Crotty: Postmasters and Postmarks

[John Campton]

I am currently researching the postmasters of Crotty and the history of the post office. Four of its postmasters/postmistresses were also the teachers at the Crotty State School. There were times when the town was between teachers, or there was no teacher available, and as a consequence there was no postmaster.

However during these times the post office was still noted as being "open for business". I am trying to ascertain if it did operate at all and need to know if Crotty cds exist for these periods, or alternatively narrow down the speculated period where there was no postmaster.

The first of these periods is possibly December 1908 to early February 1909 and the second is in the last part of the second time the post office was open , say December 1913 to 31.5.1914.

If you wish to volunteer information I need to know;

# The latest date you have for Crotty in 1908
# The earliest date you have in 1909
# Dates of all strikes in the second period of opening 5.6.1913 - 31.5.1914. (I have a copy of the 1/2d Pictorial OC 2 13 and note a late date of 11.12.1913 by John Hardinge).

Fred Shackcloth was the teacher in Crotty in 1913 and was there when it opened for the second time and it is assumed he became the postmaster as he is noted as postmaster for 1912 (when it was closed!!!). However no teacher was allocated for 1914 as student numbers were "below that required". Fred taught at Tunnel Bay in 1914 before he enlisted for WW1 and I believe that he was the last postmaster and when he left the post office was non operational. This would explain current late cds date.

Hope you can help.

Kind regards John Campton

[John Hardinge]

John it is certainly not beyond the bounds of possibility at all that Crotty may have closed earlier than 31.5.1914. IN a number of cases, this represents not the date the office closed but the date it officially closed. Sometimes for months afterwards the PMG Dept would search for a successor without success before eventually closing the office.