Claim: The Overland Telegraph, a 3,200 km (2,000 mi) telegraph line that connected Darwin with Port Augusta in South Australia, was completed in 1873 and led to the first leases being taken up in the area shortly afterward, but many were surrendered in 1889 for non-payment of rent.
Evidence: Completed in 1872, the Overland Telegraph Line allowed fast communication between Australia and the rest of the world.