ACT Date stamps

Australian Capital Territory - Canberra.
Post Office and date stamps.

This page summarises the following information for the Canberra Post Office:

details of the Post Office;
details of the date stamps used;
the slogan cancellations used on mail and which advertised the use of Telegrams and the telegraph service.

1. Post Office.

A Post Office was opened at Canberra (NSW) on 1 January 1863. A telephone service - which permitted sending telegrams - was opened on 20 July 1905. Then two name changes were made:

on 2 June 1913 to Ainslie; and
on 1 January 1929 back to Canberra.

On 2 June 1913, another Post Office and Money Order office named Canberra opened about 2-3 miles (3 km) away when the office at Acton changed name. The Canberra date stamp was then transferred from the new office called Acton. Various (non-telegraph) services especilly related to the telephone were opened there. A TELEGRAPHS CANBERRA date stamp was also issued to this office (see below).

On 1 February 1983, the office changed name to Queen Victoria Terrace.

There are few images of the various Canberra Post Offices.

Can 1929
Post Office, East Block.

Taken in 1929.

2. The datestamps.

The only difference (telegraphically speaking) between Canberra and the rest of New South Wales up to 1988 was the date stamps used.

The usual postal date stamp was used on telegraph forms in the immediate Federation period.

The format of this date stamp was Canberra/ N.S.W. in the normal H & T Type 1 (no dot after the W) with two side arcs (SC1). An example used on the 9d stamp intended for use with telegrams is shown here:

Used in black: 22 September 1913.

Diameter: 23 mm.

Rated (used on a telegram): RRRR.

Number in the Census: 0.

Three types of date stamp are recorded for use with telegraphs:

TELEGRAPHS CANBERRA- with F.C.T at the base - in steel;
TELEGRAPHS CANBERRA - with A.C.T at the base - in steel;
TELEGRAPHS - with Canberra A.C.T. at the base - in rubber (circular and rectangular formats).

TELEGRAPHS CANBERRA/F.C.T.

Steel single circle (SC1-T).

Used: 9 May 1927 to 19 December 1937.

Diameter: 30 mm.

Hopson & Tobin believed the date stamp - only with A.C.T. - was used only in 1962 (no listing of F.C.T.).

They did not distinguish between F.C.T. (Federal Capital Territory) and A.C.T. (Australian Capital Territory) at the base.

Used in black:9 May 1927 to 18 December 1937.

Diameter: 30 mm.

Rated (used on a telegram): RRRR.

Number in the Census: 3.

9 May 1927.
First Day of Issue for the 1½d Canberra stamp.

7 August 1931.

Used on special Cablegram form about record England to Australia and return flights
IAC-DO-2.

19 December 1937.
Used on AB-DU-8Fa.

TELEGRAPHS CANBERRA/A.C.T.

The Territory name changed from Federal Capital Territory (F.C.T.) to Australian Capital Territory (A.C.T.) in 1938.
The new designation was used until postcodes were introduced in 1967.

Steel single circle (SC1-T).

ACT at the base.

Used in black: 16 March 1955 to
2 March 1967.

Diameter: 30 mm.

Rated (used on a telegram): RRRR.

Number in the Census: 5.

ACT 1961
26 October 1961.

See also the 16 March 1955 TAA telegram
shown with AW-DO-10B.

2 March 1967.

Diameter:

Used on C227 Aug 20024.

TELEGRAPHS CANBERRA with ACT and Postcode at the base.

Rubber TELEGRAPHS/CANBERRA A.C.T. date stamps.

Rubber double circle (RC2-T).

Diameter:

Still incorporates the A.C.T. at the base despite postcodes being introduced 11 years earlier.

TELEGS RC2 1968
17 April 1978.

Used on AA-DO-12Ca
dated 13 April 1978 - the last day Gough Whitlam attended Parliament as a Member of the House of Representatives.

Rubber single rectangle (RH1-T).

Unrecorded elsewhere.

Size:

20 July1972.

3. Slogans advertising Telegrams and the Telegraph service.

Slogan postmarks were used at Canberra Post Office for the following four slogans:

SEND A TELEGRAM;
100 YEARS OF TELEGRAPH SERVICE;
OVERLAND TELEGRAPH CENTENARY;
A TELEGRAPHIC CODE ...

Full details can be found elsewhere.