Story: Telecommunications

Telegraph operators

Telegraph operators

Telegraph operators work in their office in 1910. All telegraph equipment was imported. When the manufacture of telecommunications equipment became a substantial industry in New Zealand in the 1970s, the telephone and telex had virtually replaced the telegram. Operators took great pride in their skill; 25 words a minute was a reasonable speed for a Morse code operator, but in the 1870s one operator could send perfect copy at 45 words per minute.

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Alexander Turnbull Library, Lander Collection
Reference: 1/2-111693; G

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

A. C. Wilson, 'Telecommunications - Business and cable networks', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/22010/telegraph-operators (accessed 2 May 2024)

Story by A. C. Wilson, published 11 Mar 2010, updated 1 Apr 2022