Bourke Post Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bourke Post Office |
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| Location | 47 Oxley Street, Bourke, Bourke Shire, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1880–1880 |
| Architect | Colonial Architect’s Office under James Barnet. |
| Owner | Keane Family Trust |
| Official name: Bourke Post Office; Bourke Post and Telegraph Office | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 23 June 2000 |
| Reference no. | 1404 |
| Type | Post Office |
| Category | Postal and Telecommunications |
| Builders | E Heseler |
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The Bourke Post Office is a very old and important building in Bourke, Australia. It's located at 47 Oxley Street. This special building was designed by the Colonial Architect's Office, led by James Barnet. It was built in 1880 by E. Heseler. People also know it as the Bourke Post and Telegraph Office. Today, the Keane Family Trust owns it. Because of its history and beauty, it was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on June 23, 2000.
Contents
How Postal Services Began in Australia
The very first official mail service in Australia started in April 1809. A Sydney businessman named Isaac Nichols became the first Postmaster. Before this, ship captains would just hand out mail when they arrived. This wasn't very safe or reliable.
In 1825, the government in Australia was allowed to create its own Postmaster General's Department. Before this, mail services were managed from Britain.
Early Post Offices in New South Wales
The first post offices outside of Sydney opened in 1828. These were in places like Bathurst, Parramatta, and Newcastle. By 1839, there were forty post offices across the colony. More offices opened as people settled in new areas.
Postal services grew even faster when railway lines started to appear in NSW in the 1860s. In 1863, the Postmaster General said it was important for postmasters to live in the same building as the post office. This made sure the mail was always safe.
Building More Post Offices
James Barnet became the Acting Colonial Architect in 1862. This was a time when the government spent a lot more money on public buildings. Between 1865 and 1890, Barnet's office built and looked after 169 post and telegraph offices in NSW. These buildings were designed in many different styles. Barnet believed that local politicians liked to see "different patterns" for their towns.
Building new post offices continued even during tough economic times in the 1890s. Walter Liberty Vernon took over from Barnet in 1890. He was in charge until 1911. After Australia became a federation in 1901, the national government took over post, telegraph, and telephone services.
In 1989, Australia Post became a self-funded company. This led to a new way of managing properties. They started moving towards smaller, shop-front style post offices. This was different from the large, traditional buildings of the past.
For a long time, post offices offered many community services. They delivered mail, acted as banks, handled voter registrations, and provided telegraph and telephone services. The town post office was often a central place. It was usually built in a key spot in the town center, near other public buildings. This created a proud civic area.
Bourke Post Office's Story
The post office in Bourke first opened on July 22, 1862. Joseph Becker was the first postmaster. His company's building served as the first post office. This new office took over from an older one at Fort Bourke, about 18 kilometers down the Darling River. That old office closed in 1865.
In August 1873, a telegraph office also opened in Bourke. It was in a rented building. The post office and telegraph office joined together in July 1879. They had been working from the same building since November 1878.
The 1870s and 1880s were a time of great growth for Bourke. River trade was very busy. Many new buildings were constructed, forming a small civic area. In 1877, a spot for the new post office was chosen next to the Court House. Plans were made for an office and a home for the postmaster.
By May 1878, no one had started building because the costs were too high. However, by November 1878, E. Heseler's plan for a single-story office was approved. It included an underground well and a fence. The new building was ready by September 1880.
Changes and Upgrades
By 1884, the building needed major repairs. There was damage from white ants and a leaky roof. The postmaster also asked for a room for the Telegraph Department.
In December 1884, it became clear that changes would make the postmaster's living space smaller. So, they decided to add another floor for more room. For £1590, an extra story, a verandah, and inside changes were finished in 1889. A wooden stable was also built that year.
By 1890, Bourke was one of the busiest post and telegraph offices outside of Sydney. This was because Bourke was a key service center for western NSW and southwest Queensland. More work was done between 1899 and 1900. This included building a new entrance lobby and a room for the postmaster. A telegraph table was also installed. These additions were finished by March 4, 1901.
The Bourke Post Office is still a symbol of the town's rich riverboat past. It has been the main communication hub for northwestern NSW for over 100 years.
What the Bourke Post Office Looks Like
The Bourke Post Office is a two-story building. It's built in a style called Victorian Filigree. The bottom floor is cream-painted brick, and the top floor is reddish-brown brick. There's also a single-story brick section at the back. A closed-in wooden verandah is on the north side of this back section.
The main building has a wide, two-story verandah that wraps around three sides. Part of it is closed in on the ground floor with wood and on the first floor with fiber cement and flyscreen.
The building isn't perfectly balanced, but the original part was. There's an early cream-painted brick addition at the front. It has its own corrugated iron roof and a curved wooden trim.
The main roof is made of corrugated iron. It has two levels with a hipped roof and decorative brackets under the edges. The first-floor verandah roof is supported by green-painted cast iron posts. These posts have white-painted iron brackets and railings.
The first-floor wooden verandah is held up by similar cast iron posts. It has a deep, curved, white-painted wooden trim.
There are two cream-painted brick chimneys on the main building's roof. An air conditioning unit is between them. More brick chimneys are on the back wing.
Most of the doors and windows seem to be original. They include wooden sash windows and French doors with flat brick arches.
Signs on the building include its name and postcode above the front addition. There's also a small brass plaque to the left of the front showing the 1890 flood level.
Inside the Post Office
The ground floor inside has three main areas. There's a small, carpeted retail area with modern Australia Post counters and displays. Behind this is the mail sorting and storage area, with post boxes and staff facilities. The residential part of the ground floor is also at the back.
The mail area has changed a lot. It has modern shelves, post boxes, and blocked fireplaces. The walls are painted grey. The ground floor still has an old plaster ceiling from around the 1920s. Some original features remain, like decorative columns and wall vents. The residential area on the ground floor mostly looks original, keeping its doors, windows, and decorative trims. The kitchen is currently being renovated.
The residence, which includes the upper floor and the back of the ground floor, still has its original doors and windows. The upper verandah has French doors and fanlights. The stairs have turned wooden posts and railings. The walls have been repainted. The upper floor has a new, lower ceiling with air conditioning.
In the backyard, there's an old brick tank. There's also a brick outbuilding that used to be a service wing with a kitchen. This building is now used by Telstra. A carport and a wooden shed are also in the backyard, but they are not considered important historical parts of the site.
A large Telstra communications tower behind the building stands out. Next to the post office on the west is a plain red brick Telstra exchange building. To the east is the brick and tile National Australia Bank. The Bourke Post Office is on a wide street. It stands out among mostly single-story buildings.
The Bourke Post Office was in very good condition as of April 2000, with only normal wear and tear.
There might be old things buried in the ground, especially near the old brick tank and the former service wing. The outside of the post office looks mostly the same as it did long ago. The Bourke Post Office is largely unchanged. It still has its important features, like the decorative wooden trim, iron balcony railings, and its overall size and style.
Why Bourke Post Office is Important
The Bourke Post Office is very important for its history, its beautiful design, and its meaning to the community. It's historically significant because it was the main communication center for northwestern NSW for over a century. Its size and look show how rich and busy Bourke was during the riverboat era. It also shows how postal and telecommunications services changed over time, especially in serving a spread-out regional area.
The Bourke Post Office is beautiful because it's a great example of the Victorian Filigree style. Its design and location make it a key building in Bourke's civic area. It was also designed by the Colonial Architect's Office under James Barnet. The Bourke community feels that this building is a very important part of their town.
The Bourke Post Office was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on June 23, 2000, because it met several important requirements:
- It shows how cultural history developed in New South Wales.
The Bourke Post Office became one of the busiest post and telegraph offices outside of Sydney in the late 1800s. This was because Bourke was a major service center for western NSW and southwest Queensland. The post office has been the communication hub for the community for over a century. Its size and look also show the town's prosperous riverboat period. It's connected to the Colonial Architect's Office under James Barnet, which designed many post offices across NSW between 1865 and 1890. The post office also shows how postal and telecommunications services changed in NSW, especially in serving communities spread far apart. The additions made to the building to improve living spaces for postmasters show how working conditions changed over time.
- It has beautiful design features and shows great creative skill.
The Bourke Post Office is a wonderful example of the Victorian Filigree style. Its architectural style and location make it a central point in Bourke's civic area, giving it a landmark quality.
- It has a strong connection with the community.
As a well-known public building and the communication center for the region, the Bourke Post Office is very important to the Bourke community's sense of place.
- It could provide information about the cultural history of New South Wales.
The site might contain archaeological information. This could tell us more about how the site was used before and how the building and its smaller structures changed over time.
- It shows rare or special aspects of cultural history.
The Bourke Post Office is a classic example of a country post office. It strongly represents Australian country architecture from the late Victorian period.
- It shows the main features of similar cultural places in New South Wales.
The Bourke Post Office is a good example of the Victorian Filigree style of architecture. It is part of a group of 19th-century post offices in NSW designed by the Colonial Architect's Office under James Barnet.
