In 1877, Australia's transcontinental telegraph
line was completed with the construction of the manual repeater
station in Eucla. The project — stalled continuously by the
harsh elements of the limestone desert and by the corrosive nature
of the heavy, morning sea mists — took two and a half years
to finish. The first message cabled to Perth read, "Eucla
line opened. Hurrah." The station was shut down in 1927 and
now lies in ruin, half buried in the shifting sand.
