Celebrating Charles Todd, father of the Overland Telegraph

Charles Todd was the force behind Australia’s first connection with the outside world – the Overland Telegraph. He came from a relatively ordinary background in England and surprised family and friends by deciding to sail to South Australia because he somehow foresaw astounding opportunities at the ‘Ends of the Earth’. Once in Adelaide he became a weather forecaster, an engineer, ran the central GPO and then planned and carried out the connection of Australia with the overseas telegraph. He led the expedition from Adelaide to Darwin thus connecting the wide brown land with the rest of the world. This month Sir Charles Todd would have turned 200 and his great-great-grandson Julian Todd celebrates his achievements, showing how a barely qualified young person can reach the highest levels and make a spectacular difference.