The Eastern Extension, Australasia & China Telegraph Company
	Founded:	ca1871
	Ceased:	1974

Updated: 1 June 2006

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Notes:

N.B. The history of telegraph cable companies operating in Singapore is difficult to research and trace. If you can help, please see my email address at the bottom of this page.

In the early days there were several telegraph companies with cables to the Straits. Among these were: the British Australasian Cable Company and the Chinese Submarine Telegraph Company. Over time all telegraph companies were absorbed by the Eastern Extension, Australasia & China Telegraph Company which then had a monopoly. [W05p327]

In December 1869, John Pender forms The China Submarine Telegraph Company to lay a 1,700 mile line between Singapore and Hong Kong via Saigon. This 2,737 km line was completed in 1871. [B03p28][B04p145]

In October 1869, John Pender forms The British Indian Extension Telegraph Company to lay a cable from Madras to Penang then to Singapore. This 4,190 km line opened for traffic on 5 January 1871. [B03p38] [B04p145]

In January 1870, John Pender forms The British Australasian Cable Company to lay the cable from Singapore to Jakarta to Darwin to Adelaide. The 6,250 km cable was completed in 1872. [B03p38] [B04p145]

In 1873, The Eastern Extension, Australasia & China Telegraph Company [EEACTC] emerged as the result of the merger of John Pender's three companies:

• The China Submarine Telegraph Company
• The British Indian Extension Telegraph Company
• The British Australasian Cable Company

Singapore was the EEACTC's eastern headquarters. [W05p327]

In 1877 EEACTC completed a 1,511 km cable from Rangoon to Penang. [B04p146]

In 1920 the company had 116 employees in their Singapore office. [M04v2p169]

In 1974 the company was amalgamated into the Eastern Telecommunications Philippine Inc.

--- VARIOUS HISTORICAL BITS ---

In 1859 the Dutch Government laid a line between Singapore and Batavia which worked only for a short time. [M04v2p167]

1859 The beginning of submarine telegraph lines from Singapore was very unfortunate, In May the Dutch Government determined to lay a cable to Batavia, and obtained leave to lay it from Singapore. The line was completed on 24th November 1859, and the merchants in Singapore sent a congratulatory message to which the Batavia merchants replied. The second message was from the Governor General of Netherlands India to Governor Cavenagh, to which the latter replied. Then it snapped! A ship's anchor was thought to have broken the cable; It was repaired, but only remained a short time in operation, and after having been once or twice more repaired, it remained obstinately mute, and on examination was found so much injured, and in so many places, that the attempt to repair it was abandoned. [B05p675]

1863 At this time there was a little shed, about twelve feet square, in the centre of the south side of the middle road crossing the Square, in which was a telegraph line to the New Harbour Dock Company and the P. & O. wharf. It was the first telegraph line in Singapore, and was on a very small scale. [B05p708]

About 1867 was formed the Eastern Asia Telegraph Co., Ltd. with several Singapore firms involved. [M04v2p167-70 & p150-2] In 1891, it was absorbed by the EEACTC.

CAN YOU HELP: Please email me your corrections, additions, sources of similar information, related images and leads to company histories to help make this website a more useful reference.

© Michel Houde
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