Remembering the old red public telephones at the Show Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Skip to main content

Remembering the old red public telephones at the Show

Posted on 21 August 2023

In the 1970's I was employed by the PMG (now called Telstra) as a Technician and helped look after the old red public telephones located within the RAS Showground at Moore Park. There were approximately 10 telephones within this precinct. There was also a separate telephone exchange operating within the offices which took all incoming calls and this was managed by another Technician from the PMG.

The Technicians were all from the Darlinghurst Telephone Exchange, and I was called out on a roster system when one of the public telephones was reported out of order. This continued on until the RAS moved to the Sydney Olympic Park site at Homebush in 1998.

We used to come in via the side gate on Poate Road, used for exhibitors, and of course, we all liked to be called out (especially around meal times as we could then partake in a Dagwood Dog, or hot chips or something similar!) as it was an exciting place to visit.

ROSS CALKIN

We use cookies to compile information about how our website is used and to improve the experience of our website visitors.

For more information about the cookies we use, please read our Privacy Policy. To adjust your cookie settings, click 'More information'. By clicking 'Accept and continue', you consent to our use of cookies.

We recommend the use of all cookies to provide you with the optimal experience while visiting our website.

Choose below to accept the recommended settings or continue to adjust your individual preferences.

Adjust your settings

We use three kinds of cookies on our websites: required, functional, and advertising. You can choose to opt out of functional and advertising cookies. Click on the different cookie categories to find out more about each category and to change the default settings.
Required cookies are necessary for basic website functionality. Some examples include: session cookies needed to transmit the website, authentication cookies, and security cookies.
Functional cookies enhance functions, performance, and services on the website. Some examples include: cookies used to analyze site traffic, cookies used for market research, and cookies used to display advertising that is not directed to a particular individual.
Advertising cookies track activity across websites in order to understand a viewer's interests, and direct them specific marketing. Some examples include: cookies used for remarketing, or interest-based advertising.
Privacy Policy