SHACK WEST

Did you know Telstra has museums in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland?

The museums are run by a dedicated group of volunteers, committed to preserving Australia’s telecommunications history. From 19th century telegraphy sets used to send telegrams via Morse Code, to the not-so-long-ago ‘007’ car phones and Telecom pagers, an enormous amount of equipment has been lovingly restored and made available for the general public.

Much of the equipment in these facilities is in working condition thanks to the commitment and expertise of the museums’ members.

Visits are highly recommended for school groups, nostalgic telephone engineers and radio and telecommunications enthusiasts. Inspection is by appointment only. If you’re interested, visit the Victorian Telecommunications Museum; the Telstra Museum Brisbane; or the Australasian Telephone Collectors’ Society in Sydney.

For more information about our telecommunications heritage, visit the Australian Historic Telephone Society website. There’s also a good video of the Hawthorn museum here.