Historical information

This is a 1923 booklet containing information on the Telephone Exchanges and the lists of subscribers in the areas of Geelong, Camperdown, Casterton, Hamilton, Mortlake, Portland and Warrnambool. Telephones were in use in Victoria as early as the 1870s with the first Telephone Exchange facility established in Melbourne in 1880. In 1890 the first Telephone Exchange in Warrnambool was established with 35 subscribers. In 1912 the first automatic Telephone Exchange for public use was established in Geelong. This was the second established in the British Empire.

Significance

This booklet is of considerable importance as it lists all the telephone subscribers in the Warrnambool area in 1923. It is a great research tool as it gives not only the addresses of the subscribers but also in many instances their occupations and business names and in the areas around Warrnambool the names of the properties at that time.

Physical description

This is a soft-cover booklet of 104 pages. It has a dark grey cover with printed information on both sides. It was published in 1923. The pages are stapled together and contain lists of Telephone Exchanges, information on the distances from one Exchange to another in the area and the rates of charges for telephone trunk lines. It also has a list of subscribers in the Camperdown, Geelong, Hamilton and Warrnambool areas. The front cover has a small piece missing at the right hand side edge. There are some rubbing and dirt marks on the cover.

Inscriptions & markings

Front Cover: ‘Victoria Country Telephone Exchanges, List of Subscribers And Other Information’