Untitled Document

Miscellaneous

The Electric Telegraph Department was established in 1855 with Charles Todd appointed as Superintendent. He took up his position on his arrival from England in November 1855.

In 1870, the Government decided to amalgamate the Postal and the Electric Telegraph Departments and Charles Todd was appointed as Postmaster-General overseeing the new combined Department.

Memo stationery with heading Electric Telegraph Department used in April 1891- 21 years after the Department had been merged with the Postal Department.

Correspondence and envelopes used by the joint departments carried both names.

Staffing

Four Junior Clerks were appointed to the Electric Telegraph Department in January 1856.

Finances

Revenue for the year ending December 1854 was £219/16/- while revenue received for the year ending December 1856 was £2,998/15/7.

From the report of the Superintendent of Telegraphs dated 10 July 1859, and including the half-year from December, 1858, to the end of June, it was reported that the number of messages sent was 30,314, and the receipts were as follows:

Port Line, £393 3d. 6d.;
North Line, £387 6s, 1d.;
South-Eastern Line, £390 15s. 3d.;
Intercolonial Line, £1646 10s. 2d.
Total, £2,617 15s. 7d.

There was also £1,694 10s. 7d. paid in the other colonies for messages from this colony and this amount, added to £434 1s. 3d. for free messages sent on the public service, made with the receipts already stated, the total value of messages received and sent was £4,745 17s. 5d.

Try http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/13135185?searchTerm=nsw Report "Superintendent of Telegraphs"&searchLimits=l-availability=y

MUST CHECK p. 216 etc of report

Sydney Morning Herald 14 August 1866:

The total gross receipts of the (South Australia) Telegraph Department for 1866 were £12,518, as compared with £11,663 in 1865. On this Mr. Todd says : In view of the severe depression which has more or less affected every industry in the colony, it is perhaps surprising that our revenue should have been maintained, especially as the business on the intercolonial line has so greatly fallen off, as shown by the following table, giving separately the receipts on messages to and from each of the other colonies. The Victorian business has declined from £7,411 10s. in 1864, to £6,887 6s. 3d. in 1865, and to £6,075 17s. 5d. in 1866. The revenue on New South Wales telegrams shows a slight increase on the year preceding, owing entirely, however, to the Wentworth Station being opened.

Legislation

June 1872 —A Bill establishing copyright in telegrams received from beyond the limits of the colony passed both Houses.

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