From:Rocky Hill War Memorial Museum
Name/TitleAustralian Portable Field Telephone
About this objectPortable field telephone housed in a brown metal case with a hinged lid and canvas shoulder strap. The interior contains a black bakelite handset with a coiled cord, an internal battery compartment, wiring terminals, and control components. The handset features a red band at the earpiece.
Field telephones like these were influenced by British/Commonwealth or European post-war field set designs and were widely used from the 1910s through to the 1980s, but this style fits squarely in the post-WWII/early Cold War transition period.
The unit was probably used by the Australian Army before being transferred to civic use. On the lid is the number: N1845F12, indicating an inventory code or a military/government serial code.
On the base of the unit is marked “EET 70 PMG 51/29”, indicating classification under the Postmaster-General's Department (PMG). These telephones were designed for portable, wired communication in field conditions and could be connected directly to line infrastructure or used in temporary communication networks.
MakerUnknown
Maker RoleManufacturer
Date Madec. 1960–1970
Period20th-century
Place MadeAustralia
Medium and MaterialsMetal, bakelite, plastic, rubber, canvas, electrical components
Inscription and MarksStamped on base: EET 70 PMG 51/29
Stamped on the lid: N1845F12
TechniqueFabrication, moulding (bakelite components), assembly
MeasurementsWidth
250 mm
Height or length
135 mm
Depth
150 mm
Subject and Association KeywordsTechnology
Subject and Association KeywordsCommunication
Subject and Association KeywordsPMG, Postmaster-General's Department
Subject and Association KeywordsCold War
Subject and Association KeywordsThe Australian Defence Force
Object TypeTelephones
Object number2026.1024
Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved
