Dad (Eric Badcock) made an application to have the phone connected in late 1945 or early 1946 as a reference is made to this in a letter dated 8th. January 1946 from the then Bishopsbourne Postmistress, Mrs. Mollie Chilcott.
Bishopsbourne Jan. 8th. 1946 Dear Eric, I’m enclosing your telephone application form for you to sign - there’s only the one place. Don’t take any notice where it says to enclose so much rental as advance pay as it doesn't have to go with the application. If you want your occupation to appear in the directory, fill it in. Let me have the form as soon as possible and I’ll return it to Hobart. Yours sincerely M.D. Chilcott
However, connection was not immediate as the next reference to the telephone appears in his diary on…..
Thursday, 6 March, 1947 – “digging holes for telephone post”.
Other diary references are:-
(Sat) 8 MAR 1947 - “I went to Bracknell and Jack Chilcott helped me to cut poles in Cuttses bush; after dinner Trevor and I went with Bill Preece, picked up Jack at Bracknell, went to the bush and got an electric pole, 2 telephone poles and 11 straining rails”.
(Mon) 10 MAR 1947 - ....... “helped the telephone men to put my 2 telephone poles up”.
(Mon) 17 MAR 1947 - “The telephone men completed the wiring”.
Initially the wiring was carried on poles cut from railway iron with wooden cross bars attached at the top, with the copper wire stretched from insulator to insulator. The poles were located on the western side of the lane running from the township, with the distance being just over a half mile.
(Thurs) 10 JUL 1947 - “After dinner, Ken Brown of Deloraine installed the telephone cabinet, completing the connection”.
It therefore took 18 months from application to connection, which to us in our day would be quite unacceptable, but not a word of complaint is to be found in the diary or ever heard from Dad or Mum (Elma Badcock). The time was the end of the War and they had grown used to shortages and delays and even though the war had ended, the country was still in the readjustment phase and shortages of manpower and materials were still continuing.
Our first telephone was a black bakerlite wall unit located in the living room. It had a separate handpiece containing the speaker and hearing amplifier attached by a cord and when not in use sat on top of the phone cabinet. Power was provided by two dry cell batteries. In the centre of the cabinet was a small handle which was turned prior to making a call and which rang a bell at the exchange at Bishopsbourne which at that time was located at the Post Office and shop in the former “Bush Inn” in the township. The telephonist would answer and connect to the number requested by firstly ringing the number requested and on them responding, plugging a wire from one number to the other thus completing the connection. The service was only available between certain hours during the day time but even so, it was a great help in maintaining contact with family and friends, arranging work programmes as well as providing contact with various merchants.
Our first telephone number was “Bishopsbourne 7” but after more homes were connected was changed to “27” and with the coming of the first automatic system which combined Bishopsbourne and Toiberry, the number allocated was “Bishopsbourne 207”. Later when other adjoining districts were brought into the system and an improved automatic system installed the number became “973193” and later still when a National system was brought into being, the number became “6397 3193”. The original number of “7” was still included but with an additional seven numbers to remember when recording or giving out the number. However our parents never seemed to mind as the service was by now far superior than that when first connected in 1947.
The 1947 telephone directory records nine people connected to the Bishopsbourne exchange, with seven at Toiberry. Those listed with exchange operating hours are as follows:-
BISHOPSBOURNE
8-1 and 2-8 Sat 9-1
Sunday, Xmas Day and Good Friday
8.30am – 9.30am
No Opening Fee 1-2 Mon to Fri
Badcock E.W. Farmer 7
Button M. 3
De Lance-Holmes C.H. 12
Foster C.L. Mrs 9
Green E.R. 6
Hall L.V. Miss 2
Preece W. Cartge Contractor 4
Railway Station 1
Saltmarsh A. 5
TOIBERRY
9-1 and 2-6 Sat 9-1
No Opening Fee 1-2 Mon. to Fri.
Atkinson A.C. 6
Badcock M.G. 5
Badcock T.M. Farmer 7
Jarmy B.S. 1
Reid L.J. Mrs 3
Shipp H.G. Farmer 2
Shipp N.W. Mchne Ownr 4
The cost of a telephone call between Bishopsbourne and Launceston during business hours, 9 am to 6pm was 3d. and for the neighbouring districts of Bracknell to Launceston, 4d., and Carrick to Launceston 2d. Calls outside business hours were cheaper.
When calls were made outside opening hours an additional fee of 1/6 was made for each half hour on top of the normal charge.
The Tariff for Trunk Calls between 9am and 6pm were as follows and were in addition to the unit call fee.
DISTANCE
5 but not 7 1/2 miles
7 ½ 10
10 15
15 20
20 25
25 30
30 35
35 40
40 50
50 60
60 80
80 100
100 150
150 200
200 250
250 300
900 1 000
1 000 1 500
1 300 miles
COST
s. d.
0 – 1
0 – 2
0 – 3
0 – 4
0 – 5
0 – 7
0 – 8
0 – 9
1 – 0
1 – 3
1 – 6
1 – 9
2 – 4
2 – 10
3 – 4
3 – 10
9 – 6
10 – 6
12 – 6
At Bishopsbourne on at least one occasion when Fred and Mollie Chilcott were operating the telephone exchange, lighting struck the telephone lines causing fire to shoot out of the exchange board. This equipment was located in their living room adjoining the shop very near the connecting doorway. Fred rushed to the wood heap to get the axe with intent of cutting the board from the wall, but by the time he had returned the fire had gone out. Consequently the intended removal did not occur.
The 1963 Telephone Directory incorporated the former separate exchanges of Bishopsbourne and Toiberry under the name of Bishopsbourne. Subscribers listed are as follows:-
Archer F.R. 210
Atkinson A.C. 216
BP Aust Ltd Agent M.Williams) 210
Badcock E.W. Farmer 207
Badcock M.G. 215
Badcock T.M. Farmer 217
Bricknell E.J. Farmer 239
Bricknell T.A. Farmer 231
Brooks D.W. Farmer 211
Brooks E.H. B. Farmer 235
Brooks T.S. 234
Eeles N.A. Farmer 232
Exton B.K. 236
Field O.A. Mrs. 237
Field R.R. 205
Goss L.J. Farmer 223
Green E.R. Estate 206
Hall F.R. Miss 202
Hall H.R. 214
Jarmy B.S. 221
McBain A.S. Council Mntce Man 240
Page R.W.M.(Max) “Glendale” 209
Post Office –
Bishopsbourne 225
Toiberry 218
Telegrams 0
Preece W. Crtge Contractor 204
Rabe B.G. 208
Rabe G.N. Bldr 219
Railway Station 201
Reid I.L. Farmer 224
Saunders L.W. Farmer 233
Sherwood A.C. 238
Sherwood A.W. 226
Shipp A.E. Farmer 213
Shipp H.G. Farmer 222
Shipp N.W. Mchne Owner 220
Spencer L.J. Farmer 227
Spencer T.G. Farmer 230
Spencer V.R. 241
Triffett F.W. “Lonsdale” 212
Walker K.D. & E.J. 203
The cost of a local call was 4d. per call however by 1986 the cost of a local call had risen to 18c.
In 1963 Trunk Calls were charged on a time and distance basis with higher rates applying between 9am and 6pm.
Distance
Not exceeding 25 miles
200 miles
200miles to less than 300 miles
Over 400 miles
Between 9am and 6pm
s. – d.
1 – 4
6 – 0
10 – 0
15 – 0
Between 6pm and 9am
s. – d.
1 – 0
4 – 0
6 – 8
12 – 0
Written by Ivan Badcock (18/05/02)