Matakohe Post Office facts for kids
The former Matakohe Post and Telegraph Office is a special building with a long history. It first opened its doors in 1909, helping people in Matakohe send letters and messages. It stayed busy until 1988 when it closed. The very next year, in 1989, the Kauri Museum bought the building. They carefully moved it to its new spot right next to the main museum on Church Street in Matakohe. Now, it's a cool exhibit where you can learn all about how people used to communicate and send mail. This building is so important that it's listed as a Category 2 Historic Place by Heritage New Zealand.
Contents
The Story of Matakohe's Old Post Office
How the Post Office Came to Be
Back in 1907, the people living in Matakohe really needed a post office. They asked their local Member of Parliament, John Stallworthy, for help. A Member of Parliament is like a representative who speaks for the people in their area in the government. Mr. Stallworthy talked to the Postmaster-General, who was in charge of all the post offices.
In July 1907, they got a reply! The government said they would think about building a post office if the people of Matakohe could provide a suitable piece of land. This land needed to be at least 40 feet wide and 80 feet deep. By November 1907, good news arrived: £600 was set aside to build the new Matakohe Post and Telegraph Office.
Building the Post Office
In March 1908, companies were invited to bid for the job of building the post office. By May, a company called Radcliffe and Burton won the contract. They agreed to build it for £749. Construction started in June 1908. We don't know the exact completion date, but by 1909, the post office was open and serving the community.
The building was designed like a residential villa, which means it looked a bit like a house. It was made of timber. When you walked in, you would go through a porch into the public area. This space was about 10 feet by 9 feet. A big counter separated the public from the mailroom. The mailroom was quite large, about 15 feet wide and 21 feet long, and even had a fireplace!
What Was Inside?
Besides the mailroom, the post office had other important features. It included a manual telephone exchange, which was how phone calls were connected back then. There was also a public telephone area for people to make calls. For the people who worked there, the building also had rooms like a kitchen and a bathroom, plus other small buildings outside.
A New Life as a Museum Exhibit
In the 1980s, the government changed how postal and telephone services were run. Many post offices around the country were closed. In 1988, 432 post offices shut down, and the Matakohe branch was one of them.
But the story didn't end there! In 1989, the Kauri Museum bought the building. They carefully moved it from its original spot to its current location next to the main museum. The building was then renovated and set up to show how people used to send mail and communicate. Inside, you can see old postal items, communication tools, and historical photos. They even have realistic models of former postal workers, making it feel like you've stepped back in time!
