Established in 1950, the Department of Supply headquarters transferred to Canberra in January 1968 and was dissolved in 1974. It was superseded by the Department of Manufacturing Industry and Department of the Special Minister of State. The Department was a Commonwealth Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Supply. The department's main function was to support Australia's Navy, Army and Air Force in defence production, research and development, purchas­ing, transport and storage. The Department was also the Commonwealth Disposals Authority. Finally, the Department was responsible for the Australian Antarctic program. Bendigo was the site of an Ordnance Factory and manufactured and reconditioned naval guns and mountings, turbine gears for large ships, general heavy engineering work, large fabricated structure and missile handling equipment. The factory was managed in 1970 by R.I.M Moss. The department may have had an office in the former Bendigo Post Office now the Bendigo Visitor Information Centre.Blue, felt or wool peaked service cap with woven band and plastic strap. Small brass buttons. The cap has a synthetic lining around the crown and on the roof of the cap. Marked on the inside with the maker's details.bendigo post office, city of greater bendigo uniform

Electrical telegraphs were point to point text messaging systems primarily used from the 1840's until the late 20th century. It was the first electrical telecommunications system and were sent by an operator or telegrapher using Morse code. Social telegrams were also encouraged and special pictorial forms and envelopes were designed such as the special purple form and envelope which was used when conveying condolence details during World War 2.(fn. Powerhouse https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/163103). There was a brief resurgence in telegraphy during World War I but the decline continued as the world entered the Great Depression years of the 1930s.  Although telegraph lines continued to play an important part in distributing news feeds from news agencies post World War 2, the rise of the internet in the 1990s and the widespread installation of the telephones in homes saw the need for telegrams to greatly decline. When the Commonwealth Post and Telegraph Act was passed in June 1902, and a national Postmaster General's Department (the PMG) was established the responsibility for the nation's mail and telephone services fell on Post Offices. The Bendigo Post Office, built in 1887 and situated on Pall Mall was the central distribution centre for receiving and delivering telegrams and continued to deliver communication and postal services until 1997. Now a Visitor Centre, dedicated volunteers at the Post Office continued to demonstrate and educate the public about telegraphic services and the development of this unique form of communication up until 2019 when Covid 19 disrupted every day life, coupled with the death Ted Rankins (the last Post Master and a long term telegraph volunteer at the Post Office). This belt buckle was used on the leather satchels used by Junior Postal Workers in Bendigo to carry telegrams which were delivered by bicycle in the early years. The buckle is part of the postal collection donated by the Rankins family in memory of Ted Rankins.Circular belt buckle from telegram delivery satchel belt. Inner buckle depicts the Greek deity Hermes who personifies the transmission of information and was adopted as an allegorical representation of the function of postal services. Outer buckle; Post Office / Communications / Australia. Centre top outer buckle; emu, kangaroo and shield Inner buckle; Hermes (left facing)bendigo post office, bendigo tourism, city of greater bendigo tourism, post office collection, ted rankins collection