Pioneer Village in Stratford has this tiny phone exchange building from the past. "The Cardiff
Exchange was built in 1889 and was moved to Mr I J Harrison’s
property on Climie Road, then later re-sited at Taranaki Pioneer
Village on 18.12.85. The telephone exchange is part of the old
Inglewood Post Office Exchange from the same period and is part of
what was a 100 line switchboard. A telephone office was opened in
1895 in Cardiff."
Yes, all the dial phones here in NZ have the numbers reversed from the US phones.
This is what a barber shop from the turn of the century would look like.
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteHave been enjoying your trip to Stratford... the exchange office is so cute! YAM xx
What a fun trip...
ReplyDeleteLoved your post so much. Having worked for the telephone company 40 years this was very meaningful. I started in a small office on a switchboard like this.
ReplyDeleteOh how interesting! Love the cute little red building.
ReplyDeleteWith every series of photographs like this, I want even more to visit New Zealand.
ReplyDeleteI like the tiny telephone exchange. In the village here I grew up the exchange was in the local post office so the lady who worked there knew everyone's business! A game of darts while waiting for a haircut? A very civilised idea!
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting! I had no ideas the phones were backwards....yours or ours? Ha.
ReplyDeleteHow times have changed!!! Tom The Backroads Traveller
ReplyDeleteI have been totally enjoying this Pioneer Village! Wonderful post! I loved seeing the telephone office!
ReplyDeletehow neat, and it's so strange to see a phone with a "backward" dial!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful place to explore, and that phone??? Just perfect!
I love these little villages and there historic items. I used a phone like that many years ago, you forget when you don't see them. And my grandfather had razor strops like those behind the bathroom door, I used to be fascinated watching him sharpen his cut throat razor on it.
ReplyDeleteDiana
That would be a fun place to visit. Love that old telephone!
ReplyDeleteFun post filled with many interesting things. I found the telephone numbers being reversed really odd but cool.
ReplyDeleteSo cute on the outside and informative on the inside!
ReplyDeleteAnd I still remember similar devices telephone :)
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