Brisbane Telegraph, Saturday 11 February 1905, page 2
To Sell Stamps. Ladies at Post Office. From Telephone Exchange to Stamp Office
It has been decided to make an experiment at the Brisbane General Post Office in regard to female officers. Some time ago it was ascertained by the Commonwealth Public Service Commissioner that a number of the operators at the Brisbane Switchboards were well qualified for other and more important work. The first lot of young ladies engaged for the Telephone Exchange had to pass a very stiff examination. Four or five of them had passed the Sydney University senior and junior examinations, and at least one was a gold medallist. Those who ranked highest in the entrance examinations to the Queensland service at the Telephone Exchange were appointed as monitors, and it is two of these monitors who have been asked to present themselves at the stamp office on Monday morning, when they will be introduced into that branch of the service. Both these officers hold certificate for distinguished passes at the Sydney University junior and senior examinations, and therefore should be well qualified for the highest class of work. The young ladies in question are amongst the smartest and most intelligent of the department whore they have been engaged, and if they succeed it is not unlikely that other transfers will be made to positions regarded as suitable. The stamp sales department affords an opportunity of making the test, for not only is the work of a class where females might succeed, but the staff is short-handed, due to various causes. It is understood the experiment is to be tried for three months. It will not be the fault of the young ladies if it does not succeed. If it fails it will be in spite of them
