Western Australia: 1869-1900.
Telegraph Offices in the northern region.


 

Berkshire Valley.

The Berkshire Valley Office was opened on 1 March 1874. It was operated by Miss Clinch from her homestead.

It is unsure if any date stamps were issued to Berkshire Valley. Gouldner (p. 7) hypothesises that three date stamps might have been available during the 1874 to 1891 period including at least one for a Post & Telegraph Office.

 

Dowerin.

The Post Office at Dowerin opened on 1 September 1906. It became an Official Office (with Telegraph facilities) on 1 July 1912.

A rubber oval date stamp - RO4 - P&TO - was issued to the office for use with telegraphs.

Used in violet: 13 August 1913.

Size: 25 × 42 mm.

Rated: RRRR.

Number in the Census: 1.


13 August 1913.

Used in blue: 24 July 1915, 6 August 1915 and 23 February 1916 (on reg'd cover).

Size: 25 × 42 mm.

Rated: RRRR.

Number in the Census: 3.

July 1915
24 July 1915.

 

Dowerin 1914
6 August 1915.
Geraldton.

The Telegraph Office opened on 5 June 1874 soon after the change of name from Champion Bay.

The prosperity of the Murchison gold fields combined with the significant exports of wool from the surrounding areas made this a very important Telegraph station.

The call signal around the 1880s was GT.

Geraldton P&T
Geraldton Post & Telegraph Office about 1900.
Geraldton
The township of Geraldton about 1900.


SL Geraldton
Telegrams were often marked with a straight-line
Geraldton handstamp - see for example WI-DO-5A.
The Geraldton Post & Telegraph Office was issued with at least two types of date stamp for use with telegraphs:
  1. a TELEGRAPHS GERALDTON/W A steel date stamp.
    Dots for separation of the top and lower inscriptions.

Used: 8 December 1922.

Diameter: 29 mm.

Rated: RRRR.

Number in the Census: 1.

Geraldton Telegs
Telegraphs Geraldton/W.A
8 December 1922.

 

  1. a rubber oval POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp
    (RO6-P&TO).

Used: about 1940.

Size:

Rated: RRRRR.

   

Guilford.

The Telegraph Office was opened

 

A RO6-TO date stamp was used at Guilford in December 1896.

Only one example is recorded used in violet.

Size: 26 × 42 mm (e = 0.79).

Guilford RO6
23 December 1896.
Used on WC-DO-4Ca with delivery envelope.
Newcastle (Toodyay).

Toodyay was gazetted as Newcastle in 1860 when it was moved 2 km to higher ground to avoid flooding. In 1910, to avoid confusion with the Newcastle in NSW, the name was changed back to Toodyay.

The Telegraph Office was opened at Newcastle in January 1872.

The call signal around the 1880s was N.

The Toodyay Post Office had opened on 23 April 1847 but closed during the move on 6 October 1864. It was renamed from Newcastle as a P&T Office on 6 May 1910.

An original postal date stamp for Toodyay - presumably used between 1847 and 1864.

Toodyay

Three rubber oval date stamps were issued to the office when it was named Newcastle for use with telegraphs:

  1. a rubber oval Telegraph Office date stamp (RO6 - TO).

Used: about 1894.

Size:

Rated: RRRR.

 

  1. a rubber oval Post & Telegraph Office date stamp (RO6 - P&TO).
    Has 2 mm side arcs.

Used: between 1898 - 1910 (when the name change occurred).

Size: 27 × 44 mm (e = 0.79).

Rated: RRR.

Number in the Census: 2.

Newcastle 1900
28 January 1900.
Used on a block of 6 1d red Swans.

1901
1 July 1901.

  1. a rubber oval Post & Telegraph Office date stamp (RO7 - P&TO).

Used: about 1906.

Size:

Rated: RRRR.

 
  1. a rubber oval Post & Telegraph Office date stamp (RO4-P&TO) with the change in mname from Newcastle to Toodyay.

Used in blue: sometime after the name change in 1910 - 9 October 1918.

Size:

Rated: RRR.

Toodyay oval
9 October 1918.