Story perspectives

Narooma Telstra payphone gets heritage listing for bushfires

By Drooid · Oct 5, 2026, 6:09 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

National Trust of Australia (NSW) listed the Narooma Telstra payphone as heritage.
The phone stayed operational during the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires as power, mobile and internet failed.
About 1,000 calls were placed from the phone in the two months after the fires.
Dr Naomi Parry Duncan led the nomination after seeing the phone used on New Year’s Day 2020.
A plaque now marks the phone, noting its disaster-relief role.

1 of 1

Story summary

National Trust of Australia (NSW) listed the Narooma Telstra payphone as heritage.
The phone stayed operational during the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires as power, mobile and internet failed.
About 1,000 calls were placed from the phone in the two months after the fires.
Dr Naomi Parry Duncan led the nomination after seeing the phone used on New Year’s Day 2020.
A plaque now marks the phone, noting its disaster-relief role.