CHAPTER LXXXVIII 



THE CAPE YORK TELEGRAPH LINE, 1883-7 

 BRADFORD'S PRELIMINARY EXPLORATION 



JACK'S COPY OF LOST MAP TRACED. BRADFORD'S REPORT AND MAPS, HITHERTO 

 UNPUBLISHED, RESCUED FROM PlGEON-HOLES IN 1919. UNEQUALLED DESCRIPTION 

 OF THE " WET DESERT." PERSONNEL. START FROM COOKTOWN, 6ra JUNE, 1883. 

 LAURA TELEGRAPH STATION. PRINCIPAL BRANCH OF MULLIGAN'S HANN RIVER 



NAMED THE MoREHEAD RlVER. PoiSON PLANT. To CoEN PROSPECTORS* HUT. 



JACK'S CAMPS IDENTIFIED. THE PROSPECTORS' COEN RIVER (NOW SOUTH COEN) A 

 BRANCH OF THE ARCHER. CROLL AND BOURNE CREEKS. THE ARCHER (PEACH) 

 RIVER. BRADFORD'S CAMP 15 (IITH JULY) = JACK'S CAMP 13 (II). BATAVIA 

 RIVER. BEGINNING OF WET DESERT. DECOMPOSED SANDSTONE, HEATH, SCRUB 

 AND BOG. NARROW QUICKSAND GULLIES TO BE BRIDGED. POISON PLANT. No 

 GRASS. HORSES STARVING. ON THE SIR WILLIAM THOMSON RANGE. ON HEADS 

 OF MACMILLAN RIVER. DUCIE RIVER. MCDONNELL CREEK. DALHUNTY AND 

 SKARDON RIVERS. GIGANTIC ANT-HILLS. RICHARDSON RANGE. McHsNRY RIVER. 

 JARDINE RIVER. HEADS OF JACKEY-JACKEY CREEK. THE GULF COAST NEAR 

 POSSESSION ISLAND. ARRIVAL AT SOMERSET, ZC/TH AUGUST, 1883, WITH THIRTEEN 

 our OF THIRTY-SIX HORSES. CONSTRUCTION OF TELEGRAPH LINE, 1884-6. FIRST 

 SECTION. NEARLY ON BRADFORD'S TRACK, FROM FAIRVIEW TO MEIN. BRODZIAK AND 

 DEGEN CONTRACTORS. SURVEYED BY W. HEALY : SECOND SECTION, GENERALLY A 

 FEW MILES WEST OF BRADFORD'S TRACK, FROM MEIN TO PATERSON, GORDON AND 

 MORETON CONTRACTORS. SURVEYS BY FRANK J. PATERSON AND M. J. NOLAN, 

 ASSISTANCE RENDERED BY FRANK JARDINE. INCREASED KNOWLEDGE OF BOAT 

 NAVIGATION ON GULF SIDE OF PENINSULA. POLICE PROTECTION. No TROUBI 

 WITH NATIVES. 



PROGRESS OF PASTORAL OCCUPATION. A RAILWAY PROJECT. THE CHANCE OF A 

 RAILWAY LOST ON TRANSFER OF RESIDENCE FROM SOMERSET TO THURSDAY 

 ISLAND, ACCORDING TO THE HON. JOHN DOUGLAS. USES OF THE TELEGRAPH 

 LINE. 



A COPY OF JACK'S MISSING MAP GIVEN TO FRANK PATERSON IN 1884 BY MINES 

 DEPARTMENT. PLAGUE OF RATS. 



IN the early eighties of last century, Sir Thomas Mcllwraith's 

 government took a very serious view of the commercial 

 and strategic importance of Torres Strait and of the 

 necessity for telegraphic communication between the Strait 

 and the capital. An approximate site for the northern terminus 

 of the line was found on the shore of the Gulf of Carpentaria, 

 within view of Possession Island, Cook's landing-place. The 

 Post and Telegraph Department commissioned Mr. John R. 

 Bradford, Inspector of Lines and Mail Route Services, to explore a 



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