MoB is really wired

EXHIBITIONS

Museum of Brisbane (MoB) is celebrating the 150 year anniversary of the first telegram carried between Brisbane and Ipswich with a social history exhibition, Send: From telegraph to text that has now opened.

Presented in partnership with Telstra Museum, Send, which shows until 1 May, traces the history of messaging from the original pay-by-word telegrams to modern day speedy texts, tweeting, emailing and instant messaging.
Family and Services Chair Geraldine Knapp said Send was a nostalgic yet insightful exhibition which shows how the electric telegraph kick-started modern day messaging. “The invention of the electric telegraph, whereby encoded information was transmitted across distance via electric current, was revolutionary and meant messages could be transferred around the world within several hours,” Cr Knapp said.
“When the first telegraph travelled the 24 miles between Brisbane and Ipswich on 13 April 1861, the Mayors of both cities exchanged congratulatory telegrams and it is reported that 22 telegrams made their way between the two destinations that day,” she said.
“Museum of Brisbane has carefully researched this important facet of our city’s history in partnership with Telstra Museum. MoB also conducted a community callout which resulted in personal telegrams marking special occasions being contributed by Brisbane residents.”
MoB will host several public programs and events as part of the Send exhibition including:
Curator tours - 11am, Wednesday 23 February and Wednesday 6 April.
Messaging workshop - 11am, Tuesday 5 April, during which visitors can learn more about the technology behind sending a telegram.
MoB is located on the ground floor of 157 Ann Street. MoB is open 10am-5pm, seven days a week. Admission is free.

• For further information about MoB visit www.museumofbrisbane.com.au or phone Council on (07) 3403 8888.