Full Breakdown
Narooma Pay Phone Earns Heritage Listing for Its Role During the Black Summer Bushfires
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
A Telstra public telephone located at 195 Princes Highway, outside Narooma Plaza on the New South Wales South Coast, has been added to the National Trust of Australia (NSW) Register. The listing, announced last week, marks the first time a pay phone has been heritage-listed in the state. The decision recognises the booth’s cultural and social significance, particularly its function as a lifeline during the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
Background: Communication Collapse During the Fires
When the Black Summer bushfires swept the South Coast, Narooma lost power, mobile coverage and internet access. Residents and visitors were unable to contact family, emergency services or obtain cash. Public phones, which remained operational, became the primary means of communication. Emergency workers were also directed to the booth, and the queue was managed so that responders could place calls first.
Key Figures & Groups
- Dr Naomi Parry Duncan – Professional historian specialising in social history and heritage; led the nomination for heritage listing.
- National Trust of Australia (NSW) – Community-based, non-government organisation that maintains the state’s heritage register; approved the listing.
- Telstra – Operator of Australia’s public telephone network; reported the call volume and confirmed the booth remained functional throughout the crisis.
Data & Statistics
- Approximately 1,000 calls were placed from the Narooma pay phone during the two months following the bushfires, according to Telstra.
- Queues often stretched to 150 people ahead of individual callers, with volunteers sharing water, snacks and conversation while waiting.
- Emergency personnel, such as firefighters, were given priority access to the line.
On-the-Ground Accounts
Local resident Lauren O’Brien Norris, who was on holiday in Narooma when the fires struck, recounted waiting in line for hours after losing mobile reception. She said she had not used a pay phone since childhood and waited while roughly 150 people ahead of her placed calls. Emergency workers who arrived were escorted to the front of the queue, underscoring the booth’s role in coordinating response efforts.
She added that the community’s polite queuing and generosity turned the phone into a social gathering point during the crisis.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There was no mobile coverage, or power, or internet, or ways to get cash or coins. When we heard Telstra had made the payphones free, people queued for hours to contact the outside world,” — Dr Duncan, a Professional Historian
What’s Next
A commemorative plaque has been installed on the Narooma pay phone to mark its heritage status. The National Trust is currently assessing two additional phone boxes—one in West Brunswick noted for high-volume Lifeline calls, and another in Doomadgee, Far North Queensland—for possible future listing.