Victoria - date stamps B&B design

Victoria - Colonial period: 1854-1900.
Date Stamps - Belt & Buckle design.

The Belt & Buckle design used in Victoria was originally intended to be used for telegram purposes. In the early 1890s, a severe economic recession occurred. One consequence was that economies had to be made within the Post and Telegraph Department. Inks of any colour could be used and cancellers intended for one use could be used for any purpose if it saved money. Hence, the Belt and Buckle design is commonly found cancelling stamps on letters and other postal items.

The design for the Belt & Buckle

At the top of the oval (in the "belt") were the words POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICE. Inside the "belt" was the name of the Telegraph Office and below that the date was written in two lines. The year was written in full.

At the bottom of the design was the buckle and the holes.

Most date stamps had only one hole to the left of the buckle while 13 date stamps had two holes.

Some belts had coloured dots for the holes while others had round, uncoloured circles.

1 hole to the left of the buckle.

2 holes to the left of the buckle.

The most complete paper on the Belt and Buckle design was written by Davies and De Righi (1982). This paper is referenced below as "D & R".
The two books by Watson, Webster and Wood (WWW) provide very detailed descriptions for Telegraph Offices starting with letters from A to G.

The table below is adapted from Davies and De Righi (1982) and David Wood (ongoing). It summarises all known 96 examples of the Belt & Buckle design from 94 offices. Earliest and latest dates of use are recorded where these are known and confirmed.

In summary of some key aspects:

the earliest recorded examples are:

Clunes (1 April 1880). Collingwood (11 June 1880).
Richmond (21 June 1880).
the only known examples used after Federation (on 1 January 1901) are for the Stock Exchange (latest recorded date is 1 December 1904).
the last Offices to be issued with the Belt & Buckle design were Korumburra (24 May 1893) although Newport and Swan Hill received their date stamps at about the same time.
48 offices had the 1 hole design.
13 offices had the 2 hole design and their dates are from 3 January 1888 (North Melbourne) to early 1890.
Ballarat, Clifton Hill and Echuca had both 1 hole and 2 hole designs.
35 offices have an incomplete design either because D&R had not been able to see an example personally or because the strikes seen do not show the "buckle" portion (see, for example, Traralgon below).

use on cover is scarce:

One complete cover is recorded with a Stamp Statute (East Melbourne on 29 July 1899);

Two covers are recorded as being sent to an Australian inter-colonial destination:

From	To	Date
East Melbourne	Waverley, Queensland	30 April 1890
Hamilton	Sydney, NSW	22 November 1890

Eight covers are known to have been sent to an overseas destination with a Belt & Buckle date stamp:

From	To	Date
Warragul	London, England	26 July 1889
East Melbourne	Berlin, Germany	14 September 1891
		4 April 1892
Beaufort	Tottenham, England	9 May 1892
Kerang	Poschiavo, Italy	7 April 1893
Prahran	Canada	8 May 1893
Market Street	Birmingham, England	12 March 1894
Traralgon	Boston, U.S.A	19 September 1889.

The range of known dates are shown below for each Post & Telegraph Office. Please inform the site (with a scan if possible for verification) of dates for items outside of the indicated limits (see link on home page).

For an explanation of eccentricity (e) reported below to measure the extent of the oval shape, see elsewhere.

Easy finder - click first letter of office:	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P
	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	XYZ

NOTE: In the tables below, NSC - date stamp has Not (been) Seen Complete.

A	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Abbotsford	2	Black	1890	1894	Not seen complete
Ararat	1	Black	19 October 1889	14 May 1894	27.5 × 38	0.69
Ararat	1	Blue	15 July 1891	5 April 1892	27.5 × 38	0.69
Avoca	2	Black	1 April 1892	6 September 1892	28 × 42	0.75

B	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Bairnsdale	1	Black	12 April 1889	19 June 1894	27.5 × 38	0.69
Bairnsdale	1	Blue	20 October 1891.	1892	27.5 × 38	0.69
Ballarat	1	Black	12 July 1884	16 June 1886	27 × 37	0.68
Ballarat	2	Black	19 June 1889		26.5 × ?	NSC
Ballarat East	1	Black	1892		27 × 37	0.68
Beaufort	1	Black	9 January 1890	10 July 1894	27 × 38	0.70
Beaufort	1	Blue	6 October 1891	22 July 1893	27 × 38	0.70
Beechworth	1	Black	12 December 1892	24 April 1894	27.5 × 39	0.71
Belfast	1	Black
Benalla	1	Black	22 August 1890	24 May 1893	27.5 × 38	0.69
Bendigo (as Sandhurst)	1	Black	8 May 1891	6 February 1893	28 × ??
Bendigo	1	Black	28 September 1893	3 October 1893	27.5 × 38.5	0.70
Birregurra	2	Black	12 November 1890	1894	27.5 × 36	0.65
Birregurra	2	Blue	12 November 1890
Boort	1	Black	21 August 1891	10 October 1891	27 × ??
Bourke Street East	1	Black	14 January 1889	15 June 1894	27 × 38	0.70
Brunswick	2	Black	31 January 1891	5 October 1891	27 × 40	0.74
Bruthen	1	Black	3 April 1893		27.5 ×
Buninyong	1	Black	13 April 1891	11 May 1894	27.5 × 39	0.71

C	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Camperdown	2	Black	7 December 1891	25 February 1893	29 × 41	0.71
Carlton	1	Black	3 May 1882	28 May 1894	27 × 37	0.68
Casterton	2	Black	1889	17 April 1894	27.5 ×
Casterton	2	Blue	2 April 1890	12 March 1892	27.5 × 39	0.72
Castlemaine	1	Black	11 August 1884
Charlton	1	Blue	26 July 1882	1 August 1889	27 × 38	0.70
Chiltern	1	Black	8 November 1886	12 June 1894	28 × 38.5
Chiltern	1	Blue	1889	1892
Clifton Hill	1	Black	11 March 1893	-	28 × 38	0.68
Clifton Hill	2	Black	10 February 1894	8 June 1894	28 × 39	0.70
Clunes	1	Black	1 April 1880	16 October 1893	27 × 38	0.70
Colac	1	Black	13 January 1884	22 May 1894	27 × 38	0.70
Colac	1	Blue	4 July 1885		27 × 38	0.70
Colac	1	Blue	7 July 1891	9 October 1891	27 × 38	0.70
Coleraine	1	Black	3 January 1888	12 September 1892	27 × 37	0.68
Collingwood	1	Black	11 June 1880	25 February 1899	27 × 38	0.73
Creswick	1	Black	7 March 1889	15 August 1892	26 × 38	0.73
Creswick	1	Blue	6 July 1891 (?)	-	26.5 × 38	0.72

D	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Dandenong	1	Black	24 February 1893	23 December 1893	27 × 38.5	0.71
Daylesford	1	Black	16 August 1883	7 July 1893	27 × 38	0.71
Daylesford	1	Blue	2 December 1890	-	27 × 38	0.71
Dimboola	1	Black	26 July 1887	25 May 1894	27 × 38	0.70
Donald	1	Black	13 February 1888	27 September 1892	27 × 38	0.70

E	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
East Melbourne	1	Black	29 July 1889	5 November 1894	27 × 38	0.70
East Melbourne	1	Blue	3 April 1891	14 September 1891	27 × 38	0.70
Echuca	1	Black	17 May 1882	16 December 1889	27 × ?
Echuca	2	Black	25 January 1890	11 July 1893	28 × 40	0.71
Elsternwick	2		7 September 1892	19 September 1893
Essendon	not seen complete	Black	July 1891	15 June 1894	27 × 38	0.70
Euroa	1	Black	1 June 1888	3 July 1893	27.5 × 39	0.71
Euroa	1	Blue	6 July 1889	8 June 1891	27.5 × 39	0.71
Exhibition	1	Black	23 October 1888	31 December 1888	27.5 × ?

F	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Fitzroy	1	Black	15 December 1891	3 July 1894	27 × 38½	0.71
Footscray	2	Black	30 October 1888	1894	27 × 40	0.74
Foster	2	Black	1 August 1890	7 January 1891
Foster	2	Blue	1 August 1890	7 January 1891

G	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Geelong	1	Black(?)	12 January 1884	-	27 × 37	0.68
Geelong	2	Black	1891	30 May 1894	26.5 × 37.5	0.71

H	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Hamilton	1	Black	25 March 1885	19 October 1892	27 × 38	0.70
Hamilton	1	Blue	5 February 1883	3 February 1891	27 × 38	0.70
Harrow	1	Black	25 July 1884	-	27 × ??
Hawthorn	2	Black	21 June (or Aug) 1890	1894
Heathcote	2	Black	13 May 1890		Not seen complete
Heathcote	2	Blue		about 1892	Not seen complete
Horsham	1	Black	31 July 1884	/1890	27 × 39	0.72
Hotham	1	Black	13 January 1885	20 September 1887	27 × 38	0.70

K	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Kerang	1	Black	/1888	2 May 1893	27 × 38	0.70
Kilmore	1?	Black	/1886		Not seen complete
Korumburra	1	Black	8 May 1893	1894	27 × 38	0.70
Kyneton	1	Black	1884	20 March 1890	27 × 38	0.70

L	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Law Courts	2	Black	1891	6 April 1894	28 × 41	0.73

M	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Maldon	2	Black	5 July 1889	29 July 1893
Malmesbury	2	Black	25 January 1890		29 × 41
Mansfield	2	Black	1889 (??)	15 October 1892	Not seen complete
Market Street	1	Black	24 July 1888	20 June 1894
Maryborough	1	Black	9 May 1883	1894	27 × 38	0.70
Moe	1	blue	10 August 1891		Not seen complete
Morwell	?		1891	23 June 1893	Not seen complete
Murtoa	1	black	13 April 1885	28 April 1892	28 × 38 mm	0.68

N	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Newport	?		/1893
Nhill	2	Black	6 November 1888	25 March 1890
North Melbourne	2	Black	3 January 1888	7 May 1892	28 × 40	0.71
North Melbourne	2	Blue	26 November 1888		28 × 40	0.71
Northcote	1		8 August 1889	6 September 1893
Numurkah	1	Black	17 August 1891	21 June 1894	? × 38	0.70
Numurkah	1	Blue	1892

O	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Omeo	1	Black	1891	18 June 1894	28 × 39	0.70
Omeo	1	Blue	12 September 1892		28 × 39	0.70

P	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Penshurst	1	Blue	25 July 1888	20 August 1888	27 × 38	0.70
Port Albert	1	Black	19 March 1890	7 March 1892	27 × 38	0.70
Port Albert	1	Blue	1892		27 × 38	0.70
Port Fairy	1	Black	17 October 1889
Port Melbourne	1	Black	18 July 1889	25 April 1894
Portland	1	Black	/1889	23 February 1894
Prahran	1	Black	30 September 1881	16 September 1891
Prahran	1	Blue	24 June 1889	30 December 1893
Public Offices	1	Black	12 September 1890	2 November 1892
Public Offices	1	Blue	3 December 1890

Q	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Queenscliff	1	Black	22 January 1886	6 April 1894	27 × 38	0.70

R	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Reedy Creek	1	Black	20 September 1892	November 1893
Richmond	1	Black	21 June 1880	10 May 1894	27.5 × 37.5	0.68
Richmond	1	Blue	11 April 1883	16 September 1886	27.5 × 37.5	0.68
Richmond South	1	Black	10 June 1891	20 December 1892	28 × 39	0.70
Rutherglen	1		7 August 1891	20 October 1893

S	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Sale	1	Black	2 December 1887		27 × 38	0.70
Sandhurst	1	Black	1888	6 February 1893	28 × ?
Sandhurst	1	Blue	1888
Seymour	2	Black	1890	8 August 1892
Shepparton	1	Black	28 September 1886	22 May 1893	27 × 38	0.70
South Melbourne	1	Black	17 December 1886	2 February 1894	26.5 × 37.5
South Yarra	1	Black	2 March 1889	1893	28 × 39	0.70
St. Arnaud	1	Black	1885 (?)	7 August 1888	NSC
St. Kilda	1	Black	17 February 1891	17 September 1894	28 × 39	0.70
Stawell	2	Black	11 March 1890	14 September 1893	27 × 38	0.70
Stock Exchange	2	Black	10 December 1895	6 May 1909	26 ×
Swan Hill	??		1893		Not seen complete

T	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Talbot	1	Black	12 May 1883		Not seen complete
Tarnagulla	1	Black	4 July 1887	2 December 1893	27.5 × 38	0.69
Tarnagulla	1	Blue	22 October 1889	14 February 1890	27.5 × 38	0.69
Tarnagulla	1	Blue	1892		27.5 × 38	0.69
Traralgon	1	Black	26 October 1887	23 December 1893	28 × 38.5	0.69
Tungamah	2	Black	7 May 1891	4 April 1892	28 × 40	0.71

W	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Walhalla	2	Black	26 June 1889	29 May 1893	Not seen complete
Wangaratta	1	Black	1881	30 January 1892	Not seen complete
Wangaratta	1	Blue	1885
Wangaratta	1	Blue	1892
Warragul	1	Black	16 October 1889	13 January 1893	27.5 × 38	0.69
Warragul	1	Blue	9 July 1890	9 February 1892	27.5 × 38	0.69
Warrnambool	1	Black	1 February 1888	1892	27 × 38	0.70
Warrnambool	1	Blue	1892		27 × 38	0.70
Wedderburn	1	Black	16 June 1891	20 June 1892	27 × 38	0.70
Williamstown (1)	1	Black	11 March 1885	24 November 1891	27 × 38	0.70
Williamstown (2)	1	Black	14 December 1892	29 March 1894	27 × 38	0.70
Windsor	2	Black	26 February 1892	3 May 1893	Not seen complete
Wodonga	1	Black	17 November 1890	18 October 1893	27 × 38	0.70
Wycheproof	2	Black	6 May 1890	1894	28 × 41	0.73
Wycheproof	2	Blue	6 May 1890	13 August 1890	28 × 41	0.73

Y	No. of holes	Colour	Earliest date	Latest date	Size H × W (mm)	Eccentricity
Yackandandah	1	Black	23 October 1891	2 November 1893	Not seen complete
Yarram Yarram	2	Black	18 February 1890	20 January 1892	27 × 40	0.74
Yarram Yarram	2	Blue	9 July 1890	1892	27 × 40	0.74
Yarrawonga	1	Black	26 January 1891	15 November 1893	27× 38	0.70
Yarrawonga	1	Blue	1891		27 × 38	0.70