The Southern Region of Western Australia is defined officially as being comprised of three parts - Peel, South-West and Great Southern. Hence Offices as far south as Arthur River are now classified as being in the Wheatbelt region.
The telegraph construction architects and construction workers in the second half of the 19th century did not use these distinctions. The telegraph lines were constructed with the defined purpose of getting communications along the western coast and down to Albany. Hence areas south of Perth in the Wheatbelt are classified here as being in the Southern Region and the three separate regions to the south of Perth are amalgamated.
Albany (King George's Sound).
Albany was established as an outpost of NSW in 1827 to help combat any territorial ambitions the French may have. It is located on King George's Sound and the terms became to be used interchangeably to some extent. The Telegraph Office opened in Albany K.G.S., combined with the Post Office, on 22 December 1872. The Albany Post Office had opened on 14 October 1834. Albany had been considered as a possible cable station in the planning of the All-Red route as well as for the cable to Mauritius and Durban. King George's Sound was the first and last port for the English mails (inbound and outbound) as well as for a quarterly shipping service to Singapore. From Albany, the mails were carried by pack horses to Perth in a journey taking about 6½ days. King George's Sound was also the last port for ANZAC troops being taken to Europe and the first Australian port for the few who returned. It was the only deepwater port in Western Australia until 1897 when Fremantle Port was established. About 16 January 1896, quadruplex instruments were fitted and tested in a new telegraph office which was then opened to the public on the following day. |
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Gouldner (2002) lists no Telegraph date stamps for Albany. The usual postal date stamp - across many variations - was used on telegrams: Diameter: 25.5 mm. |
3 March 1916. Used on WI-DI-2A. |
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1. The Office was however issued with at least four rubber TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamps. 1. The first was a rubber oval date stamp (RO6- TO) inscribed TELEGRAPH OFFICE/ALBANY K.G.S.:
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2 December 1889. on WC-TO-3. |
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2. A second rubber oval TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp (RO2-TO)
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3. A third rubber oval TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp (RO2-TO) was also used. It included "W,A. 6330" at the base and ALBANY was in 3 mm high letters.
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10 October 1975. |
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4. A fourth TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp, having a rectangular shape
(RR1-TO), was also used:
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24 December 1969. |
Originally 125 mile. It is located betweem Williams and Kojonup. After a petition was lodged for a Post & Telegraph office in late 1881, approval for such an Office was given on 5 July 1882 and the office was opened on 23 November 1882. The Postmaster/Telegraphist at Arthur River had a salary of £45 p.a. in 1882. |
A rubber oval Telegraph Office date stamp (RO6-TO) was issued to Arthur River:
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9 December 1901 (with year inverted) - earliest recorded date. |
3 August 1906. |
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9 September 1904. |
April 1907. |
3 April 1908 (latest recorded date). |
A Post Office was opened at Blackwood on 1 January 1865. Blackwood was renamed as Balbarrup Post Office in February 1872 and then redesignated as Balbarrup Post & Telegraph Office on 29 February 1896. On 1 January 1903, the Office was downgraded to an Allowance Office. |
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The Office was issued with two formats of a rubber oval Post & Telegraph Office date stamp:
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2 November 1897. |
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18 April 1901(?). |
The Telegraph Office at Balingup was opened on 25 March 1899 (according to the report in the Southern Times of 28 March 1899). The Postmistress was Miss F. Giblett. |
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No special date stamp is recorded as having been issued to the office for use with Telegraphs. |
Barabup is about 80 km east of Margaret River. "The WA Jarrah Saw Mills Company erected a mill in Barabup in 1908, which was taken over by the Kauri Timber Co. in 1912. In 1913, the company built a vertical log handmill, of the American type, at Ellis Creek - the first of its kind in WA" (see Nannup Town Planning document (c. 2000)). It appears that the previous name had been Barrabup. It was established as an Allowance Office on 1 December 1909 and changed to an Official Office on 15 July 11. About 1915-18, the spelling was changed. For example the Barrabup School was renamed Barabup School in 1918. A Post and Telegraph Office was also opened (date unknown but about 1915) - presumably to service the Saw Mills and some other smaller commercial enterprisesbalbarrup. A steel Barabup date stamp for the Post Office was made under a continued 1907 contract with Cumpston and Mason and issued on 11 January 1916. Perhaps the Post & Telegraph rubber oval was made soon after - it certainly looks to have sharp edges. |
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A rubber oval Post & Telegraph Office date stamp (RO7-P&TO) was issued to the office:
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9 February 1916. |
Mr Chas Bates was Postmaster at Barabup from 1913 to 1922 and was respected far and wide. On his transfer to Dumbelyung, a major festivity was held in honour of Chas and his wife with a special train bringing guests from Ellis Creek and Nannup. |
A Post & Telegraph Office was opened at Beaconsfield on 1 August 1894. It changed name to South Fremantle on 1 April 1904. There is no record of a date stamp being issued to the Office for use with Telegraphs. |
Two rubber oval Post & Telegraph Office date stamps
were issued to the Office.
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6 2? July 1897. |
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7 February 1899. |
10 March 1900. |
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18 December 1899. |
Formerly known as Geejelup. A Post Office was opened in February 1872 and upgraded to a Post & Telegraph Office on 30 November 1886. |
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The Office was issued with four formats of rubber oval Post & Telegraph Office date stamps:
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3 November 1899. |
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7 [JUN] 1912. |
11 June 1912. On reverse side of an unclaimed registered letter from the Land Titles Office to Perth and Bulong returned to the Dead Letter Office. |
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28 January 1916. |
7 August 1917. |
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Bunbury.
The Post & Telegraph Office opened on 27 February 1872. A Post Office had been established on 15 July 1841. In May 1894, it was announced that the lowest tender for the new Post & Telegraph Office had been submitted by Mr. A. Pugh. The new building was ready for occupation about the beginning of March 1895. The Office used the call signal B. |
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Bunbury Post & Telegraph Office about 1940. |
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Three types of date stamps were issued to Bunbury for telegram use: | |||
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14 March 1938. |
30 July 1938. Used on a 1/4 turquoise KGV - presumably paying the interstate rate which applied between 1920 and October 1938. |
22 March 1943. |
Busselton (Vasse).
The Post & Telegraph Office opened on 1 January 1893. As Vasse, it used the call signal V around 1882. |
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Four rubber oval Post & Telegraph Office date stamps were issued for use with Telegraphs:
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The Office replaced Minninup as a Post Office in June 1882. It was then upgraded to a Post & Telegraph Office on 1 December 1897. In 1898, the combined office was temporarily renamed Coolingup but it reverted to Capel in 1899. |
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A rubber oval POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp (RO6-P&TO) was issued to the office named as Coolingup:
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30 May 189(?). |
A rubber oval POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp (RO6-P&TO) was issued to the office named as Capel:
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In 1893, the Government announced that construction on the Lighthouse at Cape Leeuwin was about to begin and that Government labor not contract labor would be used. A Telegraph Office was opened in February 1898. |
No date stamp is know for the Telegraph Office. |
A Post & Telegraph Office was established at Coalville on 24 September 1898. It was renamed COLLIEFIELDS early in 1899. |
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The Office was issued with a rubber oval datestamp (RP2-P&TO) which was used for only 6 weeks!!!
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21 January 1899. |
The Telegraph Office opened on 1 January 1899 as Colliefields. On 1 January 1900, he namechanged to Collie. Prior to 1899, the Post Office was Coalville. |
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Two rubber oval Post & Telegraph Office date stamps were used with telegraph work:
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30 May (1899). |
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Collie. The Telegraph Office Colliefields was renamed Collie of 1 January 1900. |
Collie Post & Telegraph Office about 1940. NOTE: TELEGRAPH can be seen above the LH window. |
Cookernup.
A Post & Telegraph Office was opened at Cookernup on 20 June 1897. |
Cookernup Post & Telegraph Office about 1940. |
Three formats of rubber oval Post & Telegraph date stamps were issued to the Office:
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27 May 1909. |
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15 July 1913. |
1 January 1914. |
The Telegraph Office was opened on 23 September 1929 but no record is available to show when it closed. |
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Strike made in favour.
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1 November 1929. |
The Telegraph Office opened on 1 January 1899 when it changed name from Plympton. The former office had opened as a Post & Telegraph Office on 14 March 1898. |
East Fremantle Post & Telegraph Office about 1940. |
Three rubber oval date stamps issued for telegraph purposes are recorded:
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3 May 1905. |
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Used on AW-DO-10D (43). |
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28 November 1946. Used on AW-DO-10 (46). |
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5 October 1948. Used on AW-DO-10D (43). |
A number of date stamps were produced for use at Fremantle in conjunction with telegraphic matters in rubber or steel. | |||
RUBBER oval date stamps:
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1 August 1901. Used on WC-EO-3. |
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7 August 1905. Used on WI-DO-1A. |
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25 August 1905. Used on WI-DO-1A. |
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31 January 1911. Used on WC-EO-4 to London as a backstamp. |
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29 May 1919. Used on AE-DO-1B - a rare form sent to HMAS AUSTRALIA. |
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17 August 1978. |
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4 October 1915. |
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30 September 1919. On AE-DO-1B. (Abacus 7 April 2019; Lot 1398). |
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5 August 1933. Used on AB-DU-6. |
3 November 1949. Used on AW-DO-10B (47). |
20 July 1955. Used on AW-GSF-54C. |
The usual postal date stamps were also used on telegrams. | Unframed FREMANTLE/WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 4 January 1894. |
Fremantle. 21 June 1932. |
The townsite was first gazetted in 1908 under the spelling of Ngowangerupp and an Allowance Office opened on 9 May 1910. The local people were however dissatisfied with the spelling of their town so consequently - in 1913 - the name was altered to Gnowangerup. Hence the status of the Allowance Office was upgraded to that of an Official Office - encompassing the Post and Telegraph Office - on 25 June 1913. |
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The Office was issued with a rubber oval Post & Telegraph Office date stamp (RO7-P&T) for use with telegraphs.
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8 July 1914. Used on a registered OHMS envelope sent from Perth to Broomehill then redirected to Gnowangerup and then retuened to the Land Titles Office. |
14 July 1914 |
Greenbushes.
The Post & Telegraph Office opened on 5 May 1891. In August 1893, the appointment of C. B. Teede as Post and Telegraph Master was gazetted. Three special date stamps were issued to Greenbushes for use with telegrams: |
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30 January 1900. |
30 January 1900 - cover showing oval date stamp. |
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21 December 1900. |
January 1901. |
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Used on the flap of a delivery envelope AW-EO-16Ba. |
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Jarrahdale.
The Telegraph Office opened on 11 February 1880 and merged with the Post Office in September 1882. On 20 March 1896, the Western Mail reported that "Our new post office is nearing completion, and is a very creditable looking building. It is a great improvement on the hut which has done duty so long as a post and telegraph office". Jarrahdale used the call signal I around 1882.
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Jarrahdale Post & Telegraph Office about 1940. |
The Office was issued with two oval date stamps for use with Telegraphs - both previously unrecorded: | |
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4 April 1899. |
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23 March 1904. |
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A Post & Telegraph Office was opened at Karridale on 11 April 1893. The township which existed at that stage, was destroyed by bushfires in 1961 and a new township was was subsequently built a little to the north-east. A postmark from a temporary Post Office carried the inscription "destroyed in fire 1961". |
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No special telegraph date stamp is known for Karridale. |
The Post & Telegraph Office was opened on 4 August 1893. It replaced Moojebup on 1 July 1889 before the Telegraph was connected. |
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Katanning Post & Telegraph Office about 1910. |
Katanning Post & Telegraph Office about 1940. |
Katanning was issued with three date stamps for use with Telegraphs: | |
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7 March 1903. |
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5 October 1914. |
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Kojonup.
The Post & Telegraph Office was opened on the first line to Albury on 22 May 1875. A Post Office had been opened on 18 October 1864 under the supervision of Sgt. Loton. |
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The office was issued with a rubber oval POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp (RO7-P&TO).
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19 October 1915. Premier Auctions, May 2016. |
An Administrative Office was opened at Margaret River in February 1913.
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27 October 19?? (on 1949 1/6 Hermes pair - issued 1 September). |
A Post Office was opened on 1 April 1846. This Office was closed and replaced by Serpentine on 20 November 1858. The Mandurah Office reopened on 1 January 1865 and was upgraded to a Post & Telegraph Office on 22 December 1886. |
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The Office was issued with three formats of rubber oval POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamps: | |
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6 February 1907 - detail of oval from cover below. |
Cover from Mandurah to England 6 February 1907 with two strikes of the Mandurah oval RO6 - P&TO. |
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4 March 1907. |
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A Post & Telegraph Office was opened on 7 May 1900. It was the site of considerable timber gathering activity located on the Darling Range.
The Office was issued with at least two formats for rubber oval Post & Telegraph date stamps. |
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27 March 1901. |
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J(?)an 1910. |
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29 June 1915. |
June 1915. |
Narrogin.
The Telegraph Office was opened on 8 August 1893. Tenders had been called for a new building for the Post & Telegraph Office and Quarters were called in July 1892. On 22 September the tender from James Mackie for the building was accepted with a price of £897 16s 6d. In August 1893, the appointment of R. Biedermann as the first Post and Telegraph Master was gazetted. He was transferred the following year to Marble Bar. By 1902, no telegraph messenger had been appointed to the Office. |
The second building for the Post & Telegraph Office. |
A rubber oval POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp
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On 13 February 1927, the Perth Sunday Times carried the following story: A MESSAGE MISSED.
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A Post Office was opened on 2 June 1884 and it was upgraded to a Post & Telegraph Office on 13 April 1893. Three formats of rubber oval date stamp were issued to North Fremantle: |
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28 September 1896. |
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17 November 1896. |
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17 September 1904. |
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28 September 1904. |
The Post & Telegraph Office was opened on 17 February 1872. It became the centre for some other telegraph lines - such as that to Mandurah in 1886. In 1876, Mary Sutcliffe was the Post & Telegraph Mistress. It used the call signal P. The newly elected member Captain Fawcett said, when meeting the people after his 1886 election:
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Pinjarra was issued with a rubber oval TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp (RO7-TO):
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Prior to the date stamp above, the usual postal date stamp with Pinjarrah (including the H) was used for telegraphic work:
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28 May 1897. |
A Post Office was opened at Quindalup on 19 July 1864. The Inquirer and Commercial News of 17 March 1893 noted:
The Post Office was upgraded to a Post & Telegraph Office on 4 April 1893. |
No date stamp for the telegraph operations has been recorded. |
A Post & Telegraph Office was opened in South Fremantle on 1 April 1904 upon a change of name from Beaconsfield which in turn had been opened on 1 August 1894. |
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South Fremantle Post Office about 1940. |
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There is no record elsewhere of a date stamp being issued to this office for use with Telegraphs. Nevertheless at least one format is now recorded.
Note the inscription at top is in sans serif font with the lower inscription in serifed font. |
18 December 1903. |
Wagin is between Nanogin and Katanning. The Post Office at Wagin opened in January 1890 in temporary accommodation. Plans were soon prepared for a permanent post office and telegraph building and these plans were designed by George Temple-Poole. The building was opened on 3 August 1893. In 1912, that building was replaced by the current building. This "new" building was designed by Hillson Beasley and built at a cost of £2,596. The old building was converted to living quarters. |
A rubber oval RO3-P&TO date stamp was issued to the office:
Very unusual to have the top inscription in both capital and lower case letters. |
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The Post & Telegraph Office opened on 20 September 1894. There is no record of a special date stamp for use with Telegraph being issued to the Office. |
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In Clare's Weekly of 18 January 1899, the statement was made: "Wanted, a Progress Committee who are not afraid to approach the Government with a view to securing a post and telegraph office, also railway siding and goods shed with competent officials in charge for the benefit of residents of Waroona; also a better representative in the House of Assembly who will look after the interests of the community, and not a favored few". Three months later, in Clare's Weekly of 8 April 1899, it was reported that " tenders have been called for the erection of a Post and Telegraph Office (at Waroona) and, I am glad to notice, that definite steps are about to be taken". The Post and Telegraph Office was opened at Waroona on 17 July 1899 on the renaming of Drakesbrook RMB (which had been established in August 1896). In the Federal Election of March 1901, the Waroona Telegraph Office was used as one of the Polling Places in the Fremantle Electorate. The Western Mail of 3 May 1902 reported a problem at the Post Office as follows: "A representative meeting of residents, with Mr. R. E. Pugh as Chairman, was held here today when Mr. A. J. Wilson proposed and Mr. Wass seconded
Two types of rubber oval Post & Telegraph Office date stamp were issued to the Waroona Office. These are distinguishable easily by size and the inclusion (or not) of the letters W.A. in the lower inscription: |
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11 June 1903. |
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20 December 1949. |
A temporary Telegraph Office was established at the Williams River during the construction of the first line from Perth to Albany. It first operated on 18 July 1872. The Post Office had been opened on 13 November 1866. One 1915 Telegraph Office and two more modern rubber oval POST & TELEGRAPH date stamps were issued to Williams for use with telegraphic business: |
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21 October 1915. |
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Yarloop.
The Post & Telegraph Office was opened on 1 June 1897. The Office was issued with at least two formats of rubber oval Post & Telegraph date stamps: |
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7 September 1898. Prestige Philately February 2009 Lot 427. |
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22 June 1901. |
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15 September 1904. |
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22 September (1904??). |