Western Australia: 1869-1988.
Telegraph Offices in the Gascoyne region.

The Gascoyne region of Western Australia centers on Carnavon. The region begins just below Hamelin Pool and extends up the coast to between Exmouth and Onslow (which is in the Pilbara). It then extends inland.

The region to the east feeding the Gascoyne, Worramel and Murchison Rivers is very arid desert.

Carnarvon.

Carvarvon is situated at the mouth of the Gascoyne River and is between Shark Bay and the Ningaloo Reef. It served as a shipping point for the wool produced in the pastoral district.

The town was founded in 1881 as Gascoyne but was renamed on 15 August 1884. The town site was officially gazetted on 4 June 1891.

The Telegraph Office opened in August 1884. By the mid 1890s, there was still no Post Office but there were two hotels and two stores for the population of 200 plus a school house, a church, a library, a hospital and a gaol. A Lighthouse operated at Carvarvon from 1897 to about 1972.

Only one date stamp was issued to Carnarvon for use with telegraphs:

  • RO2 - P&TO oval rubber date stamp

Used: about 1934.

Rated: RRR.

 
The usual postal date stamp was also used for telegraphic business. Carnarvon
8 September 1910.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA at base.

Commonwealth period Type A.
Used from March 1904.
Hamelin Pool.

The Telegraph Office was opened on 21 April 1884. It was originally named the Flint Cliff Telegraph Station.

For more information about the Telegraph Station and the tours now available, see elsewhere.

Despite Adgee's best efforts, the Telegraph Office at Hamelin Pool was never issued with a date stamp for telegraph purposes.

Mamelin Pool
Clarence Vician ("Adgee") Cross was the last Linesman to work from Hamelin Pool Telegraph Station.

Adgee had to cross a flooded river to repair a line and left his clothes on the other side.

A better view than of the building itself :)


Hamelin Pool Post & Telegraph Office about 1950.

Wooramel.

The Telegraph Office was opened at Wooramel on 24 December 1897. The Gazette in June 1900 announced that space had been set aside (at Wooramel River) for a public reserve upon which a Post & Telegraph Office would later be built.

The West Australian of 3 July 1900 reported that "Dan. Masters had been appointed Stationmaster at Wooramel Telegraph Station".
The Office was issued with a rubber oval Post and Telegraph Office date stamp (RO7-P&TO).

Used in black: 1 September 1910.

Size: 25 × 49 mm (e = 0.86).

Rating: RRRR.

Number in the Census: 1


1 September 1909.
Used on a registered OHMS cover to Perth.

The only recorded example of this date stamp.