Calls go out to recognise three Aussie payphones as national landmarks

Historian Dr Naomi Parry Duncan reveals the significance of payphones in Australia. Video via Telstra/AAP

Transcript

00:00History isn't just about grand landmarks and pretty things.

00:04Public phones have been part of everyday Australian life since the 1880s,

00:08since telecommunications and postal services rolled out in Australia.

00:13This move is about acknowledging their distinct cultural significance

00:17in keeping Australians connected through moments big and small.

00:21I was in Narooma on New Year's Eve during the 2019 bushfires.

00:25The power was out, mobile networks were down and we were cut off.

00:28There was no phone reception, there were no ATMs, no updates, no cash.

00:34People flocked to the evacuation centre and one of the only ways to contact loved ones

00:38was through Telstra's public phone.

00:40I remember seeing lines of people using it, grateful it was there and free.

00:45In a moment of total disconnection, it became a critical link to the outside world.