers this extraordinary story of the workers who brought this ambitious project to life.

Learn about how they encountered Aboriginal people who had never seen a European, and battled crocodiles, mysterious illnesses and starvation in an epic race against time.

About the author

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.

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