Have you ever seen a telegram or know of family members who received one!?  Before the advent of faxing, emailing, texting, tweeting and posting on social media, telegrams were used to send a written message quickly over long distances using an electrical device known as a 'telegraph'. The earliest telegraphs, also called a 'wire', were developed in the 1830s and the NZ Post Office ceased delivering telegrams in 1987. (See: Wikipedia: Telegraphy) 

1. Receiving a telegram - its message

Telegrams were used to convey important news, conduct business transactions, and to celebrate significant events - like reaching 100 years and receiving a congratulatory telegram from the reigning British Monarch. Receiving a telegram could produce an array of feelings - from curiosity, to delight, to anxiety.  Here are some of those moments captured on DigitalNZ. 

Birthday wishes 

Congratulations - You've got Royal Mail!

The sending out of 100th birthday greetings was started by King George V in 1917 -  the royal message, a telegram, would come from the Private Secretary. Telegrams were replaced by British Telecom in 1982 with telemessages which were dictated over the telephone or sent via telex, and printed off on paper. In 1999, a laser-printed greetings card  began to be sent by Queen Elizabeth with a photo of Her Royal Majesty. The message inside reads: "I am  pleased to know that you are celebrating your 100th birthday. I send my congratulations and best wishes to you on such a special occasion."  (See BBC News). The oldest recipient of a message from Queen Elizabeth was a Canadian gentleman, who reached the age of 116 in December 1984  (see: Royal.uk: Anniversary messages).

Nowadays, the delivery of congratulatory messages is arranged by a team of staff at the Anniversaries Office at Buckingham Palace. You need to apply to receive a Royal message. See New Zealand Government: Congratulatory messages.    

And a telegram from the Royal Corgis!

The following telegram was received from the Royal Corgis who had been invited to attend the wedding of two Jack Russell terriers:  "Congratulations and best wishes on your great day. We would love to be with you on the 3rd October, but our Mummy said 'we are the wrong  breed'. Our Mummy may give us a party over here if we are very good. Hope any problems are small. Cute & Fluffy, Woof woof, the Royal  Corgis."    

Weddings & anniversaries

Congratulatory telegrams were sent for wedding anniversaries: 50th (Golden), 55th (Emerald), 60th (Diamond), 65th (Blue Sapphire), 70th (Platinum) and every year thereafter. Nowadays, depending on what wedding is being celebrated, congratulatory messages will be sent from: His Majesty the King, Governor-General, Prime Minister, Minister for Seniors, local MP, and local Mayor (depending on where you live).  (See New Zealand Government: Congratulatory messages)

Conveying news about events

Messages during times of war

The telegraph service was used by military personnel and the Government to communicate war news more quickly. Summaries were posted in outlying Post and Telegraph (P & T) offices.   

Business transactions

Congratulations on a job well done!

2. How telegrams were sent and received

3. How much to send a Telegram?

4. Beginnings: Setting up national network

Stage 1: Lyttelton - Christchurch - Dunedin - Invercargill (1862)

In 1862, NZ's first telegraph line was set up between Lyttelton and Christchurch by the Canterbury provincial government. It was then extended from Invercargill, via Dunedin and Christchurch, to the Hurunui river in North Canterbury.  

Stage 2: Private and Military lines, & Electric Telegraph Office (1865)

The Canterbury line led to the establishment of private and military networks. The first line in the North Island was a military line from Auckland to Pokeno that was later extended to the Waikato (Cambridge and Te Awamutu) in 1863. To rationalise this development of telegraph lines throughout NZ, the Electric Telegraph Department (created under the Electric Telegraph Act 1865) took responsibility for the acquiring of land, the erecting of telegraph lines and the opening of telegraph offices. Gradually the private and military networks came under centralised control with only 19 of the 214 telegraph stations still operating independently by 1879. (See An encyclopaedia of New Zealand 1966: Post Office - Inland communications 

Stage 3: Cook Strait Cable, 1866-

In 1866 the seabed link across Cook Strait was successfully laid on the second attempt between Lyall Bay in Wellington and White's Bay in Marlborough. However, "[t]he isolated and often stormy situation of the White's Bay Cable Station made it an unpopular posting. The staff and equipment were moved to Blenheim in 1873, and the telegraph station finally closed in 1896, after a  direct link had been established between Wellington and Christchurch." (See The Prow: Telegraph made world of difference)

Cook Strait repairs and upgrades over the decades:

The Cook Strait's insulated copper cable needed repairs over the years. The Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company laid further cables in 1876, using the cable steamers Hibernia and Edinburgh.  On 11 February 1880 another Cook Strait cable was laid from Wanganui to  Wakapuaka by the cable steamer Kangaroo. New power cables were laid over the decades. For a summary, see: Keith Lewis, 'Engineering on the sea floor - Submarine cables', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/engineering-on-the-sea-floor/page-2

Stage 4: Coromandel Ranges & liaison with iwi: 1872

The Wellington-Auckland line was completed in 1872.  The last stage of the national network was the telegraph line across the Coromandel Ranges from Hikutaiā to Whangamatā.  Following the New Zealand wars of the 1860s, many Māori had objected to the construction of roads, railways and telegraph lines across their land, as they believed this would encourage the spread of settlers. Chief Taipari offered his assistance to obtain the consent of hapū living along the proposed telegraph route.  (See: Paul Monin, 'Hauraki–Coromandel region - Transport and communications', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/document/30992/old-wires-track-report-on-telegraph-line-progress)

Stage 5: First Trans-Tasman (Australia - Nelson) telegraph cable (1876)

In 1876, a trans-Tasman telegraph cable enabled direct communication by NZ with Australia and on to Asia, Europe and Britain. The Eastern Extension, Australasia and China Telegraph Company were contracted to establish and operate the cable, which was manufactured and installed by British company Telcon. As stated in Te Ara: "In February 1876 the Eastern Extension Company laid cable between La Perouse, New South Wales and Wakapuaka near Nelson. The New South Wales and New Zealand governments subsidised the cost. Connections overland via Adelaide and Darwin, and undersea via Java and Suez, allowed  telegraphic contact with London the same year."  (Source: A. C. Wilson, 'Telecommunications', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand,  http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/telecommunications/print) A cable station was established at Schroder’s Mistake which was renamed Cable Bay.

The New Zealand Telegraph Department employed and trained the first telecommunications operators who used Morse keys to send and decode messages. The new telegraph service began operating on 31 Feb 1876 and the following was reported in the Evening Mail the next day.  "Messages arrived in code and the Press agent divided the news into grades A., B. or C. and the messages, so graded, were returned  to the Telegraph Office Staff with instructions as to their overland destinations. All land lines were operated by Morse key."  (Source: NZETC: Cable and Delware Bays)

The number of staff grew over the next decade: "By 1888 there were 14 staff, including a superintendant, cable and  telegraph men. A press man had the job of ‘filling out’ the  international press briefs and sending them on to newspapers." (See The Prow: Telegraph made world of difference) In 1890, the Eastern Extension installed a second cable at Cable Bay using the ship Scotia, by which time 17 staff and their families lived at Cable Bay.  A major section of the first cable was renewed in 1895 by the cable steamer Sherard Osborn. 

5. Telegrams supplemented by telephones: 1879 -

The first telephone office was opened at Port Chalmers in 1879 with the first link to Portobello to enable shipping information to be relayed more quickly to Dunedin. Telephones began to be used "to supplement the telegraph in small towns which lacked the finance to employ Morse operators".  (See: Nethistory.co.nz: Connecting the Clouds - the Internet in New Zealand)

6. New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department: 1881

In 1881, the Telegraph Department was replaced by The New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department.  For a snapshot of further details, see the timeline on NetHistory (ibid).

7. Extending international connections: 1900 - 

Stage 1: Vancouver to Northland (1902):

In 1902 a cable was laid between Canada and NZ via Norfolk Island, Suva (Fiji), and Fanning Island (Kiribati). "With the completion of the Pacific cable, the telegraph finally 'girdled the earth'." (Source: Museums Victoria Collections: Australia & the Global Telegraph Network, 1854-1902). 

Stage 2: Sydney - Auckland (1912):

The Pacific cable laid from from Bondi Beach to Auckland in 1912 also connected NZ with the rest of the world via Australia and Vancouver.    

Stage 3: Cable Bay re-routed to Titahi Bay (1917) & Muriwai Beach (1932):

Stage 4: Pacific cable extended from Fiji - Auckland (1923):

Stage 5: Commonwealth Telecommunications Agreement (1945):

At the Commonwealth Telecommunications Conference held in London in 1945, the Commonwealth's external telecommunications systems were brought under Government control. In accordance with the Commonwealth Telegraphs Agreement 1948, the New Zealand Post Office purchased the assets in New Zealand of Cable and Wireless Ltd., the private company previously controlling the cable services, and took over the operation of both the internal and overseas cable services.  

Stage 6: COMPAC (Commonwealth Pacific Cable) (1962-63):

The following four-staged laying of cables was part of a Commonwealth round-the-world cable project:  

(1) April-June 1962:  Sydney - Muriwai Beach (west of Auckland):  A new submarine cable with a capacity of 80 telephone channels was laid between Australia and NZ.  The cable steamer Retriever laid the shore ends at Muriwai Beach in April, followed by the Monarch  laying the 1273 nm (nautical mile) cable and 50 repeaters during June. The COMPAC cable replaced the first Trans-Tasman cables 1 and 2, of which the remnants at the three landing sites (Cable Bay, Titahi Bay and Muriwai Beach) were added to the IPENZ Engineering Heritage Register on 26 August 2014.  (See: Engineering New Zealand: Heritage Register)  

(2) October 1962, Auckland - Suva, Fiji: This section was laid by the same vessels using a 1260 nm with 50 repeaters.    

(3)  Dec 1963: Suva, Fiji via Hawaii, to Vancouver - Britain. At Vancouver the link then went across Canada by microwave to Montreal. The Commonwealth cable fed into the US network at Hawaii and into the European network at London via the trans-Atlantic telephone cables (opened in Dec 1961), which provided circuits for telephone, telegraph, and telex communication.   

(4) 1967: New Zealand to Southeast Asia. The section linking NZ to South-East Asia from Sydney to Singapore via Cairns, Madang, Guam, Hong Kong and Kota Kinabalu, was opened on 30 March 1967.

See:

• A. C. Wilson, 'Telecommunications - Phones, faxes and satellites', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/22021/south-east-asia-commonwealth-cable

• Official Yearbook of Australia, No.61 1976 and 1976) 

Stage 7: TASMAN cable from Sydney to Auckland (1976):

This was a joint venture between the NZPO and OTC, Australia. The cable, which was 1258 nm cable with 155 repeaters manufactured by Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd., was laid by the cable steamer Mercury.

Stage 8:  ANZCAN laid to replace COMPAC (1983-84):

The cable followed the same route as the COMPAC cable with the addition of a landing at Norfolk Island. HMNZS Monowai surveyed the route and cable steamer Retriever undertook the rerouting of part of the Fiji - Auckland COMPAC cable.  Cable steamer Mercury  laid the Norfolk Island - Auckland section (739 nm) and the shore ends at Auckland. Cable and repeaters were manufactured by Fujitsu.  (Source: Atlantic cable website)

9. Setting up telegraph stations

A telegraph office was established in Picton in 1865. The number of telegraph stations increased from nine in 1865, to 145 stations in 1890, to 300 stations in 1910. (See: Te Ara: Telecommunications) You can find several photographs of Post and Telegraph buildings in towns and cities on DigitalNZ. 

In 1881, the telegraph service joined the Postal Department to become the Post and Telegraph Department (P & T), which became known as the ‘Post Office’ after 1959.  (See Te Ara: Telecommunications).  

10. Wireless telegraph: 1903 -

The Wireless Telegraphy Act was passed on 26 September, 1903, which was a world  first - a year ahead of  the UK and two years ahead of Australia and Canada. The Act protected the Government’s investment in the new ‘wireline’ telephone and telegraph networks and  allowed it to manage radio spectrum to prevent interference. 

First wireless set in NZ: 1902

 In 1902 in Dunedin,  teenager James L. Passmore (aged 16)  built what some have claimed to be the first wireless set in the South Island and possibly NZ from instructions in a magazine. "With this wireless set he experimented with transmitting messages in Morse Code. His first communications were over a distance of 100-200 metres. On 3 June 1903,  he sent a message 10 kilometres from Flagstaff to Outram. The following  year he received a message from 22 kilometres away, from the warship HMS  Powerful."  (Source: eHive: Radio set)

11. Telegraphy Staffing 

Telegraphist Operators pre-1900:

Journey of women to join men as telegraphists:

Role of telegraphists since 1900:

Staff training in telegraphy:

Trainiing options over the years have included courses held at Trentham; correspondence courses in telegraphy and telephony each year, and engineering officers studying physics at Victoria University College in Wellington. (See NZHistory)

Messengers:

Telegraph messengers often began working for the Post Office on leaving school:

"Telegram delivery ‘lads’ (the school-leaving age was 14, sometimes younger) were instructed not to scribble on walls, ride their bicycles recklessly, or speak to customers in an ‘improper manner’. From 1911 they were also required to join the Post and Telegraph Corps and undertake at least an hour of character-building military drill each week."  (Source: NZ History)

Linesmen:

Staff sports teams:

12. Telegraphy equipment over the decades

a. Machines using text

Initially telegraph equipment came from British manufacturers, such as the Wheatstone telegraph developed by William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone in 1837.  (See Wikipedia: Cooke and Wheatstone telegraph)

By 1925, telegrams sent between NZ's main centres were using the ‘Murray multiplex’, a higher-capacity, machine-printing system. This machine was developed by Donald Murray (an expatriate New Zealander) from the earlier French Baudot system and he had installed a prototype between London and Edinburgh some 20 years earlier. See Te Ara (op cit) and Museums Victoria(op cit)

b.  Using Morse Code

Messages could be sent at about 35 words per minute using Morse code, whereas up to 45 words per minute were sent using Wheatstone's apparatus. 

c. Telegraphy equipment at MOTAT

The range of telegraphy equipment manufactured by various firms can be viewed on DigitalNZ from the collections housed by MOTAT. A sampling is given here:   

d. Equipment in action

13. From copper to fibre-optic cables

Initially, copper cables were used; then co-axial cables. Since the 1980s, fibre-optic cables have been laid along the ocean floor from near Auckland to Sydney, and onto South-East Asia and North America, with links to the Pacific Islands. For a chronology of the upgrades to the first cable across the Cook Strait and the cable between NZ and Australia, see Te Ara: Submarine cables.

14. How about a singing telegram!

Singing telegrams as a business was first introduced by Western Union in the United States in 1933.  (See Wikipedia: Singing telegram)

15. POPULARITY OF TELEGRAMs: 1865-1987

• In January 1963, the last Morse telegram was written by Governor-General Bernard Fergusson to the mayor of Eastbourne. In October the last domestic Morse circuits closed down. 

•  In 1865, nine telegraph stations (mainly in the South Island) sent almost 100,000 messages. "More than one million were sent in 1880, less than 20 years after the first telegraph line was set up, and when the population was only 600,000. The number peaked at 10.8 million in 1915. The Post Office ended its telegram service in 1987. It had long been overtaken by telex, fax and telephone." See Te Ara - Telegraphic traffic) 

• Between 1880 and 1910, overseas cables grew eightfold to 120,000.  (See Te Ara - Telegraphic traffic) 

• From 1902-1903 (the first complete year during which the Pacific cable was in operation), the number of words transmitted was 864,969. During 1905 (891,414 words);  1923-24 (2,900,838 words) and 1925 (12,000,000 word).  (See Papers Past: "Pacific Cable", Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 103, 5 May 1925, Page 8)

16. Further reSOURCES:

• Airey, E. (2005). The taming of distance: New Zealand’s first international telecommunications. Wellington, N.Z.: Dunmore Publishing 

• Brown, J. Edward. (1966). Telegram! Southern skies, September: p.44-46 

• History of the Atlantic cable & undersea communications - 1866 Cook Strait cable

• Museums Victoria Collections: Australia & the Global Telegraph Network, 1854-1902

• New Zealand Government: Congratulatory messages.    

• NZ History: The Post and Telegraph Department at war

• Pannett, B. W. J. (2013). Just a Piece of Wire: The history of the first submarine telegraph cable linking New Zealand with the world, Wellington: Bryan Pannett 

• Robinson, Howard (1964). A history of the Post Office in New Zealand. Wellington: Govt. Print 

• Roth, H. (1990). Along the line: 100 years of Post Office unionism. Wellington: Post Office Union  

• Wikipedia: Telegraphy

• Wilson, A. C. (1994). Wire and wireless: a history of telecommunications in New Zealand, 1860–1987. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press  

• Wilson, A.C. Telecommunications (published 11 March 2010, updated 1 April 2022), Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New  Zealand 

This DigitalNZ story was updated in April 2025