Jervis Bay

Jervis Bay Post Office

Located in the Federal Territory of Jervis Bay on the New South Wales south coast, 36 kms from Nowra, Jervis Bay post office opened as a post and telephone office operated by J C Wilson on 12 August 1912. Jervis Bay is the port for the Australian Capital Territory and home of the Jervis Bay naval base.

Money order facilities were established at the office on 21 October 1912 and a telephone exchange opened on 1 November 1915. The office became an official post office on 7 December 1915 with M T Stewart appointed postmaster. A telegraph office opened on 16 February 1916. The office was reduced in status to a non official post and telephone office on 9 March 1926, operated by H E Clark.  The office again became an official post office on 1 February 1950. The telephone exchange closed on 15 December 1957 and its status was again reduced to non official on 1 September 1958 operated by L Kennaugh. A small country automated exchange opened on 15 December 1976.

Earlier post offices known as Jervis Bay, Cape St. George and later Jervis Bay Heads operated at other locations in the area between 1870 and 1915.

The office utilized a Type 2A ‘NSW’ date stamp recorded between 1912 and 1944. A Type 2A ‘FEDERAL TERRITORY’ date stamp is recorded in use between 1934 and 1945. Type 3(i) x 2 ‘ACT’ date stamps are recorded between 1948 and 1967. A Type 4(i) post code ‘2540 – AUST’ date stamp is recorded between 1969 and 1991. A Type 4A(i)(T) ‘ACT 2540’ date stamp is recorded between 1976 and 1989 and a Type 4F ‘NSW 2540’ date stamp between 1992 and 1998.

N.S.W Aust. Relief date stamp '46' was seen used at the Office on 23 January 1992 following the theft of the regular date stamp.