The following details of the Darwin Telegraph Office are provided on this page:
- establishment and the early days;
- the bombing and destruction of World War 2;
- the date stamps:
Colonial and Interim period - Palmerston, Port Darwin and Darwin;
Australian period;
Telegraph Office date stamps.
1. The establishment and the early days.
The Port Darwin Telegraph Office was opened in 1871 in anticipation of the cable from Java being laid by the British Australia Telegraph Company. The Palmerston Office was soon after transferred to the Port Darwin Office.
Mr. J. A. G. Little, who had been the Telegraph Master at Robe in South Australia, was selected in June 1871 for the important position of Telegraph Master at Port Darwin.
The Darwin Post Office was used as the point of observation for all Admiralty charts of the Howard Channel and beyond from 1888 instead of the Government Residence.
Source: National Archives of Australia J2879, QTH505.
Source: State Library of South Australia B 5281.
On 25 September 1913, a Coastal Radio Wireless Station was established at Darwin.
As from 4 June 1923, the Darwin Telegraph Office opened on Sundays only from 9:00 to 9:10 am and from 9:00 to 9:30 pm.
From 29 September 1930, the Office closed at 9 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays inclusive and at 8 p.m. on Saturday.
She was the first aviatrix to fly London to Darwin solo - having commenced in Croydon on 5 May 1930.
The Sydney Morning Herald of 27 May 1930 reported that:
"The Darwin telegraph office has been inundated with work during Miss Amy Johnson's visit. Press telegrams about the flight amounted to 47,000 words and necessitated the working of an extra staff at full pressure throughout Sunday.
Today 300 telegrams arrived for Amy Johnson, making the grand total since she reached Darwin more than 800.
Before leaving this morning Miss Johnson received presents from Mrs. S. Hassan, a Chinese lady. These consisted of a gold ring set with a valuable green Jade and a suit of green silk pyjamas. Miss Johnson described the gifts as "the most beautiful things she had ever seen".
Via Beam - 6 June 1930.
A remarkable telegram.
Sent to Amy Johnson from Louis Bleriot - the very famous and important French Aviator who had made the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier than air aircraft - on 25 July 1909.
After Darwin, Johnson flew to Brisbane and then, on 4 June, to Sydney on a National Airways plane "Southern Sun". Hence she was still in Sydney when the message "Via the Beam" arrived.
For a reference to her equally famous husband Jim (James Allan) Mollison, see IAB-DC-5. Amy accepted Jim's proposal made only 8 hours after they had met. When he proposed, Jim was actually piloting a commercial flight!!!!
In October 1931, the old style batteries at the Telegraph Office were replaced with 18 accumulators which enhanced the efficiency of transmissions.
The World War 2 attack on Darwin.
The first enemy attack on Australia occurred on 19 February 1942 when Japanese fighters bombed Darwin.
It was the first of over 40 raids with more bombs (and greater tonnage) being dropped on Darwin than on Pearl Harbour.
See the first news reports based on information transmitted from the Darwin Telegraph Office and the history
a very personal account of the attack by a survivor - Mr John Roberts published in 2001
Caption by ACME Photo on the reverse of the above historical but tragic photograph.
The Darwin Post and Telegraph Office after being attacked
by Japanese fighters and bombers.
Finally, on 22 February 1946, the following appeared in the Adelaide News:
"Civil Telegraph Office, Darwin, here. We have taken over".
This was the message that clattered through the teletype telegraph printing system at the Adelaide G.P.O. at 9 a.m. today.
It was the first received from the new Darwin civil post office that replaced the one wrecked by Japanese bombers
on the fateful morning of February 19, 1942.
Immediately after the receipt of the message, a steady flow of telegraphic traffic began.
Colonial and interim periods date stamps.
PALMERSTON/NT circle
8 November 1873
(about one year after the OLT had opened)
Used on a SA Perkins Bacon 1d green.
PORT DARWIN/NT circle
1 October 1881.
Circle date stamp.
Diameter: 23 mm.
Strip of 3 2d orange
PORT DARWIN NT/SA squared circle
27 October 1890.
Squared circle date stamp.
PORT DARWIN/SA squared circle
18 March 1903.
Squared circle date stamp.
1/- brown long POSTAGE pair.
Used between 18 March 1903 and 1 August 1905.
Provenance: Corinphila Sale December 2023, Lot 30253.
1 August 1905.
Squared circle date stamp.
3d green long POSTAGE single.
Used between 18 March 1903 and 1 August 1905.
Australian date stamps - DARWIN N.T./AUSTRALIA circle.
Separate administrative area from 1911.
1/- brown long POSTAGE single.
1d red KGV.
DARWIN/N.T. circle - long side arcs.
Used 15 October 1918 (on QI-DO-1C).
Circular date stamp.
Diameter: 26 mm.
Side arcs" 7 mm.
Other examples include the use on a Queensland Interim delivery form (QI-DO-1C)
showing the 1918 use of Queensland stationery in the Territory.
and the use of this date stamp on 2 August 1940 (on ) with an International Label (AB-LI-1).
TELEGRAPH OFFICE/DARWIN N.T. circle - rubber circular date stamp (RC1-TO).
Telegraph Office.
Used 19 October 1943 on AW-DO-9Eb (1942).
Circular rubber date stamp RC1-TO used in violet.
Diameter: 35 mm.
Side arcs" 7 mm.
PERIOD OF USE: 19 Octiober 1942 TO 22 March 1944.
Number in the Census: 2.
T.O. DARWIN/North Australia - circle steel date stamp (SC1-TO).
Used 8 December 1951 on a special Air cover for an Around Australia flight.
Circular steel date stamp SC1-T.O. Darwin used in black.
Diameter: 30 mm.
Side arcs" 3 mm.
Period of use: 8 December 1951 to 15 August 1955.
Number in the Census: 4.
Rariety: RRR.
TELEGRAPH OFFICE DARWIN/N.T. - Australia - circle steel date stamp (SC1-TO).
Used 11 February 1963 on a delivery form AA-DO-13C.
Circular steel date stamp SC1-T.O. Darwin used in black.
Diameter: 31 mm.
Side dots.
Period of use: 11 February 1963 - ??.
Number in the Census: 2.
Rariety: RRRR.