BAZflyer: Broome

PLeaving behind a very pleasant few days at Cape Leveque the Bazflyers headed south following the long white sandy strip of the great West Australian coastline to land at the historic pearling centre of Broome. Although the town might no longer lay claim to its former status as the world's foremost pearling centre it can legitimately be called a modern day pearl. It is a gateway to the magnificent wilderness region of the Kimberley and also home to the world-famous white sands of Cable Beach. Perhaps not so well known is the town's historic association with the telecommunications industry after which Cable Beach is named. This snippet of history was of special interest to the Bazflyers given their business association with the modern telecommunications industry.

One of the marvels of the 19th century was the electric telegraph. The world's first submarine cable was laid in 1850 and connected Dover in England to France. A boom in cable production followed and in 1872 Australia was connected to London via a cable across the Timor Seal between Darwin and Java. Seabed geology and volcanic activity in the Timor Sea was not at all understood in those times which resulted in frequent cable breakages so much so an alternative cable route quickly became a priority.

Broome was the preferred site and when the new cable became operational in 1889 this rough-and-ready pearling town assumed a critical telecommunications role connecting Australia to the world beyond. Broome maintained this status through to 1914.

In those days telecommunication messages were relayed by individual operators using Morse Code. For twenty-five years the telegraphic operators in Broome were privy to messages of every shape and flavour flowing into and out of Australia....the mind boggles!

A coast that is beautiful every day and in every way