Pay Phone, a Lifeline During 2019 Australia Wildfires, Gains Heritage Status NYT - World By: Laura Chung 5 October 2026 at 04:01 Hundreds lined up to call loved ones as the internet went down and the flames closed in on the Australian town of Narooma in 2019. Β© TelstraA public phone booth in Narooma on Australiaβs east coast has been awarded heritage status for the role it played during and after wildfires in the region.