Cronulla Post Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cronulla Post Office |
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Cronulla Post Office, 1926
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| Location | 41 Cronulla Street, Cronulla, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | Edwin Hubert Henderson |
| Official name: Cronulla Post Office | |
| Type | Listed place (Historic) |
| Designated | 22 August 2012 |
| Reference no. | 106203 |
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The Cronulla Post Office is a special old building in Cronulla, Sydney, Australia. It's not just any post office; it's a heritage-listed site! This means it's an important part of history and needs to be protected. It was designed by an architect named Edwin Hubert Henderson and built way back in 1924. It was added to the Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 August 2012 because of its historical importance.
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History of Cronulla Post Office
The area we now know as Cronulla was called "Cronulla Beaches" a long time ago. In the 1800s, it was mostly undeveloped land. A man named Thomas Holt owned much of the land and had farmers working there.
The area slowly grew, and the Sutherland Shire was officially created in 1906. Even by World War I, Cronulla was still quite rural. After the war, more people started moving in. After World War II, Cronulla became a much more suburban area, with many homes and shops.
The very first post office in Cronulla opened in 1891. It was inside the Oriental Hotel, and Clara Springall was the first postmistress. A new building was built just for the post office in 1900. But that building was replaced in 1924 by the larger, more solid Cronulla Post Office we see today.
This current building was designed by Edwin Hubert Henderson. He worked for the Commonwealth Department of Works and Railways. When it was first built, it wasn't just a post office. It also had a home for the postmaster and a telephone exchange.
What Does Cronulla Post Office Look Like?
The Cronulla Post Office is located at 41 Cronulla Street. This street is the main shopping area in Cronulla. The Cronulla railway station is close by, and the main beaches are just to the east. The street outside the post office has even been turned into a mall!
The building has a single-story part facing the street, which is where the public post office area is. Behind it, there's a two-story section. This back part originally had the living quarters upstairs and rooms for sorting mail downstairs.
Outside the Building
The front of the building is made of standard Sydney red brick. It has a classic design often used for government buildings. The central part, where the post office entrance is, sticks out a bit. On either side, there were originally open porch areas.
You can see two strong brick columns, called piers, on the front. These are a common feature in buildings from that time. There are also narrow windows with a metal "X" pattern over them. The main windows in the postal hall are framed by decorative brick columns, called pilasters, with Tuscan-style tops.
Above the windows and a balcony, there are two decorative bands, called friezes. The lower one has the "Post Office" sign. All the windows are sash windows, meaning they slide up and down.
Over time, the open porch areas on either side of the front have been filled in with brick and windows. They are now part of the main shop area inside. A flagpole was added to the wall next to where the south porch used to be. Some of the original gates have also been replaced.
Inside the Building
The roof of the top floor is a hipped roof, which means it slopes down on all sides. The lower roof is flat and hidden behind a wall. This flat roof forms the floor of the upstairs balcony.
The inside of the ground floor, where the post office shop is, has been changed a lot. It now has modern shelves and a suspended ceiling. However, the upstairs area, which was the living quarters, still looks much like it did originally. It has two old fireplaces, original doors, and a beautiful wooden staircase.
In the 1970s, an extension was added to the north side of the building. This part used to have a lobby for post office boxes.
Key Features
The most important parts of the Cronulla Post Office building are:
- The front (east) side that faces Cronulla Street.
- The original living quarters upstairs and the wooden staircase, which are still mostly unchanged.
Building Condition
Overall, the building is in fair condition. Some changes, like the extension on the north side and the filled-in porches, have altered its original look. But the upstairs part of the building, the old living quarters, is still very much like it was when it was built.
Original Parts of the Building
Many original parts of the building still exist:
- Structure: It has concrete foundations and brick-covered piers. The original building has a timber roof frame.
- Outside Walls: The walls are made of dark red brick with decorative stucco.
- Inside Walls: The walls on the first floor (the old living quarters) are made of plaster.
- Floors: The original building has timber floors.
- Ceilings: The upstairs living quarters have plaster ceilings.
- Roof: The original building's roof is made of terracotta tiles.
Why is it Heritage Listed?
The Cronulla Post Office was added to the Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 August 2012. This means it's recognized as an important historical site for several reasons:
Its History and Growth
The Cronulla Post Office is important because of its location in central Cronulla. It shows how much the area grew in the early 1900s. When it was built in 1924, it was a big building for its time. It was designed to serve the growing community with a post office, a home, and a telephone exchange.
Its Design and Style
The Cronulla Post Office is a great example of a post office from the 1920s. It also shows the work of Edwin Hubert Henderson, the architect from the Commonwealth Department of Works and Railways.
It's a good example of the "Interwar Georgian Revival" style. This style uses strong shapes, balanced designs, and simple details. Even though some parts have been changed, like the porches being filled in, it still looks like a well-designed and detailed post office building. The red brick also helps it stand out on the street.
