Australia.
Telegraph Offices on the Wood's Point line & Branches.

The Telegraph Offices shown here are from the main Woods Point Line (No. 4 N.E.) and from the four associated Branch lines. Offices also on the main North-Eastern line are included on that line.

 

Lake Rowan.
 On the Yarrawonga Branch.

The Post Office opened on 1 July 1875 and closed on 30 November 1981.

The Telegraph Office opened in December 1882. It was on Line 175 and connected only to St. James.

It is supposed that Ned Kelly used Mr. Swanhill - a local resident - to sell horses for him about October 1877.

In 1890, the Office had a Postmistress and received 609 messages. In that year, the Morse instruments at Lake Rowan were replaced with telephones and the staff office was closed.
No special date stamp was supplied to the Office for use with telegrams.  

Mansfield.
On the Woods Point Branch.

The Telegraph Office opened in November 1868.

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

Used in black: 15 October 1892.

Size: ??

Rated: RRRR.

Number in the Census: 3.

 Mansfield B&B
15 October 1892.


12 July 18??

The Office was also issued with a rubber RR1-TS date stamp with the inscription TELEGRAPH SECTION.

Used in violet: 20 January 1978.

Size: 27 × 42 mm

Rated: RRRR.

Number in the Census: 1.
20 January 1978.

Jamieson.

The Telegraph Office opened in June 1865. Jamieson was the station commencing the branch line (#134) from the main Woods Pont line linking to Alexandra and Yea before terminating at Seymour.

The Office received 1,493 telegraphic messages in 1890. It was then staffed by a Postmistress, a Line Repairer, a Messenger and an Assistant.

 

St. James.

The Telegraph Office opened in September 1883 at the Railway Station.

In 1883, St. James was a town which was rapidly developing. Later a shopkeeper named George W. Coles sold his small shop to his oldest son George James Coles for £4,500 before he moved to Wilmot, Tasmania to open another shop called "Coles Store". George Jnr. had been educated at Beechworth College. In 1914, George J. and his brothers opened another shop in Collingwood with the slogan "nothing over a shilling". From there, the major commercial empire began.

Importantly - George would have sent many telegrams!!
Tungamah.

The Telegraph Office opened in April 1884.

The Office was issued with a 2 hole Belt & Buckle date stamp which was used in black between 7 May 1891 and 4 April 1892.

 Tungamah
Tungamah 2 hole Belt & Buckle date stamp.
27 November 1891.
Wood's Point.
Wood's Point Branch

The Telegraph Office opened in October 1865 while the Post Office had opened on 1 December 1862.

The Morning Star Reef had been discovered as a valuable gold body in 1861. By the time the Telegraph Office opened, Wood's Point had 36 hotels and a number of suburbs. From the 1870s to the 1890s, the activity slowly decreased but revived to some extent in the 1890s.

  
Yarrawonga.

The Telegraph Office opened on 30 September 1882.

The Argus of 10 December 1901 reported on a public meeting held at Yarrawonga to discuss the construction of a new Post & Telegraph Office. It was agreed the new building should be on the same site as the previous building.

 Yarrawonga 2

 

 

 

 Yarrawonga

Two types of date stamp were issued to the Post & Telegraph Office:

  1. A 1 hole Belt and Buckle date stamp.

Used in black: 26 January 1891 to 15 November 1893.

Size: 27 × 38 mm. (0.70)

Rated: RR.

Number in the Census: 6.

 Wrapper
9 February 1893.
Used on a wrapper to Gordon & Gotch.
Yarra 1891


26 January 1891.
ERD.		 Yarra 1892
16 September 1892.

Used in blue: 10 February 1891.

Rated: RRRR.

Number in the Census: 0.

  
  1. a rectangular rubber date stamp with TELEGRAPH (RRH1-T) and postcode.

Used: 4 September 1984 (all same date).

Size: 32 × 51 mm.

Rated: RRR.

Number in the Census: 3.

 Rarra 1984
4 September 1984.