Kyabra

Kyabra receiving office, 42 km from Eromanga. The Receiving Office opened in January 1882 and closed about July 1907. The receiving office keeper was John Hannah in 1882, John Webber in 1884, J Henderson in 1886, W. McGill in 1887, J. Merryfield in 1888, Mrs McKillop in 1891, R. Pitt in 1892, T. Webber in 1895, T. Bodkin in 1904 and J. Feehan in 1905

• Manuscript cancellation rated Very Rare

3rd Sideface

Kyabra manuscript cancellation rated Very Rare. Seen in the collection of Tony Griffin

Eromanga

Eromanga receiving office, 105 km west of Quilpie. The Receiving Office opened in 1892 and was elevated to a post office in October 1902. The receiving office keepers were 1892 John Logan, 1895 H. McGill, 1896 Francis Murray, 1900 J. Wynne

• Manuscript cancellation rated Very Rare

Eromanga numeral 623 HERE. Eromanga date stamp type 4bt HERE

3rd Sideface

Eromanga manuscript cancellation rated Very Rare. Seen in the collection of Tony Griffin

Macklin

Macklin receiving office, 15 km from Jimboomba. The Receiving Office opened as Undallah on 1 January 1875 and changed its name to Macklin in 1900. The receiving office keeper was John Kennedy

• Manuscript cancellation rated Very Rare

3rd Sideface

Macklin manuscript cancellation with an unclear date and rated Very Rare. Seen in the collection of Tony Griffin

Doolbi

Doolbi receiving office, 2.5 km east of Childers. The Receiving Office opened at the railway station on 12 March 1894 and was designated a post office in late 1927. The original receiving office keeper was the gatekeeper, Mrs Frances Foster

• Manuscript cancellation dated 1901 rated Very Rare

1901

Doolbi manuscript cancellation dated 16 September 1901 and rated Very Rare. Seen in the collection of Tony Curtis. Ex Wolfgang Kielmann

Opening of the Receiving Office

Memorandum dated 7 March 1894 on the establishment of the Doolbi Receiving Office. Text: It has been approved to open a Receiving Office at Doolbi on the Childers Railway Line, and the postmaster at Maryborough has been instructed to supply the usual stores. Doolbi will also be a parcel post office

Memorandum dated 14 March 1894 on the establishment of the Doolbi Receiving Office. From the National Archives of Australia and supplied by Tony Curtis

Miva

Miva receiving office, 5 km north west of Gympie. The Receiving Office opened in 1888 and was elevated to a post office in May 1908 

• Manuscript cancellation (July 1899) rated Very Rare

Miva numeral 665 HERE. Miva date stamp 5b HERE

1899

Miva manuscript cancellation rated Very Rare. Dated July 1899. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Miva manuscript cancellation rated Very Rare. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Wootha

Wootha receiving office, 7 km south west of Maleny. The Receiving Office opened in January 1907 

• Manuscript cancellation dated 1909 - 1910 rated Very Rare

1909

Wootha manuscript cancellation dated 8 June 1909 with a numeral ray 170 for Maleny and rated Very Rare. Seen on Ebay

1910

Wootha manuscript cancellation with a numeral ray 170 for Maleny dated 1 April 1910  and rated Very Rare. Seen on Ebay

Mungallala

Mungallala receiving office, 43 km east of Morven. The Receiving Office opened 1887 and was elevated to a post office in May 1911

• Manuscript cancellation dated 1904 and rated Very Rare

Mungallala numeral 724 HERE. Mungallala railway numeral 153 HERE. Mungallala registered HERE. Mungallala date stamp 6 HERE

Mungallala manuscript cancellation on a registered letter with a Roma date stamp dated 16 October 1904  and rated Very Rare. Seen in Phoenix auction no 67

Guymer

Guymer receiving office, 13 km north east of Gayndah. The Receiving Office opened on 1 January 1903 and closed in mid-1911

• Manuscript cancellation rated Very Rare

Guymer manuscript cancellation and rated Very Rare. Seen in Phoenix auction no 67

Redlynch

Redlynch receiving office, 8 km north west of Cairns. The Receiving Office opened in December 1887

• Manuscript cancellation dated 1899 rated Very Rare

Redlynch registered manuscript cancellation on a registered letter with a Cairns date stamp dated 27 January 1899  and rated Very Rare. Seen in Abacus auction no 234 lot no 224

Mullet Creek

Mullet Creek receiving office, 14 km east of Rosedale. The Receiving Office opened in 1896

• Manuscript cancellation dated 1911 rated Very Rare

Mullet Creek manuscript cancellation dated 15 March 1911 with a TPO NCR No 4 down date stamp cancel of the same date  and rated Very Rare. Seen in Phoenix auction no 65

Yandaran

Yandaran receiving office, 22 km east southeast of Rosedale. The Receiving Office opened in September 1888 and was elevated to a post office around November 1908

• Manuscript cancellation dated 1904 rated Very Rare

Yandaran manuscript cancellation dated 5 December 1904 and rated Very Rare. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Merinda

Merinda receiving office, 8 km from Bowen. The Receiving Office opened in 1898 and closed about 1901 before reopening in 1903. It was elevated to a post office in early 1911

• Manuscript cancellation dated 1904 rated Very Rare

Merinda date stamp 6 HERE

Merinda manuscript cancellation dated 26 February 1904 and rated Very Rare. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group. Ex Campbell

Ironside

Ironside receiving office, 4 km from the Brisbane General Post office. The Receiving Office opened on 1 July 1892 and closed sometime between September 1910 and March 1911. The receiving office keeper in 1892 was David Guyatt

• Manuscript cancellation dated 1901 rated Very Rare

Ironside manuscript cancellation with a Brisbane datestamp dated 1901 and rated Very Rare. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group. Ex Campbell

Cordalba

Cordalba receiving office, 11km north west of Childers. The Receiving Office opened in 1893 and was elevated to a post office at the end of 1896

• Manuscript cancellation dated 1895 rated Very Rare

Cordalba date stamps HERE. Cordalba registered HERE. Cordalba numeral 537 HERE

Cordalba manuscript cancellation with a Childers datestamp and Childers 456 barred numeral and rated Very Rare. Seen at Phoenix Auction no 65

Bingera

Bingera receiving office, 16 km west of Bundaberg and 3 km north of Bingera Plantation, opened in 1889 at the railway station as Gibson's Siding receiving office and the name was changed to Bingera on 4 March 1897 before being designated a post office in late 1927. The receiving office keeper in 1889 was Mrs E. Lyons

• wavy cancel in purple seen in 1910 rated Very Rare

Bingera wavy line cancellation in purple rated very rare. Tied to the Bingera receiving office by a Bingera Plantation post office datestamp of 1 October 1910

Manuscript cancellations from Receiving Office locations

While hundreds of receiving offices existed for various lengths of time, almost all did not use distinctly recognisable markings. Most receiving offices followed the instructions of either

• not cancelling the stamp but letting the first "official" post office that the mail arrived at do this
• following a later instruction to write the receiving offices' name on the envelope or postcard near the stamp

This page shows material sent from locations during their receiving office period usually in accordance with the later instruction; namely that the receiving office name be written on the post card / envelope by the sender and then cancelled at the closest post office. 

While there is no way of knowing with certainty if these are receiving office examples, they are shown here as they were sent from a receiving office location in accordance with postal regulations

Receiving Offices in alphabetical order

Bunkers Hill, 8 km from Toowoomba, was a receiving office from 1899 - 1920. Manuscript name dated 17 July 1910 with Westbrook Siding datestamp dated 19 July 1910. Seen in a private collection

Chelona, 14 km south of Mackay, was a receiving office from 1902 - 1927. Manuscript name dated 11 February 1909 with Mackay datestamp dated 12 February 1909. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Coochin Creek, 6.5 km south of Landsborough, was a receiving office from 1888 - 1927. Manuscript name dated Friday (18 August 1911) with Beerwah datestamp dated 19 August 1911. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Flinders, 2 km south of Peak Crossing was reduced to a receiving office on 16 May 1889. Postcard from Peak Mount (probably posted from the Flinders receiving office) in the Ipswich district, date stamped Ipswich 28 April 1907 and sent to Armstrong Creek near  Moreton Bay. It has a Missent handstamp, applied at an unknown post office. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Gogango, 13 km from Westwood, was a receiving office from 1899 - 1914. Manuscript name dated 27 August 1808 with Mt Chalmers dated 28 August 1908 and a numeral 308 barred numeral cancel from Rockhampton. Seen on Stampboards

Gogango, 13 km from Westwood, was a receiving office from 1899 - 1914. Manuscript name dated 17 November 1907 with Mt Chalmers dated 18 November 1907 and a numeral 431 barred numeral cancel from Rockhampton. Seen on Stampboards

Gordon Brook, 20 km from Kingaroy. was a receiving office from 1900 to late 1906. Manuscript name dated 24 January 1906 with Kingaroy datestamp dated the same day. Seen on Ebay

Mount Forbes, 24 km south west of Ipswich, was a receiving office from 1897 - 1927. Manuscript name dated 10 August 1909 with Harrisville datestamp of the same date. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Polmaily 6 km south west of Miriam Vale, was a receiving office from 1900 - 1901. Manuscript name dated 13 July 1907 with Miriam Vale datestamp dated 15 July 1907. Although outside the receiving office date period, I have included it here as the Polmaily receiving office was never upgraded to a post office. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Swanfels, 24 km from Warwick, was a receiving office from 1892 - 1910. Manuscript name dated 16 October 1909 with Yangan datestamp dated 18 October 1909. Seen in a private collection

Wolfram, 50 km from Thornborough, opened as a receiving office in 1899 and was elevated to a post office in late 1904. Registered at Wolfram (manuscript notation 4) in accordance with regulations before being again registered at Thornburgh (manuscript notation 181) on 30 July 1903

Wolfram, 50 km from Thornborough, opened as a receiving office in 1899 and was elevated to a post office in late 1904. Registered at Wolfram in accordance with regulations before being again registered at Thornburgh on 20 November 1903. Seen in the collection of Tony Curtis

Wootha see here

Booval

Booval receiving office, 3 km east of the Ipswich post office. The receiving office opened at the railway station in 1883 and was elevated to a post office in 1912. The original receiving office keeper was the stationmaster, J. Denham

• manuscript cancellation dated 1910 rated Very Rare

Booval date stamp type 6 HERE. Booval numeral 725 HERE 

Booval manuscript cancellation dated 5 January 1910 with a TPO Queensland date stamp of the same date and rated Very Rare. Seen on Ebay

Maroochy River

Maroochy River, 8 km from Nambour. An  unofficial Maroochy River Boat Mail Service appears to have been operating in 1934

• River Boat Mail Service seen in 1934 rated Very Rare

Maroochy River Boat Mail Service manuscript cancellation rated Very Rare. Dated 27 March 1934. Seen at Phoenix Auction no 54

The annotation on the cover reads as follows: THis letter was cancelled by the Maroochy River mailman, where such letters are picked up at farmers landings and delivered to other settlers along the banks of the river. Mode of conveyance. Motor boat. Service twice weekly

Blackfellows Gully (B F Gully)

Blackfellows Gully (B F Gully) Receiving office, on Six Mile Creek on the northern part of the Morinish gold field, 29 km from Yaamba. The receiving office opened in 1888 and closed on 24 February 1892, reopened in June 1897 and closed on 31 January 1912. It reopened 2 km from the previous site on 22 July 1912 and closed on 30 September 1927. 

The receiving office keepers were R. Davis in 1888, Mrs M. Boyd in 1889, Mrs Mitchell in 1890, Mrs J. Lawrence in June 1897, Miss M. Welsh from 28 February 1903, Miss Annie from 1 April 1909, Miss Ellen Farrell from 22 July 1909 and Mrs O'Donoghue from 22 July 1912

• manuscript cancellation seen in 1910 rated Very Rare

Blackfellows Gully manuscript cancellation rated Very Rare. Dated 21 August 1910. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Armstrong Creek

Armstrong Creek Receiving office, 15 km west of Petrie. It opened in 1905 and closed in 1909 before reopening at the railway station on 19 March 1923 and was designated a post office in late 1927

• Mail bag seal rated Very Rare

Armstrong Creek Mail bag seal and rated Very Rare. Seen at Phoenix Auction no 54