How Cable Beach (Broome, WA) Got Its Name

Telegraph Cable Landing Gave the Beach Its Name

Cable Beach (22 km west of Broome, Western Australia) is named for the 1889 submarine telegraph cable that came ashore there.

The Cable

• Route: Banjoewangi (Java) → Broome → Roebuck Bay → overland to Perth.
• System: Eastern Extension Australasia and China Telegraph Company (British).
• Significance: First direct telegraph link between Australia and Asia/Europe. Cut communication from months (ship) to minutes.
• Landing: Cable came ashore at this beach; a cable station operated until 1914.

Today

22-km white-sand beach, famous for camel rides at sunset. Cable station ruins visible at low tide. No remnants of the cable itself.