Transvaal T.S.O.
David Morrison asks 'What does T.S.O. stand for?
Transvaal Sub-Office?
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Probably a "sub-post office with telegraphic facilities ..." (Putzel lists these as "STO" in his Encyclopedia).
Putzel lists this SUNNYSIDE TSO postmark as Sunnyside's first ie. No. 1.
David is right to ask what the 'TSO' stands for as Putzel does not include that in his list of post office abbreviations.
Among those he does include are:
STO - Sub Post Office with Telegraph Facilities.
TO - Telegraph Office only
According to Putzel, SUNNYSIDE first opened as a TtO (Telegraph and Telephone Office - NO Postal facilities) in 1903 but became a TSO in 1904. In other words, something changed in the nature of its operations. Later in the same year it became a PO. I am guessing we all know what that is. The PO closed in 1908 but re-opened as a TSO again in 1909 ie. going back to how it was originally. However, in 1910 it became a PO again. I agree with Bas that a TSO is most likely a Sub-Post Office of some sort with Telegraph facilities
I have been thinking about this one and from somewhere in the past probably at a Johannesburg or Wanderers P/S meeting I recall the words 'Telegraph Sorting Office'. Does this mean anything to anybody?
Major Ian Mathews', et al, book 'Transvaal Philately' is a lovely and useful reference but it has NO index. I would like to explain this ommision in words the Major might understand - a reference book without an index is like mustering the troops without a roll call! I initially looked at it for an answer but put it down because it had no index. Now I have picked it up again and taken a kwik skwizz at it again. It is a frustrating exercise!
Apparently, according to 'Transvaal Philately, (A Listing of Post Offices, page 162 - 179)', there were three such TSOs.
Auckland Park (TSO) - Johannesburg (closed 27 09 05)
Sunnyside TSO - Pretoria (earliest 11 12 09)
Turffontein TSO - Johannesburg (earliest 20 12 04)
There appears to be no explanation within the book as to exactly what a 'TSO' was.
These TSOs were based in the largest city in the ZAR and the seat of its government. A clue perhaps?
It always very frustrating when a book has no index.
In Gibbons, Postmarks of Great Britain (might offer a clue). TSO stands for Town Sub-Office.
What a team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to all concerned!
Just as a matter of interest - How does one give a thumbs up?
The right answer can probably be found by consulting primary sources - in this case, the annual reports of the PMG of Transvaal, or the Post Office Guides. If anyone has copies or easy access to them, they would be doing all of us a huge favour if they would scan them and put them on the this or some other website. Please ....
Research never stops. Five years after the last post in this thread, here is some additional info on TSOs.
Further to 'Transvaal Philately, (A Listing of Post Offices, page 162 - 179)', providing only three such TSOs.
Auckland Park (TSO) - Johannesburg (closed 27 09 05)
Sunnyside TSO - Pretoria (earliest 11 12 09)
Turffontein TSO - Johannesburg (earliest 20 12 04)
Here is a FOURTH!
Bertrams T. S. O JOHANNESBURG. '30 NOV 1903'
Bertrams is a small suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, on the eastern edge of the CBD (central business district) between New Doornfontein and Lorentzville with Troyeville to the south. It was founded on Doornfontein, one of the original Witwatersrand farms after a strip of land was sold from it to Robertson Fuller Bertrams, a property developer. Bertramstown was proclaimed a suburb on 16th August 1889. By 1903 its name had changed to 'Bertrans', (see postmark). Bertrams developed as working class / lower middle class suburb. By the 1930s, the low cost of housing had attracted a racially mixed population but as early as the 1930s its black residents began to be relocated to Orlando. Indian and Coloured people were also relocated in order establish a White working class suburb. This was typical of the time in Johasnnesburg.
This postmark is listed in 'Putzel, RF and AT Visser. The Postmarks of South Africa and former States and Colonies, Addendum, March 2025' The description is a perfect match for the postmark shown below. "26 mm circle. “T.S.O” after name. “JOHANNESBURG” at base, two asterisks above. Date without time code letter. Year as four digits (1903)." There is nothing shown for 'Bertramstown'.
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That's a lovely example!
There were quite a few more Transvaal TSOs than four - date-stamps with T.S.O are listed and illustrated by Putzel and by Alex in his Addenda - apart from the ones you list:
Beit Street, illustrated by Alex in his Addenda, Add 1 - dated 190?
Bellevue, illustrated by Putzel, Put 1 - dated 1910 (two seen)
Betty Street, illustrated by Putzel, Put 1 - dated 1908 - 191(2)
Booysens, illustrated by Putzel, Put 1, dated 1933 - 1937
Booysens Reserve, illustrated by Putzel, Put 1, dated 1936
Brixton, illustrated by Putzel, Put 1, dated 1914 - 1936
Commissioner St. East, illustrated by Alex in his Addenda, Add 1, dated 1903,
La Rochelle, illustrated by Alex in his Addenda, Add 1, dated 1904 - 1905,
Melville, illustrated by Alex in his Addenda, Add 1x, dated 1907-1915, and
Rockey St., illustrated by Alex in his Addends, Add 2, dated 1910 - 1911.
There are very probably others - quite a few more offices are listed as TSOs in Putzel's Encyclopedia - e.g. Bramley, Linley, Yeoville ...
It looks as if it was a designation used by the Transvaal Post Office, but dropped after Union - I haven't seen a T.S.O date-stamp for an office opened after Union, though some of the T.S.O date-stamps clearly continued in use for many years (e.g. Sunnyside).