The story of the Cairns - Almaden railway travelling post office began as early as December, 1906, when the Cairns Chamber of Commerce suggested to the Post Office that the establishment of such a facility on trains of the Cairns Railway would enable the growing demands for speedier mail services from the outlying settlements to be more readily met.

At that time Cairns was not linked with the main Queensland rail system and mails were brought to Cairns by contract steamer. The Queensland State Railways, on the route to Almaden, controlled the railway lime only to Mareeba, a distance of 46 miles. The Chillagoe Railway and Mimes Ltd., generally known as the Chillagoe Company, owned the section Mareeba to Almaden, a stretch of 74 miles. This company, and other private companies, also operated various connecting and spur lines but as these do not intrude into the narrative they are not here noted.

Early in 1907, the State Railways Department was approached and asked if it could furnish a van suitable for T.P.O. purposes. The co-operation of the Chillagoe Company was also sought. However, the State Railways and the Company both intimated to the Postmaster— General’s Department that, although business in the district was increasing, a travelling post office was not thought necessary. Moreover, the State Railways indicated that there was not available in the district a suitable railway vehicle.

Late in 1907, the Charters Towers Chamber of Commerce and Mines and the BrisbaneChamber of Commerce made representations for the establishment of the T.P.O. Sir John Forrest, when he visited Cairns on 22nd August, 1907, also received a deputation on this same matter.Inquiries made at this time by Post Office Inspectors indicated that business and population had increased to such an extent, due mainly to the mining boom, that there was an urgent need for a travelling post office, and the State Railways and the Chillagoe Company were so informed. While the latter still opposed the project, the State Railways accepted it to the extent that it sought the dimensions of vehicles which would need to be built to accommodate the service.

After some months, the State Railways advised the Postmaster General’s Department that it could not see its way clear to construct a special vehicle and offered the use of a convertible car of a type which could be used either for passengers, mails or goods, a proposal which proved unacceptable.For the time being there was no further action, but in 1908 when a new agreement was being entered into between the Postmaster General’s Department and the Queensland State Railways, opportunity was taken to insert a mew clause to the effect that a travelling post office should be run between Cairns and Chillagoe, subject to mutually satisfactory running arrangements being made and to the availability of funds.

Not until the following year was the proposal revived and the Prime Minister of the day, Mr. A. Fisher, told a deputation in Cairns on 28th April, 1909, that the service would be established as soon as circumstances permitted.

However, circumstances continued to be unfavourable and organizational difficulties between the several authorities concerned prevented plans being adequately developed, but by 28th July, 1910, the Deputy Postmaster General of the day was able to toll another deputation in Cairns that the travelling post office would soon be in operation.

The Postmaster General’s Department had, in fact, been making strenuous efforts to have the service introduced on 1st January, 1911, but it was not found practicable to secure a suitable railway vehicle by that date. Further delays also occurred because the Queensland Railways was making arrangements to take over one of the spur lines, this necessitating the preparation of now timetables affecting the proposed travelling post office route.

On 28th April, 1911, the Controller of Stores, Postmaster General’s Department, Brisbane, was asked to supply a seal, date stamp and type and all other requisites for the working of the Cairns to Almaden travelling Post Office The date stamp took the form shown in the accompanying illustration. Diameter of actual impression is 25 mm.

It will be noted that the date stamp impression includes the expression “DOWN”. The T.P.O. operated in both directions and as no “UP” version of the postmark was provided, that shown was used at all tines. So far as the Cairns railway and its timetables were concerned at that time, the expression “UP” referred to trains proceeding up-country and “DOWN” to trains running to Cairns. <p>The new timetable then drawn up for the Cairns - Almaden rum, in conjunction with the Chillagoe Company, provided for a twice a week service for the T.P.O. as follows:- Leave Cairns, Mondays and Wednesdays, 7.00 a.m

• Arrive Almaden, Mondays and Wednesdays, 4.15 p.m.
• Leave Almaden, Tuesdays and Saturdays, 9.45 a.m
• Arrive Cairns, Tuesdays and Saturdays, 5.50 p.m.

Trains leaving Almaden on Thursdays and Cairns on Fridays ran without the T.P.O. van attached.

The timetable having been decided and the van provided, with a mail sorter in charge, the travelling post office service was finally inaugurated on Monday, 8th May, 1911.

One immediate effect of the travelling post office was to reduce by 75 per cent mail-handling work at sorting depots at Almaden and other points. Almaden was a sorting depot for Cairns, Chillagoe and Etheridge railway lines and points thereon, and Boonoo a depot for mails for Irvingbank, Stannary Hills and Chillagoe and Cairns railways. Dimbulah was a small depot for Wolfram, Thornborough, Kingsboro and Chillagoe and Cairns railways. Another small depot at Petford handled mails for Bamford and Emuford. Lappa Junction was a larger depot for Mount Garnet, Ord, Gurrumbah, Sunnymount and mails to and from Cairns and Chillagoe railways.

From its inception, the T.P.O. functioned very satisfactorily and provided a much quicker service than before to all places on the direct route and to most places on spur services. However, over its whole existence difficulties continued to rise with the Chillagoe Company regarding haulage arrangements, particularly when an extra van was required to carry part of the mail which could not be included in the T.P.O. car.

By 1918, conditions in the district had changed greatly. Ore output had decreased substantially and the population had declined. This had been reflected in the train service, which had been reduced to once weekly from 6th February, 1918, the T.P.O. having necessarily to accord. Taking all factors into consideration, the Postmaster General’s Department reached the conclusion that the T.P.O. had outlived its usefulness and decided that it should be discontinued. It ran for the last time on 31st January, 1919.

Finally, as a footnote, and as being further reflective of the times, it may be recorded here that the Chillagoe Railway was transferred to the State government on 19th June, 1919.