Oppenheimer pole
Oppenheimer poles are galvanized iron telegraph poles. They consist of three oval sections that collapse into each other telescope style for transportation. Once extended the joints between the sections are clamped with collars. The pole is fixed to a base for support with a u-bolt.
The poles were used in the construction of the Australian Overland Telegraph Line in 1872, which ran from Darwin in the north to Port Augusta (near Adelaide) in the south. It was initially only intended to use Oppenheimer poles in regions where there was no suitable timber, and for poles that needed replacing in service. However, when it became clear that wooden poles on the northern part of the line were going to be rapidly destroyed by termites endemic to the area it was decided to use 3,000 metal poles for those stretches from the start. Wooden poles are also vulnerable to fire and much of the area the line ran through suffers frequent wildfires. Many poles were later replaced with Oppenheimer poles for this reason.[1]
The initial order for 6,000 poles[2] may have been made in Germany by Oppenheimer and Company (it is not certain) but later production took place in England under licence.[3] Many of these poles were carried overland into the Australian interior by camel trains imported from Egypt, complete with their Egyptian drivers.[4] See Australian feral camel.
References
Bibliography
- Huurdeman, Anton A., The Worldwide History of Telecommunications, John Wiley & Sons, 2003 ISBN 0471205052.
- McMullen, Ron, "The Overland Telegraph", The Australian Telegraph Office (CD ROM).
- Nomination for Engineering Heritage Recognition: The Overland Telegraph Line 'Joining Point', Frews Pond, Northern Territory, Engineers Australia, June 2012.
Further reading
Oppenheimer Poles, The Telegraph Pole Appreciation Society
