Wooroolin

Wooroolin receiving office, 12 km south south west of Wondai, opened in 1900 and was elevated to a post office in February 1907

• Manuscript cancellation (August 1905) rated Very Rare -$100 on cover

Wooroolin numeral 635 HERE. Wooroolin registered HERE. Wooroolin date stamp 5b HERE

1905

Wooroolin registered manuscript cancellation dated Brisbane 30 August 1905 and rated Very Rare. Seen on Facebook

Mail sent to Queensland Receiving Offices

This page lists known examples of mail being sent to Queensland Receiving Offices

Postcard sent from Brisbane to Linville Receiving Office on 12 April 1906. Received in Moore on 14 April 1906 and then presumably delivered to Linville. Linville, 30 km north north west of Toogoolawah, was a Receiving Office from 1898 to January 1910, when it was elevated to a post office. From 1905 onwards the receiving office keeper was E. Wells, a storekeeper. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Postcard sent from Berlin to Fassifern Receiving Office on 1 June 1913. Fassifern, 11 km west of Boonah, was a Receiving Office from 1897 - 1927. From 1911 the receiving office keeper was Hermann Schultz a dairy farmer. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Postcard sent from Pittsworth to Traveston, 18 km from Cooroy, on the North Coast Line in December 1907 (date stamp Pittsworth type 3c dated DE 20 07 rated common). The receiving office opened in the Traveston Railway Station in 1892 and remained an RO until 1916/17 when it was elevated to a post office

Postcard from Purga in the Ipswich district, date stamped Ipswich 23 August 1907 and sent to Armstrong Creek near  Moreton Bay. Both Purga and Armstrong Creek were receiving offices at the time. It has a Missent handstamp, the line is 40 mm long and the letters 10 mm high. The post office where the handstamp was applied is not known. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

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

Postcard from Laidley Creek, date stamped Laidley 28 May 1909 and sent to Kunloon near  Nanango. Both Laidley Creek West and Kunloon were receiving offices at this time. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Postcard from Bundaberg, date stamped 13 November 1909 and sent to Toorong (date stamped 15 November 1909) where it was redirected to Gooroolba. Gooroolba was a receiving office at this time

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

Dakabin

Dakabin Receiving office, 16 km south of Caboolture. It opened in February 1903 and was designated a post office in late 1927. The first receiving office keeper was A. McPhie. All examples seen also have an electric telegraph cancel in violet. It was probably used in lieu of a datestamp cancellation, as no datestamp cancellations for this post office during this period are known

• Manuscript cancellation seen in 1932 to1937 rated Rare

Dakabin electric telegraph cancel with a manuscript cancellation dated 31 May 1935 and rated Rare. Seen in the Queensland Facebook Group

Dakabin electric telegraph cancel with a manuscript cancellation dated 30 July 1936 and rated Rare. Seen in a private collection

Probable Dakabin electric telegraph cancel with a manuscript cancellation dated 19 February 1937 and rated Rare. Seen in a private collection 

Dakabin electric telegraph cancel with a manuscript cancellation dated 28 August 1935 and rated Rare. Seen at Phoenix Auction no 55

Dakabin electric telegraph cancel with a manuscript cancellation dated 29 May 1935 and rated Rare. Seen Here

Dakabin electric telegraph cancel with a manuscript cancellation dated 1 August 1933 and rated Rare. Seen Here

Dakabin electric telegraph cancel with a manuscript cancellation dated 28 December 1932 and rated Rare. Seen in Smithies

Dakabin electric telegraph cancel with a manuscript cancellation dated 13 October 1932 and rated Rare. Seen at Phoenix Auction no 58

Rainworth

Rainworth Post office, 75 km south of Emerald, opened in January 1863 and closed at the end of that year

• Manuscript cancellation seen in 1863 rated Very Rare

Rainworth numeral 28 HERE. Rainworth date stamp 1a HERE

Rainworth manuscript cancellation rated Very Rare. Dated 17 February 1863. Seen in a private collection. The post office was in existence at this time and it is possible the official datestamp canceller had not yet been received

Unofficial receiving offices at Queensland pastoral properties and remote work locations

I have come across a handful of covers that have originated from Queensland pastoral properties and other remote work locations with their name written on the top left hand side. They also include a signature and the word registered if applicable. They are subsequently cancelled at the nearest post office. I suspect, given the size of these properties, the number of people employed by them and living on site, as well as their distance to the nearest post office, that these acted as unofficial receiving offices with the stamps affixed on site and then given to the letter carrier, when he delivered mail to that location, to take to the post office, where they were cancelled and registered. 

If you have any more examples. I would love to see them.

Originating at Darr Rivers Downs, a pastoral property west of Longreach. Dated 22 August 1907

Originating at Charlotte Plains, a pastoral property east of Cunnamulla. Dated 11 June 1903. Seen on Stampboards

A cover from Darr River Downs outside Longreach and dated 25 September 1904. Seen on Ebay

And this one from a Chain Gang crew (56) working on a railway outside Alpha in 1901

Retro Station outside Capella dated 19 March 1903. Seen in Queensland Facebook Group

Stoneleigh Station dated 21 July 1899 in the Ingham district. Seen in Queensland Facebook Group

Penola Downs near Kynuna dated 13 october 1904. Seen in Premier Postal auction no 56

A cover from Maneroo Station outside Longreach and dated 15 March 1903. Seen on Stampboards

Eumina dated 23 February 1901 in the Charleville district. Seen in Queensland Facebook Group

Caiwarro, a station in the Warrego district, date stamped at Bourke, NSW on 24 July 1907. Seen in Tasmanian Stamp auctions