PK Porthcurno

[1] In June 1870, the Falmouth, Gibraltar & Malta Telegraph Company of John Pender (which had been established in July 1869, with capital of £660,000 (in 1870s money)[2]) landed the final section of the first Great Britain-India submarine cable in Porthcurno.

[4] On 23 June, the first message was sent from Bombay to Pender’s house on Arlington Street, London,[5] where he was holding a party attended by the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII.

[3] What became the world’s largest submarine telegraph station was founded at Porthcurno, initially with a staff of 16 young men.

[9] At the outbreak of World War II, the existing surface installations were thought to be far too vulnerable to attack, and in 1941, miners were employed to cut tunnels into the solid granite of the valley's hillside to house the telegraphy equipment.

[10][11] The museum was started by former employees of Cable and Wireless based at the company's Holborn headquarters in London.

An Exeter University project known as "Connecting Cornwall" was funded to promote a new exhibition; "The Nerve Centre of Empire".

[15] The exhibition was developed as an educational experience for children and young people, employing original design from local artist, Hennie Haworth.