A rare telephone exchange that moved callers into the era of direct dialling more than 80 years ago will have a new life at Auckland's Museum of Transport and Technology.
The Western Electric Rotary Mechanical Exchange allowed callers to pick up a telephone handset and dial a number, rather than cranking a handle and telling an operator what number they wanted.
It is one of four exchanges in the world surviving from 1919 and was moved out of Telecom's Airedale St exchange to Motat on Friday. Telecom gave it to the museum.
The exchanges were installed round New Zealand from 1919 and used for more than 60 years. The last was taken out of commission in 1984.
Motat spokesman Geoff Jull said the museum planned to restore the exchange to working order by Labour Weekend.
"It's an absolute treasure. We tried to build an exchange like this out of pieces to make a working model but we couldn't do it ... "
The Telecom exchange was in great condition, he said.
"Australia never had this exchange system and while Britain did, there are no surviving models there. Places like Russia and Finland had the system but there's only one model surviving in each of those countries," said Mr Jull.
Telecom's northern regional network delivery manager, Brent McGrath, said the exchanges were the backbone of the phone system in New Zealand for more than 40 years.
"We installed the first rotary mechanical exchange in May 1919 in Masterton.
"Auckland's first was installed Christmas Eve 1924."
- NZPA
Rare exchange to answer call of duty again
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.