New South Wales: Colonial period: 1858 - 1900.
Telegraph Offices on the first line.

There are few records relating to the four Telegraph Offices on the first line. The details which are available are summarised below.

Exchange.

The Royal Exchange was opened in January 1858 as a Telegraph Office between Fort Phillip and the Telegraph Office on the first lines.

In early January 1858, Mr. Martindale had authorised the following notice to appear in newspapers: "On the 26th instant, such of the public as may be desirous of seeing the Telegraph instruments at work will, as far as practicable, be admitted into the Office in tho Exchange, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 pm. in parties not exceeding thirty at one time".

  
Liverpool.

The Liverpool Telegraph Office was opened at the Railway Station on 26 January 1858 and operated there until
6 February 1871. It re-opened at the Railway Station on
22 March 1873 and was amalgamated to become the Post and Telegraph office on 12 July 1878.

There was never a special date stamp for Liverpool which included "TELEGRAPHS".

The Liverpool Post Office was one of the first to be opened in New South Wales - on 1 March 1828.

 

 Liverpool 1920 Liverpool Post & Telegraph Office about 1920.
The Telegraph Office is through the two arches at the front corner.
The sign is above the arches. The Post Office door is at the left of the building.

A rubber circular TELEGRAPHS date stamp (RC1 - T) was used at the Liverpool Office.

Used in violet: 1 November 1972.

Diameter: 32 mm.

Rated: RRR.

Numkber in the Census: 1.

 Liverpool 1972
1 November 1972.
Parramatta

"Our thanks are due to the Hon. Daniel Egan for the boon he has conferred on us in removing the post and telegraph offices from their former inconvenient sites to the present commodious and centrally situated premises in Church Street. Till recently, the telegraph office was at the railway station, nearly half-a-mile from the business portion of the town, and to get to the post offico for letters one would have to go up a lane. Now,however, they are in the same building in Church Street, a few doors from the Commercial Bank". (Empire, 22 June 1870).

"The Hon. member for Parramatta, Mr. Hugh Taylor, has been urging upon the postal authorities the necessity that exists for the erecting of a public clock in the Post and Telegraph office, Parramatta". Evening News, 1 April 1889.

 Paramatta
An oval date stamp was issued to the Telegraph Office at Parramatta. It is shown enlarged at the right to assist viewing.

The top heading is ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Format: RO6 - ET.

Used in black: 19 November 1885.

Size: 22 × 35.5 mm (e = 0.78).

Rated: RRRR.

Number in the Census: 1.

 Parra 1885 Nov 19
19 November 1885.
   
The usual postal date stamp was used on telegrams. Parramatta
A Telegraph Office was opened at Parramatta Railway Station on 29 October 1858.  

Redfern Railway Station.

At first the Telegraph Office at Redfern Station was a relay station but it opened on 29 October 1858 as a full Office with the appointment of a Junior (telegraph) clerk following on 1 November 1858. No special date stamp was prepared for the office until 1895.

The Telegraph Office was moved to the new Redfern Railway Station on 6 August 1906.

  

South Head.

The Telegraph Office at South Head was opened on 26 January 1858. It appears as if the office was located in the Signal House. It closed on 30 May 1919.

No special date stamp was prepared for the office until the 1900s.