Victoria - Colonial period: 1854-1900.
Telegraph Offices on the Cross-Country Western line.


The Post and Telegraph Offices on the Cross Country-Western line have been merged with those on the associated branch lines - the Hamilton/Portland Branch, the Hamilton/Macarthur Branch, the Apsley Branch, the Rokewood Branch and the Casterton/Merino Branch. The Telegraph Offices are listed in alphabetical order.

Apsley
Both CC-Western line and Apsley Branch.

The Telegraph Office opened on 30 August 1882.

 

 
Balmoral.
Apsley Branch.

The Telegraph Office opened in October 1875.


Balmoral Post and Telegraph Office circa 1910.
The office was issued with a rubber double oval Post & Telegraph Office (RO3-P&TO) date stamp.

Used in violet: 26 March 1931 (only recorded date).

Size: 28 × 47 mm (e = 0.80).

Rated: RRRR.

Number in the Census: 1.

 

 
Balmoral
26 March 1931.

Branxholme.
Portland-Hamilton Branch.

The Telegraph Office was opened in November 1875.

No special date stamps was issued for telegram use.

A Telegraph Office was also opened at the Railway Station about 1910. It was reclassified as a Post Office in 1915 and closed in the following year.

 

Caramut.

The Telegraph Office was opened in March 1874.

The Post Office was originally opened as Muston's Creek but became Carramut on 1 January 1852.

No special date stamp was issued for telegram use.

 
Casterton.

The Telegraph Office was opened in July 1865. It was part of the extension of the first inter-colonial line from Penola in South Australia to Victoria.

In August 1872, a deputation was asking the Postmaster-General to construct a new telegraph Office.

A Telegraph Office was also opened at the Railway Station about 1910. It was reclassified as a Post Office in 1915 and closed in the following year.


Casterton Post & Telegraph Office destroyed by fire 1908.


Casterton Post and Telegraph Office circa 1910.

The office was issued with two date stamps for use with telegraphs:
  1. a 2 hole Belt & Buckle date stamp which was used with black and with blue ink.

Used with blue ink: 2 April 1890 to 12 March 1892 and
in 1894.

Used with black ink: 1889 to 17 April 1894.

Size: 27 × 39 mm (e = 0.72).

Rated: RRR.

  1892 2 hole
12 March 1892.
2 hole in blue.
  1. a rubber double oval TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp
    (RO2-TO) used in magenta.

Used: 11 September 1984.

Size: 33 × 50 mm.

Rated: RRR.

Cas RO2
11 September 1984.
Coleraine.

The Telegraph Office was opened in August 1867.
A Post Office had been opened on 16 November 1854.

In 1910, a Telegraph Office was opened at the Railway Station. It was reclassified as a Post Office in 1915 but it was closed in 1916.

 


Coleraine Post & Telegraph Office about 1920.
Coleraine
About 1969.

Coleraine was issued with a 1 hole Belt & Buckle date stamp.

Used in black: 1889 and 15 December 1893.

Size: 27 × 37 mm.

Rated: RR.

Coler B&B
15 December 1893.
Latest recorded date.
½d wrapper sent to Gordon & Gotch in Melbourne from Coleraine on 15 December 1893. Wrapper
Two common date stamps used postally and on telegrams.

Left: Type 50 (left);

Right: Type 60.

Coleraine 1917

Coleraine 1937

Dunkeld.

The Telegraph Office opened at Dunkeld on
The Post Office was opened on 1 December 1855. A previous Post Office had been opened on 1 January 1854 when Mount Stugeon had been renamed Dunkeld. That Office closed on 31 January 1854.

A Telegraph Office also opened at the Railway station about 1910. That Office closed about 1916.


Dunkeld Post & Telegraph Office about 1930.
The joint name can just be made out in the sign above the doorway above OFFICE.

Edenhope.
Apsley Branch.

The Telegraph Office opened on 30 August 1882.

A Telegraph Office was also opened at the Railway Station about 1910. It was reclassified as a Post Office in 1915 and closed in the following year.


Edenhope Post & Telegraph Office about 1930 (sign above the door).

Glenthompson.

The Telegraph Office was opened 19 August 1878.

 

Hamilton.

The Telegraph Office opened in March 1861. Mr William Shields was the assustant in charge of the Electric Telegraph and he was also to be a Collector of Imposts.

On 9 May 1929, the Postmaster-General announced the decision to provide a "start stop" machine printing duplex telegraph system for messages between Melbourne and Hamilton. When the transmitter key was pressed at one location, the letter would be printed at the other.

Hamilton
Hamilton Post and Telegraph Office about 1910.
Hamilton view
General view of Grey Street showing Post & Telegraph Office a few hundred yards on the left.
A 1 hole Belt & Buckle date stamp was issued to the Telegraph Office.
  1. Used in blue: 5 February 1883 to 3 February 1891.

Size: 27 × 38 mm, e = 0.70).

Rated: RRR.

Hamilton BB
3 February 1891 (latest recorded date).
Used on VC-DO-13.
5 February 1883 - earliest recorded date for use of the Belt & Buckle in blue at any Telegraph Office.

Hamilton to Hochkirch.
Used on a delivery envelope
(VC-EO-7).

Belt & Buckle date stamp in blue in the lower left corner.
VC-EO-7
5 February 1883.
Hamilton to Sydney.
22 November 1890.

Scarce use of two blue Hamilton Belt & Buckle date stamps on an inter-colonial letter.

Hamil cover 1890
22 November 1890.
  1. Used in black: 25 March 1885 to 12 March 1891.
Hamilton 1885
20 May 1885.

Harrow.
Both CC-Western line and Apsley Branch.

The Telegraph Office opened in July 1875.
The Post Office opened 10 years later.

The Office was issued with a 1 hole Belt & Buckle date stamp.

Used: 25 July 1884.

Size:

Rated: RRRR.

Number in the Census: 2.


25 July 1884.

 

Hexham.

The Telegraph Office was opened in April 1858 when Hexham formed part of the first line to South Australia.

 

Hexham 1906

Heywood.
Portland-Hamilton Branch.

The Telegraph Office was opened in July 1877.

 

Kowree.

A Telegraph Office was opened when Maryvale was renamed on 1 January 1917. The Maryvale Telegraph Office had been opened in August 1911.

The Kowree Telegraph Office was closed on 30 November 1954.

Manufacturer's proof: 33 August 1947.
Real date: 14 June 1939.

Size: 29 mm.

Rated: RRRRR.

Number in the Census: 2 proofs made.


33 (?) August 1947.

Linton.

The Telegraph Office opened on 22 October 1868.

The Argus of 23 October reported that "Mr. J. B. Scurfield, who has been placed in charge of the Linton Telegraph Office, had the apparatus in full play on Thursday (22nd) and transmitted and received some messages. A few of the residents sent messages to their acquaintances, merely for the purpose of showing them that the wires are now in perfect working order".

 
Lyons.
Hamilton-Portland branch.

Lyons is about 20 km north west of Heywood.

The Post Office was opened on 5 October 1889. It was reclassified as a Telegraph Office on 15 July 1918 and closed on 5 July 1971.

The Office was not issued with a special date stamp for use with telegraphic work.
Instead the usual postal date stamp was used on telegrams.

Used: 17 June 1958.

Size: 29 mm.

Rated: RRRRR.

Number in the Census: 1.
The only recorded example.
The only previous strike recorded was an archival strike
with a short date line.

Lyons
17 June 1958 (during the TO period).
Mossgreen March 2015 Lot 1591.

Macarthur.
Macarthur-Hamilton Branch.

The Telegraph Office was opened in January 1880.

 
   

Merino.
On the Merino Branch.

The Telegraph

 

Mortlake.

The Telegraph Office was opened on 1t June 1864. Prior to this its name was Mount Shadwell.


.

Newton-Scarsdale.

A Post Office was established at Newton-Scarsdale on 11 November 1868 and it was closed on 8 March 1957. The area is south-west of Ballarat and the Branch line to Rokewood leaves the Cross-Country Western line at Newton.

Telegraph Offices also opened at Newton Railway Station and at Scarsdale Railway Stations about 1910 and closed about 1917. The link amongst the three offices is not known.

 



Penshurst.

The Telegraph Office was opened in January 1867.

The Office was issued with a 1 hole
Belt & Buckle date stamp.

Used in blue: 25 July 1888 to 20 August 1888.

Size: 27 × 38 mm (e = 0.70)
(estimate - not seen complete).

Rated: RRRR.

Number in the Census: 2.

Penshurst
25 July 1888.
(earliest recorded date).
Pens Aug
20 August 1888.
Piggoreet.

The Telegraph Office opened in March 1875.

 

Rokewood.

The Telegraph Office opened in September 1873.

Several good nuggets of gold found at Rokewood in September 1889 were described as being between 5dwt and 48 ozs and were found not more than 8 inches under the surface.

Scarsdale.

The Telegraph Office opened on 4 September 1872.

"The town clerk sent a congratulatory message to Mr. W. Clarke, M.L.A., to whose exertions the establishment of the office was chiefly to be attributed".

Skipton.

The Telegraph Office opened in September 1876.

Smythesdale.

Tenders were called for construction of the P&T Office in the September 1862 Gazette. The Telegraph Office was opened in June 1863.

The Ballarat Star of October 1868 recounts "a somewhat amusing incident in connexion with sharebroking occurred at Smythesdale on Saturday. The Galatea Company, Springdallah, is at this time attracting considerable attention and a Melbourne gentleman, an ex-M.L.A. who is largely interested in the company, paid the district a visit on Friday to ascertain personally the position and prospects of the mine. A bore was put up on that day, and the result was enchanting.

Early on Saturday morning, the delighted capitalist hastened with all possible despatch to the Smythesdale telegraph office to flash the gratifying intelligence to his brokers. Unfortunately, however, in the hurry and flush of his joyous excitement, the Melbourne gentleman left behind him a copy of the message on the desk of the outer apartment of the telegraph office.

Immediately after he was gone, and probably while the wires were yet vibrating with the communication, the wide awake Smythesdale representative of a Ballarat and Smythesdale broking firm, who was particularly on the look-out for news from the Galatea Company, that morning went to the telegraph office on business when he found the very information so much desired by his firm lying before him on the desk.

It is almost superfluous to add that it may safely be assumed that the timely presence of such a valuable piece of news furnished additional work for the telegraph wires in double quick time".

Unfortunately, the Advocate of 27 August 1870 reported that "Mr. Linton, the telegraph and post-master, has been suspended by the inspector. Report states that there are defalcations in his accounts to the amount of £53".

Streatham.

The Telegraph Office had opened in July 1858 when the first line to South Australia was constructed.

  Streatham 1911