Victorian Genealogy
Finding People and Places in Victoria, Australia.
Also see Public Servants.
Postal services began in 1810 in the Colony of New South Wales. In 1825 the Legislative Council passed an Act that provided for the regulation of postal services including rates of postage.
John Batman was appointed as the first postmaster in 1836. In 1842 the first government building for postal services was opened in Melbourne. Telegraph services began in the 1850s and telephone services began in the 1880s.
The Commonwealth Government took over the responsibility for postal, telegraphic and telephonic matters from the colonies on Federation in 1901. This became the Postmaster-General's Department.
In 1975 the Postmaster-General's Department was separated into two separate entities: Australian Postal Commision and Australian Telecommunications Commission. Australian Postal Commision is now Australia Post. Australian Telecommunications Commission became Telecom and was privatized between 1997 and 2011 becoming Telstra.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - POST OFFICE RECORDS
The National Archives of Australia holds the post office records for Victoria at its Melbourne office. They include administrative records, staff records, and mail contract records. It also holds telegraph, telephone and radio communication records.
The following is Fact Sheet 50 from the National Archives of Australia.
https://www.naa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/fs-50-Post-Office-records.pdf
From 1851 to 1863 all post office staff are included in the returns of the public service. See Public Servants.
From 1884 to 1900 the staff at large post offices are included in the returns of the public service. See Public Servants.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - MELBOURNE POST OFFICE OUTWARD LETTER BOOKS 1842-1851 (B4866)
These have been digitized.
VICTORIAN PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS DATABASE - POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS 1868-1883
List of postmasters or postmistresses were included in the appendixes of the annual post office department reports (The Victorian Parliamentary Papers are searchable. While some peoples' names have been indexed and are searchable this does not include every mention).
Report on the Post Office Department Victoria for the year 1868
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1869No24.pdf
Report on the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1869
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1870No16.pdf
Report on the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1870
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1871No12.pdf
Report on the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1871
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1872No15.pdf
Report on the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1872
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1873No13.pdf
Report on the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1873
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1874No13.pdf
Report on the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1874
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1875-76No6.pdf
Report on the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1875
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1876No14.pdf
Report on the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1876
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1877-78No3.pdf
Report upon the affairs of the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1877
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1878No4.pdf
Report upon the affairs of the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1878
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1879-80No6.pdf
Report upon the affairs of the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1879
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1880No4.pdf
Report upon the affairs of the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1880
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1880-81No76.pdf
Report upon the affairs of the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1881
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1882-83No25.pdf
Report upon the affairs of the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1882
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1883-2ndSessionNo13.pdf
Report upon the affairs of the Post Office and Telegraph Department Victoria for the year 1883: with chart.
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1884No51.pdf
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT GAZETTES - MAIL CONTRACTOR LISTS 1838-1901
Lists of mail contractors were published in the Victorian Government Gazettes. The acceptance of tenders for mail services were also published. See Victorian Government Gazettes.
INDEX: VICTORIAN POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT STAFF WHO COMMENCED DUTY BETWEEN 1839 AND 1901 COMPLIED BY JOHN F WAGHORN.
This is not online.
POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH STAFF IN VICTORIA. APPOINTMENTS PRIOR TO 1901: INDEX TO DATES OF RESIGNATION AND DEATH FROM TREASURY REGISTER CRS A 2901 (AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES-CANBERRA) COMPLIED AND PRINTED BY JOHN F WAGHORN.
This is not online.
INDEX: VICTORIA'S POSTMASTERS AND POSTMISTRESSES 1837-1901 BY JOHN F WAGHORN
This is not online.
GEELONG AND DISTRICT WEBSITE - GEELONG DISTRICT: INDEX: VICTORIA'S POSTMASTERS AND POSTMISTRESSES 1837 TO 1901
They have been extracted from "Index: Victoria's Postmasters and Postmistresses 1837 to 1901" by John F Waghorn. These have been indexed into the Geelong and District Database.
http://zades.com.au/gandd/index.php/databases/potpourri/ppindexes
INDEX: MAIL CONTRACTORS OF VICTORIA 1838 TO 1901 COMPILED AND PRINTED BY BY JOHN F WAGHORN
This is not online.
GEELONG AND DISTRICT WEBSITE - GEELONG DISTRICT: INDEX: MAIL CONTRACTORS OF VICTORIA 1838 TO 1901
They have been extracted from "Index: Mail Contractors of Victoria 1838 to 1901" by John F Waghorn. Records originally appeared in the Victoria Government Gazette. These have been indexed into the Geelong and District Database.
http://zades.com.au/gandd/index.php/databases/potpourri/ppindexes
COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT GAZETTES - POSTAL, TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE SERVICE WORKER LISTS 1906-PRESENT
From 1906 public service lists were published in the Commonwealth Government Gazette annually. These include postal, telegraph and telephone service workers. Appointments and employment including promotions, transfers, dismissals, resignations and retirements may be seen. See Commonwealth Government Gazettes.
COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT GAZETTES - MAIL CONTRACTOR LISTS 1901-PRESENT
Lists of mail contractors were published in the Commonwealth Government Gazettes. The acceptance of tenders for mail services were also published. See Commonwealth Government Gazettes.
INDEX: VICTORIA'S POSTMASTERS AND POSTMISTRESSES 1901-1975 COMPLIED AND PRINTED BY JOHN F WAGHORN
This is not online.
INDEX: MAIL CONTRACTORS OF VICTORIA 1901 TO 1939 COMPILED AND PRINTED BY BY JOHN F WAGHORN
This is not online.
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