Telegraph and Communications, Published 30 January 2026
The First Telephone Call Made in Brisbane
Ever wondered when Brisbane first picked up the phone? Turns out, Queensland was ahead of the game! Back on 28 January 1878, only three years after Alexander Graham Bell’s invention, Brisbane made history with its very first telephone call. And it wasn’t just across town - this call traveled all the way from Brisbane to Ipswich using 80 km of wire and some very rough early telephones.
The man behind the moment was W. J. Cracknell, the Superintendent of Electric Telegraphs. He set up the experiment in his Brisbane office, and by later that same year, the first fully successful call to Ipswich was confirmed. Imagine the excitement - no smartphones, no apps, just pure Victorian‑era innovation buzzing through copper wire!
It’s wild to think how far we’ve come since that crackly first conversation. From a single experimental call to millions of daily connections, Brisbane’s communication story started with one bold leap into the future. And honestly… we’re still riding that wave of curiosity and invention.
Photos: With thanks to the Queensland Telecommunications Museum,
3 Oriel Rd, Clayfield QLD 4011
https://www.telemuseum.org/
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