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Story: Rural services

The telegraph spreads

  • 1868

  • 1880

  • 1892

The telegraph spread rapidly as a means of communication. Introduced to New Zealand in 1862, by 1868 it connected major towns and ports. By 1880 smaller centres were connected in both the North and South islands, and by 1892 telegraph extended to many rural towns.

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Rural services – Communications, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/18563/the-telegraph-spreads (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 1 March 2009.