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

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

Mail sent in Queensland without going through a post office

I have recently discovered that it was legal to send mail in Queensland without going through a post office. This newspaper article explains:

Logan Witness (Beenleigh, Qld), Saturday 25 February 1882, page 2

Road Letters

The Governor in Council has been pleased to approve the following new regulation under section 5 of the ‘Postage Act of 1871,’ which is published for general information. 

Notwithstanding anything contained in the postal regulations issued on the 29th May, 1880, and clauses 13 and 16 of the General Conditions attached to Mail Contracts, contractors or other persons employed as mailmen in the conveyance of mails shall when required by any person on the road beyond the precincts of a post town or a distance of one mile from the nearest Post Office, take in charge any letter or packet bearing the proper postage in stamps affixed thereto and deliver such letter or packet at any place on the mail line, before arriving, at a Post Office and such letter or packet shall be deemed to have been sent by post in terms of the ‘Postage Act of 1871.'

Provided that the stamps affixed thereto shall be obliterated or destroyed on delivery by the addressee or receiver in the presence of the mailman: and any person neglecting to so obliterate or destroy such stamps shall be liable on conviction thereof to a penalty not exceeding £5 for each offence, and the mailman or person in charge of the mail shall be liable on conviction to a penalty not exceeding £5 for each case for neglecting to see the stamps so obliterated or destroyed at the time of delivery thereof. And any person again using such unobliterated stamps shall be liable to the penalty provided by clause 68 of ‘The Postal Act of 1871.' Any mailman or other person in charge of the mail receiving or delivering any letter or packet under these regulations without the proper stamps affixed thereto, shall be liable on conviction thereof to a penalty not exceeding £5 for each offence. N.B. Mailmen are not allowed to take money in payment or postage for road letters or packets.

I think I have found two examples of this practice (seen on Stampboards) both addressed to Mt Morgan and would love to see more!

Wooloowin

Wooloowin receiving office, 6 km north of Brisbane. The Receiving Office opened at the railway station in 1889 and was elevated to a post office in 1927

• Manuscript cancellation rated Very Rare

Wooloowin manuscript cancellation and rated Very Rare. Seen at Stampboards.com

Rodds Bay

Rodds Bay receiving office, 28 km south east of Gladstone. The Receiving Office opened at the railway station in 1897 and closed in the early 1920s

• Manuscript cancellation dated 1898 - 1907 rated Rare

Rodds Bay manuscript cancellation with a TPO No 3 Down datestamp dated 18 November 1907 and rated Rare. Seen at Phoenix Auction no 41 lot no 1148

Rodds Bay manuscript cancellation with a Gladstone datestamp dated 27 February 1905 and rated Rare. Seen at Phoenix Auction no 41 lot no 1148

Rodds Bay manuscript cancellation and rated Rare. Seen at Phoenix Auction no 41 lot no 1148

Rodds Bay manuscript cancellation and rated Rare. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Rodds Bay manuscript cancellation dated 1 October 1898 and rated Rare. Seen at Phoenix Auction no 67

Rodds Bay manuscript cancellation dated 20 September 1898 with a Gladstone datestamp of the same date and rated Rare. The message on the reverse side is signed "M.Crawford/Rodds Bay/19th Sept 1898". Seen at Phoenix Auction no 41 lot no 1140

Rodds Bay postcard with a TPO no 5 North Coast Railway up datestamp with the stamp (George V) removed. Seen on Stampboards

Rodds Bay manuscript cancellation  with a TPO no 4 North Coast Railway up datestamp dated 11 June and rated Rare. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Fairymead

Fairymead receiving office, a sugar plantation 9 km north of Bundaberg. The Fairymead Plantation Receiving Office opened in 1894 and the name was shortened to Fairymead in about 1898. It was elevated to a post office in about September 1911. The receiving office keeper in 1894 was J. McIvor; 1901 S. Luke; 1903 S. Ford and 1905 T Neilson

• Oval Rubber cancellation dated 1901 - 1909 rated Very Rare

Fairymead date stamp type 6 cancel HERE

1901

Fairymead oval rubber cancellation in violet dated 19 December 1901 with a Bundaberg duplex numeral 148 cancellation of the same date and rated Very Rare. Seen in a private collection

1904

Fairymead oval rubber cancellation in violet dated 21 January 1904 with a Bundaberg duplex numeral 148 cancellation of the same date and rated Very Rare. Seen at Premier Postal auction no 110

1905

Fairymead oval rubber cancellation in violet dated 5 October 1905 with a Bundaberg duplex numeral 148 cancellation of the same date and rated Very Rare. Seen on Ebay

1909

Fairymead oval rubber cancellation in violet dated 5 January 1909 with a partial Bundaberg duplex numeral 148 cancellation and rated Very Rare. Seen at Abacus auction no 234 lot no 688

Mount Jacob

Mount Jacob receiving office, on the Boyne River 10 km north north east of Many Peaks and part of the Bompa Goldfield. The Receiving Office opened in 1901 and closed about June 1903. The post office opened in 1892 and was reduced to a receiving office in 1894 before closing in 1909. The receiving office keeper in 1894 was A. Fleming; 1895 K. Theodore; 1898 Mrs Theodore and in 1901 Mrs Mossman

• Manuscript cancellation seen 1903 - 1906 rated Very Rare

Mount Jacob registered HERE. Mount Jacob date stamp 3c HERE

Mount Jacob manuscript cancel in violet dated 26 June 1903 with an indistinct barred numeral cancel and rated Very Rare. Seen in Phoenix auction no 88

Mount Jacob manuscript cancel dated 26 March 1906 with a Miriam Vale datestamp of the same date and rated Very Rare. Seen in a private collection

Mount Jacob manuscript cancel dated 14 March 1904 and rated Very Rare. Seen at Phoenix Auction no 41

Mount Jacob manuscript cancel dated 7 May 1906 with a Miriam Vale datestamp of the same date and rated Very Rare. Seen in Phoenix auction no 67