When Charles and Alice Todd arrived in Adelaide as newlyweds in November 1855, neither could have imagined the mark they would leave on South Australia.
Charles had been recruited from England to become the colony’s Astronomical Observer and Superintendent of Telegraphs. Before long he had added another title, Postmaster General. He would go on to become one of South Australia’s most influential public servants.
But Todd was much more than a scientist and administrator. He was a devoted husband and father, a passionate chess player, a lover of cricket, a supporter of libraries and education, and a man renowned for his terrible puns. His most famous quip?
'I’d be odd without my T.'
For 45 years, Charles and Alice made their home at the Adelaide Observatory on West Terrace. It was here that they raised six children, entertained visitors from around the world, and built a life within Adelaide’s social and intellectual circles.
An ambrotype photograph of Charles and Alice Todd, 1855. SLSA: B 69996/9
Sir Charles Todd with his grandchildren. From the left, the three boys are William Lawrence Bragg, Robert Charles Bragg and Charles Hedley Todd. Alice Todd Masters is standing beside her grandfather's chair and her sister, Mary Todd Masters, is seated on his lap. SLSA: PRG 631/2/329
A small boy leans on a post and rails fence on the west side of West Terrace. On the right is the Adelaide Observatory, originally built for Sir Charles Todd. It was demolished in 1952 for the building of the Adelaide High School. SLSA: B 9173
The State Library’s collection offers a rare glimpse into the private side of the Todd family. A series of letters exchanged while Charles was working on the Overland Telegraph Line reveals a deeply affectionate couple. From remote camps in the outback, Charles wrote to Alice of his longing for home, while Alice tracked his progress on a mounted map hanging in the Observatory.
These letters show a side of Sir Charles Todd rarely found in official histories. Not just the pioneering scientist, but the loving husband, doting father and endlessly curious man whose humour and humanity won him friends across Australia and internationally.
More than a century after his death, Todd’s legacy remains woven through South Australia’s history, from the telegraph network that connected Australia to the world, to the institutions, communities and cultural life he helped shape.
More stories to explore
Explore the digitised archive of Charles Todd SLSA: PRG 620
‘Kookaburra sits on the telegraph wire…’
The ticking of the Mortlock clock
How the Overland Telegraph Line changed journalism in South Australia