In an age of instant communication across nations and the world, it's difficult to remember when Australia was separated from the rest of the world. Then, it could take three months or more for a letter to reach London from Australia. The advantages of rapid communication by the newly developed telegraphic system were obvious, but the linking of Australia to this system was a major undertaking. Charles Todd, Superintendent of Telegraphs in South Australia was a man of vision with a dream of an overland telegraph. Under his direction, South Australia built a line over three thousand kilometres long from Adelaide to Darwin - where the line would link up with underwater cable and so bring Australia into communication with the rest of the world. In just under 2 years, Todd's dream was realised - the line had been built through some of the most inhospitable country known to man, most of it uninhabited by white people. The men of the working parties showed great endurance as they battled to open up Central Australia and strove against the 'wet' of the Northern Territory. That they succeeded is a tribute to their determination in the face of odds that threatened to overwhelm them. Illustrated with black and white photographs and sketches.