+34
A public telephone in Narooma, relied on by locals during the Black Summer bushfires of 2020, has been heritage-listed.
A public telephone in Narooma, relied on by locals during the Black Summer bushfires of 2020, has been heritage-listed. A public telephone that became a lifeline for a small town during the Black Summer bushfires has been heritage-listed.
Under furious orange skies and plumes of bushfire smoke, locals and tourists lined up at a public phone to talk to family and friends or check in on neighbours. Some used the public phone in Narooma to tell loved ones they were safe, while others revealed they had lost everything in the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires that razed much of the NSW far south coast.
Historian Naomi Parry Duncan was holidaying in Narooma on New Year's Day in 2020, among those who had to shelter at an evacuation centre as the fires loomed. There was no mobile reception or power during that "bewildering and frightening" time, sending many to wait at three public phones in town, Parry Duncan recalled.
"At all of the pay phones there were queues of people politely waiting," she told the Australian Associated Press news agency. Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox. The phone outside Narooma Plaza on the Princes Highway has been heritage-listed for its cultural and social role in the Black Summer fires, with almost 1,000 calls made over two months during and after the disaster.
The phone is now marked with the trust's bronze plaque, emblazoned with gum leaves, to denote its significance. During the fires, long queues of locals and tourists would form to use the pay phone at Narooma. Source: AAP / Supplied / PR image The quiet empathy displayed by people waiting for the phones as they carried shared trauma was a particularly moving sight, Parry Duncan said.
Her New Zealand-born partner saw the way people waited patiently for the phone and felt a deeper understanding of Australia, she said. The landmark status was being sought for other phones, including one in remote Queensland and another in Melbourne. Telstra is mandated to maintain Australia's 14,000 pay phones, with all local and national calls to standard fixed lines and mobiles free since mid-2021.
Within the last year, 25 million calls have been made from pay phones, including 300,000 to triple zero and crisis support lines.
"Where we've got vulnerable people in the community out there who need crisis support and to stay connected, they're showing us these pay phones are absolutely critical," Telstra regional general manager Chris Taylor said. Telstra has been working to ensure better resilience during disasters, such as power back-ups to help restore connectivity more quickly, Taylor said. Parry Duncan said public phones have a long history in Australian culture, playing a particularly important part in women's lives.
The phones were used to help women find employment and leave abusive relationships throughout the last century, as well as keeping Indigenous communities connected, she said.
"They are so important for keeping us together, especially when you've got a country that is spread over such vast distances as Australia. "Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Expert Guide to Summer Pedicures and Spring Home Decor TrendsA comprehensive beauty guide detailing foot care routines, pedicure application tips, and nail polish longevity, followed by a brief insight on bringing zebra print and vibrant blue trends into home interiors.
Read more »
UK Jewish Board Urges Ban on Australian Author Randa Abdel-Fattah Over October 7 RemarksThe Board of Deputies of British Jews has urged the UK government to block Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah from visiting Britain over her past remarks describing the October 7 Hamas attacks as exhilarating and a sign of hope, as a Conservative frontbencher also calls for a visa review.
Read more »
Iran's Long Arm Intimidates Iranian-Australian Activists in MelbourneActivists in Australia report being surveilled and harassed by Iran's IRGC, raising pressure on the federal government to restrict the Iranian embassy's operations.
Read more »
Narooma Payphones Heritage Listed After Helping Southern NSW Citizens Amid Black Summer FiresA small town's public phones became a lifeline during the 2019‑2020 bushfires, inspiring heritage listing for their role in connecting people when digital networks failed.
Read more »