Story: Telecommunications

Telegraph operators work in their office in 1910. All telegraph equipment was imported. When the manufacture of telecommunications equipment became a substantial industry in New Zealand in the 1970s, the telephone and telex had virtually replaced the telegram. Operators took great pride in their skill; 25 words a minute was a reasonable speed for a Morse code operator, but in the 1870s one operator could send perfect copy at 45 words per minute.