Adavale.

The Telegraph line from Charleville to Adavale was opened on 10 September 1888 and a Telegraph Office was opened on the same day. Presumably the Telegraph Office was then housed in temporary accommodation because in the Estimates laid in the House in September, was an item for a Post and Telegraph Office at Adavale for £800.

During the major floods in April 1890, there was 4 feet of water through the Adavale Office. Telegraphic communication was cut off and the Telegraph Office was abandoned.

Aramac.

Tenders for the Post and Telegraph Office at Aramac closed on 9 August 1878. The Western Champion of 20 September 1879 reported that timber had to be brought in from 70 miles to construct a number of buildings in Aramac - including the Telegraph and Post Offices which, it was hoped, would be finished by mid-October.

Not only were there delays in completing the telegraph line from Blackall to Aramac but "The telegraph office, which should have been long since completed, is not even commenced. It appears that last April tenders were called for its erection - plans and specifications to be seen at the telegraph office at Aramac. Tenderers, on coming here, very naturally inquired for the telegraph office but there was neither telegraph office or station master here. There were certainly documents etc in the post office addressed to the "Stationmaster, Aramac" which remained until that gentleman put in an appearance a few weeks since" (Western Star 18 January 1879).

The Telegraph Office opened on 13 November 1886. On 14 January 1888, tenders were opened for the erection of a Post and Telegraph Office. On 12 August 1888 - the staff moved into that new Post & Telegraph Office: "The staff were kept busy from daylight to dark in removing to their present commodious premises; the change having to be made on the Sabbath day to obviate throwing the telegraphic and postal work out of gear during the incoming week".

No special date stamp was issued for use with telegrams.

Barcaldine was important because it was established on the junction of the north-running telegraph line from Blackall to Aramac and the west-running line from Jericho which was later extended to Longreach.

During the big shearers strike of 1891, the Barcaldine telegraph office was exceedingly busy.

The main street of Barcaldine about 1910 - showing the Royal Hotel.

Usual postal date stamp.

Used on a Congratulations telegram (AW-GCF-54Aa).
Usual postal date stamp used for telegram purposes.

No Telegraph Station was ever opened at Birdsville. The discussions over 60+ years are summarised elsewhere.

The Capricornian of 21 December 1889 reported:

"There are three hotels (built of stone), two stores, a Divisional Board hall, an assembly room, saddler and black smith's shops, lemonade factory, Custom House, an old receiving store and the police barracks. The township is only six or seven miles from the South Australian border and all its business is done through South Australia. Goods in that way can be landed there much cheaper than from Queensland. The hotels are well kept. The residents complain bitterly that th Queensland Government have not extended the telegraph line there. A sum of money was voted for the purpose some years ago, but owing to differences of opinion amongst the inhabitants of the district as to whether the extension should be made from Windorah or Boulia — one section having petitioned in favour of the former while another urged in favour of the latter — the matter has been shelved up to the present The extension is an important one no doubt, owing to the position of the place, and I have no doubt that it would well repay the cost of construction".

Stories about Birdsville abound. For example:

MARRY BUSHMEN.
BRISBANE, Friday.

The Birdsville Nursing home of the Australian Inland Mission will require two more sisters. Telegraphic advice was received yesterday by Padre Fred McKay, a Western Queensland patrol missioner, that two (medical) Sisters, now at Birdsville, had announced their engagements. They are Sister Alice Anderson and Sister Lilian Cooper.

Padre McKay said that these two marriages would make 24 nursing sisters married to bushmen".
(The Evening News, 29 April 1938).

(ED: in those days, it was not possible for a woman to continue to work once she was married.

The Telegraph Office opened on 9 April 1877.

The staff of the Telegraph section consisted of an Electric Telegraph Station Master, one operator and one line repairer.

In 1880, 8,884 messages were sent including 662 OHMS messages.

The left side of the building shown with the crowd waiting for the Mail delivery.

The name POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE can be clearly seen.

The Blackall Post & Telegraph 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 on AB-DO-6Aa.

Boulia.

The cost of a Post and Telegraph Office at Boulia was included in the Surplus Cost Estimates in November 1882. In March 1883, a three acre allotment was reserved for a Post and Telegraph Office "as allotments 3 to 8 of section 3".

The tender to construct the Post and Telegraph Office at Boulia submitted by Mitchell and Lisson for £950 was accepted in July 1884. A Memo from the Telegraph Department announced that a Telegraph Office at Boulia was opened to the public on 11 August 1884.

Meteorological Offices were sent up throughout Queensland about 1890 to record temperatures, humidity, rainfall, etc. These were classified into First Order stations (at least 12), second order, etc. Boulia was one of the First Order stations (plus Birdsville and Windorah in this region) and regarded as perhaps the most important station in Queensland. "In establishing these stations, regard was had to their position on the telegraph lines and points of the railway as in the latter cases, the altitude was obtainable."

The Cloncurry Advocate of 3 June 1889 related the following story about life in Boulia and the Telegraph Office:

Affairs in Boulia are becoming very low as far as ready money is concerned. A circumstance came under my notice today which rather surprised me. A bushman came into the bar and called for two drinks - tendering as payment two kangaroo scalps which were readily accepted by mine host who then very coolly returned four wallaby scalps with the remark 'Your change sir.' This marsupial scalper afterwards made tracks to the telegraph office and again tendered a scalp saying 'Two shillings worth of stamps, please' but he was much disgusted when told that the scalp was not current coin".

As an aside, on 7 September 1881, in the Legislative Assembly the Marsupial Bill passed its third reading. The price of kangaroo scalps was fixed at 8d and and wallabys 4d.

In March 1895, tenders were accepted for repairs to the Boulia Post and Telegraph Office - nothing to do with the bushman!!

BUT ... on 16 April 1895, the Post and Telegraph office at Boulia was burned down early that morning. Nothing was saved. The new postmaster had been expected the previous night but he had not yet arrived.

The Northern Daily Argus of 30 April 1895 followed up that event with "James G. Loughran, late Postmaster at Boulia, has been arrested on a charge of alleged incendiarism. Some time ago, the Post and Telegraph Office, of which he had charge, was burnt and Loughran is accused of having maliciously set light to it".

Ilfracombe.

On 9 December 1891, the Morning Bulletin reported "A notice posted at the Telegraph Office yesterday stated that a telegraph office had been opened at Ilfracombe, on the Central Railway, for the transaction of business".

On 10 September 1898, the Capricornian announced "In the inward correspondence was a letter from the Under Secretary Post and Telegraph Department, stating a messenger for the delivery of telegrams had been appointed (to Ilfracombe)".

Ilfracombe is just east of Longreach. The tender to construct a new Post & Telegraph Office was let to Doyle and Gilbert at a cost of £978 10s in April 1900. They would start construction after they had finished building the Police Station and Court House.

A site for building a new Post and Telegraph Office was approved by the Acting Deputy Postmaster-General, Brisbane in June 1908. The Morning Bulletin of 8 February 1909 announced that "the Department of Home Affairs has approved of the erection of a new Post and Telegraph Office at Ilfracombe and the work is to be carried out by the Queensland Public Works Department". On 20 November 1909 came the announcement that the construction had been completed and that the Postmaster would arrive at the end of the following week.

In February 1912 came the announcement that it was hoped Mr. Walker of Aramac, who had been contracted to make alterations to the Post and Telegraph Building, would start work shortly.

Isisford.

Tenders were called in the Gazette of 21 September 1889 for the construction of a Post and Telegraph Office at Isisford.

Jundah.

Jundah is situated near the main crossing of the Thompson, 120 miles down from Isisford, and close to where the Barcoo and Thompson rivers form Cooper's creek. It is the crossing for the Thomson River in flood-time.

On 29 April 1884, tenders were called for the erection of a Post and Telegraph Office at Jundah.

The Telegraph Office was opened on 22 April 1885 with Mr. W. J. Tobin in charge.

The Western Champion of 6 August 1885 reported on a visit to Jundah by their Windorah Correspondent: "On arriving at Jundah, I found things little altered since last year, the principal improvement being the newly established Telegraph Office. And right here I must remark that the Jundah people ought to congratulate themselves on the acquisition to their society of such a white man as Mr. C. Tobin, the Telegraph Master".

The Western Champion of 5 July 1888 described " a champagne fare of last Saturday evening given by the townspeople to our Post and Telegraph Master, Mr. W. J. Tobin, who has been transferred to the head terminal station at Windorah ... What would be loss to Jundah would be the gain of the town of Windorah. He was pleased to see that Mr. Tobin was promoted to be manager of that township's Telegraph and Post office. (Cheers). He wished him every success in life. (Hear, Hear and great cheering)".

The new Telegraph Master was apparently a first-class musician and so was seen to be "a great acquisition to the town".

In July 1887 a fence was being erected around the Post &Telegraph Office.

Longreach.

The telegraph line to Longreach was opened through to Brisbane on 21 December 1891. Presumably that Office was housed at the railway station.

The Morning Bulletin of 2 May 1892 reported that "The Longreach Progress Association is making application for a messenger to carry out the telegrams from the Electric Telegraph Office. At present the telegrams remain in the office until called for. Pending the appointment of a messenger, the principal business people will employ a youth to do the work and pay his wages themselves".

The Morning Bulletin of 7 April 1892 also reported on "the pressing necessity for increasing the accommodation and staff of the Post and Telegraph office at Longreach. Considering the numerous duties and responsibilities which the stationmasters at this place and also at Ilfracombe are required to undertake, it is no wonder that the public business is neglected. It is a fact that numerous private telegrams sent to Longreach have been delayed for twenty-four hours simply because the officials there could not spare the time from the work of the railway to take the messages".

Tenders were called for a new Post & Telegraph Office and Quarters in September 1892. In early December 1892, " a start has been made to erect the Post and Telegraph Offices on the site opposite Cannon's Commercial Hotel". On 24 January 1893, the Western Champion reported "Good progress is being made towards the completion of our Post and Telegraph building - the most requisite buildings in Longreach. The timber used throughout is well-seasoned and the workmanship - to use the words of an expert - cannot be excelled". A few months later, on 23 May 1893, the same paper continued on the same subject with "Mr. McMillan, Government Inspector, during last week passed the new Post and Telegraph buildings and, in doing so, made some highly complimentary remarks as to the manner in which the work had been performed by the contractor Mr. Jones. Now that these buildings are ready for occupation, it is to be hoped little time will be lost before the appointment of the requisite staff of officials".

The Office was opened on 6 June 1893 with Mr. J. C. Dooner from Rockhampton in charge and Mr. Bradshaw - who since the opening of the line to Longreach has been the operator - to assist.

No special date stamp for use with telegraphs was issued to the office.

Longreach Post & Telegraph Office about 1908.

Longreach Post & Telegraph Office (RHS) and Shire Hall (about 1920).

Longreach Post & Telegraph Office about 1920.
Taken from a tinted Postcard. The change in roof line and RH structure over the 1908 image can be seen clearly.

The only tender for the construction of the Post and Telegraph Office was, at 9 September 1881, P. Wierman at £796 17s.

The Telegraph Office opened on 16 June 1874. The first communication with Brisbane was at 3 pm. It was an officially designated repeating station.

The various press messages noted "It is gratifying to be able to announce that a station has been opened at Tambo for the receipt and transmission of telegraphic messages, and that our Barcoo friends are no longer entirely dependent on the mail service and the state of the roads for communication with the rest of the world".

In 1880, 5,466 originating messages were sent including 388 OHMS messages. The staff of the Telegraph section consisted of one Electric Telegraph Station Master, 2 operators and 1 line repairer.

Tenders were called first in 1885 to build additions because of the additional responsibility of the Tambo office and second, in December 1903, for a new Post & Telegraph Office.

In the late 1800s, Tambo was a repeating station and all the business for the North passed through there and Muttaburra. Half a dozen operators were employed to handle the traffic.

Windorah.

The Post and Telegraph Office was handed over to the Government on 4 August 1886 following a construction time of 12 weeks.

Winton.

A Telegraph Office was opened on 12 February 1883.