Now that our communications can be carried in one small portable phone, it could be easy to forget the early days when we relied on telephonists to connect our calls… “Number please? Three minutes, are you extending?”

The sagging bush phone lines had to be constantly “run” to check for fallen branches over them, downed or crossed lines.

There were party lines with the individual Morse code rings; the helpful postmistresses on the country party lines who would take messages, tell callers where the callees were likely to be.

There was the necessity of booking  overseas calls at Christmas time, and there were the telegrams and telegram  boys who in different eras had the power to strike exhilaration or despair into the heart of the addressees.

Some will remember the Ericssons, the candle stick phones, the wall phones, the holes in the dial that could injure unwary small fingers.

In 1862 a telegraph line was erected to link Gen Innes with Sydney, and in 1906  our first telephone exchange opened with day-time service only. By 1909, 11 subscribers had a 24-hour service.

After World War II the line depot was moved briefly from the Post Office to the showground before being located in Lambeth St.

By 1920 there were 25 subscribers, and that year the Sydney to Brisbane trunk route opened.

In 1954 the exchange building next to the Post Office opened and dialling handles disappeared from phones – the exchange could be alerted by simply lifting the handpiece.

That year the capacity of the exchange was increased to 1000 lines and by 1967 there were 1,500 lines.

The first Telex service was available in 1968.

Between 1979-1980, $2million was spent changing over the large Glen Innes telephone exchange to automatic.

By 1981 Deepwater, Wellingrove Dundee, Shannon Vale, Stonehenge Pinkett and Red Range subscribers could make STD calls.