I originally started off collecting "CARLTONWARE" china, Kero
Heaters, miniature whiskey's and pencil sharpeners but as everything goes with
collectors it goes on and before long things get out of hand. Approx 5 years ago
I was given a milk crate full of Aussie glass insulators which didn't do a lot
for me until I cleaned them up and discovered under all that dust was some
beautiful coloured glass CD-490's, CD-121's, CD-422's,CD-423's, and some
CD-430's. and it was also time to consider "what am I actually going to
collect". I then thought, I can get into collecting these. From there my
collecting insulators blossomed. I found myself looking at every old pole I
drove past thinking how do I get that one down etc. and from there carrying a
ladder on my utility every where I went.
As Albany was the scene of the first town in Western Australia we still have
a lot of old areas of farming and which still hold quite a few old private
telephone lines. As a point of interest, Albany was also the end of the line for
the original Australian Telegraph Line to Sydney. On the section of line from
Albany to the South Australian border the SIEMENS iron topped insulator was used
of which I am lucky enough to have a few of. The area surrounding Albany is rich
in farming so electric fences are common and in the early days a lot of farmers
used old insulators on the fence posts to hold the "hot wire" so this
another avenue for finding insulators.
My insulators have been gathered from poles, by many miles of traveling in
my work with the trusty ladder, also traded, (with many thanks to a few ICON
members) Dave French, Bob Scafe, Brad Bietzel (Aust) & Robin Plewes, swapped
for other collectable things, purchased at second hand stores and many farmers
are happy to tell me of the pile down the back paddock which, if I could find, I
could have.
Colorful Australian Glass
My favourite Aussie insulators are a straw CD-344.2 with a polished Copper
Top and a Dark Amber CD-590 and my favourite USA insulator would be anything in
7-UP green. I must say USA has some spectacular colours. I have recently
extended my workshop upstairs and included a room for displaying which has a
clear wall with shelves holding my glass insulators. This looks quite
spectacular with the sunlight shining through the glass.
In Australia, insulator collecting is not big, so most collectors are far
apart and my closest collector friends are approx 5 hours traveling by road in
most directions from Albany.
This CD-154 (above left) is aqua coloured, copy of a Hemingray that was used in
Australia. It was made and impressed by AGEE to be used along side the
Hemingray's over here. I have 2 of these in different colours.
My wish list includes a Hemingray Blue, Muncie and also a U-2030 TODD
porcelain insulator used on a short stretch from the South Australian/West
Australian border into Adelaide.
I'd enjoy hearing from you.
My email address is: termiteman@bigpond.com
Australian Telegraph Line Insulators 1874
