La Perouse Museum Cable StationPrint Page

The plaque commemorates the opening of the former cable station as a museum in 1988. The project was sponsored by the New South Wales Bicentennial Council, the La Perouse Association for the Australian Bicentenary and the Government of France.

1988 is considered the official bicentenary year of the founding of Australia. It is the bicentennial year of Captain Arthur Phillip's arrival with the 11 ships of the First Fleet in Sydney Harbour in 1788, and the founding of the city of Sydney and the colony of New South Wales.

The former cable station, The Eastern Extension Australasian and China Telegraph Company was contracted to lay a submarine cable between La Perouse and Wakapuaka in New Zealand, which was completed in 1879. It was not possible to directly connect submarine cable to land line as the cables had different properties. As a result, the submarine cable at La Perouse had to be terminated at a cable station and re-transmitted over land line to the Sydney Telegraph Office. The Cable Station was designed and built between 1880 and 1881 by the noted colonial architect, James Barnet. It provided accommodation, office space and telegraph facilities for the officers of the telegraph company and the Post Master General.

 

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