The Telephone in Koo Wee Rup

The telephone was connected at the Post Office in Koo Wee Rup in 1916, as part of the line between Springvale and Korumburra.

The telephone is connected at the Koo Wee Rup Post Office.

The Argus, April 5, 1916 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2097150

It appears that the uptake of the telephone by businesses in the town was fairly slow as in February 1920, the Koo Wee Rup Sun published this short article -

Koo Wee Rup Sun, February 19, 1920, p.4

'Phone Facilities

It is a surprising oversight on the part of some business people of Kooweerup and Cranbourne who still muddle on without installing a telephone, thus placing themselves and customers at great disadvantage and inconvenience. Whether they want an eye-wash or their brains swept, matters little - the isolation and handicap is no credit to their intelligence. When outside trade is sought, 'phone service is surely needful, and the writer wants several trading businessmen, in the centres referred to, to weigh the point we raise and install that belated telephone, and to keep abreast of the times and not live as in the days of ancient runners that the telephone service has pushed out of work.

(Koo Wee Rup Sun, February 19, 1920, p.4)

The first Koo Wee Rup business I could find which advertised with a telephone number was A.C. Colvin for his car hire business. 

Koo Wee Rup Sun, November  25, 1920,  p 3

The Koo Wee Rup Sun had a ‘telephone directory’ published in its November 10, 1921 with sixteen subscribers.

Koo Wee Rup Sun, November 10, 1921, p.2

Who were these sixteen subscribers?  (1)

Amalgamated Wireless Company, had established their Receiving Station here at Koo Wee Rup and in December 1921, the Station received the first direct radio message from Wales to Australia. 

Biggar, J is James Biggar, who owned land at Monomeith. Mr Biggar had purchased part of George Glassock’s Estate after Glasscock died in 1891. Glasscock’s land was originally part of the Monomeith Estate owned by John Mickle (1814-1885).  I presume as he is IJ and W.C Greaves is IM that this was a party line.

Bourke Brothers also owned part of the Monomeith Estate.

Colvin A.C.  Andrew Colvin opened a cycle shop in 1911 in Koo Wee Rup, and later became an Agent for Ford cars. 

Cougle, E. Ernest Cougle owned a General Store in Station Street.

Ellis, F.F.  Fred Ellis was the Draper. His shop was where Broadbent’s was located in Rossiter Road.

E.S. & A. Bank. The English, Scottish & Australian Bank merged with the ANZ in 1970. The London Bank (later the E.S. & A. Bank) acquired the site of the old ANZ Bank in Station Street (which is now a Chemist) in 1912 and the existing building was erected in 1919. 

Greaves, W.C. William Clement Greaves (1866-1936) owned Warook and various other properties. He was a Committee member of the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) and a Cranbourne Shire Councillor from 1898 to 1920. His son of the same name was also a Committee member of the RAS and a Councillor from 1924 to 1959. 

Gippsland & Northern Co-Operative Co. Ltd -  the Stock & Station Agents. 

Johnson, E.  This is Eliza Johnson -  a Baker and Pastrycook, located in Station Street.

Morrison, J. Joe Morrison, the blacksmith and wheelwright, was located where the Cellarbrations store is now in Station Street. 

M'Namara, D. Denis McNamara owned the Royal Hotel. 

O'Riordan, J.L.  John Leslie O’Riordan and his wife Margaret (the sister of A.C Colvin) lived at Mallow, which is now the home of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society. They operated a general store in Station Street. 

"SUN" Office. The Sun newspaper had started as the Cranbourne Shire Record in 1894, moved to Lang Lang and became the Guardian in 1902 and moved to Koo Wee Rup in 1918. It ceased publication in 1980s.

State Rivers & Water Supply Commission is now the Rural Water Commission. 

Woodman, A.  I presume this is either Alfred or Albert Woodman. Their parents were George and Ann Woodman, who took up land at Yallock in the 1870s. Other siblings included Charles, Henry, Emily, Helen and Florence (Mrs Norman Bethune) 

In June 1923 it was announced that a trunk line between Koo Wee Rup and Bayles was established, and in March 1927 a  new telephone line between Koo wee rup, Dalmore, via Mancks [sic] road, has been completed. A new line is contemplated between Koo-wee-rup and McGregor's Estate.  Then in December 1927 a report noted that telephone facilities have been extended to Rythdale and to Lisbaun. (2)  Lisbaun State School, No.4196, operated from 1924 until 1937 was located in McCormack’s Road in Clyde North.(3)

In November 1927 a new switchboard was installed at the Koo Wee Rup Post Office capable of connecting 150 subscribers. Then in December 1927 there were two announcements  - A telephone box has been placed under the verandah of the Kooweerup Post-office, and non-subscribers will be able to use same at any time. And from  December 8 -  It is gratifying to announce that from to-day a continuous telephone service will operate in Kooweerup. (4)

Subscriber Truck Dialling (S.T.D.) came to Koo Wee Rup on Sunday June 24, 1973, so you no longer had to ring an operator to have  a call put through to another exchange or interstate. On the same day  telephone subscribers from Bayles, Beaconsfield Upper, Lang Lang, Nar Nar Goon, Nar Nar Goon North, Officer, Pakenham, Pakenham South, Pakenham Upper, The Gurdies and Yannathan South could also access S.T.D. calls.  People also received a new 6-digit telephone number (with an 059 area code) and thus the Koo Wee Rup Sun telephone number changed from Koo Wee Rup 16 to 971-416 and the Bayles Milk Factory changed from Bayles 201 to 977-201 (5)

The PMG produced an Interim Telephone Directory in 1973 with all the new numbers - you can see the Koo Wee Rup and Bayles pages here - and this helpful advice on how to make a telephone call -

How to make a telephone call

Pakenham Area Interim Telephone Directory, 1973

Footnotes

(1) This information comes from the Indexes to the Victorian Births, Death and Marriages, the Electoral Roll on Ancestry.com; The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire by Niel Gunson (F.W. Cheshire, 1968);  Mickle Memories of Koo Wee Rup - for young and old by Dave Mickle  (The Author, 1983) and my own research as presented in this blog.

(2)  Bayles connection - The Argus, June 12, 1923, see here. Dalmore connection - The Argus, November 5, 1927, see here and also reported in the Koo Wee Rup Sun on March 31, 1927. p.4. Rythdale connection - The Argus, December 21, 1927, see here.

(3)  Williams, Eileen & Beard, Jewel Look to the rising sun: a history of Cardinia and District including Rythdale and Pakenham South (Back to Cardinia Committee, 1984), p. 63.

(4) Koo Wee Rup Sun, December 1, 1927, p.2;  Koo Wee Rup Sun, December 8, 1927, p.4

(5) Koo Wee Rup Sun, June 20, 1973, pp 10-11.