Newcastle Post Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newcastle Post Office (former) |
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| Location | 96 Hunter Street, Newcastle, City of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1900–1903 |
| Architect | Designed by the Government Architect Walter Liberty Vernon |
| Official name: Newcastle Post Office | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 22 December 2000 |
| Reference no. | 1442 |
| Type | Post Office |
| Category | Postal and Telecommunications |
| Builders | R Saunders, Loveridge & Hudson, Mountney & Co., Chas Dobson & Co., JP Woods |
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The Newcastle Post Office is a historic building in Newcastle, Australia. It used to be a busy post office, helping people send letters and messages. This amazing building was designed by Walter Liberty Vernon, who was the Government Architect for New South Wales. It was built between 1900 and 1903. Today, it's listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, which means it's an important part of the state's history and culture.
Contents
How Postal Services Began
Early Mail in Australia
The first official postal service in Australia started in April 1809. Before this, ship captains would deliver mail directly, which wasn't always safe or reliable. Isaac Nichols, a merchant in Sydney, became the very first Postmaster.
In 1825, a special department was created to manage mail across the colony. This was called the Postmaster General's Department.
Spreading Across New South Wales
By 1828, post offices began opening outside of Sydney. Places like Bathurst, Parramatta, and Newcastle got their own offices. By 1839, there were forty post offices in the colony! As more people settled in new areas, more post offices opened.
In the 1860s, postal services grew even faster as the railway network expanded across New South Wales. This made it easier and quicker to send mail.
Telegraphs and Telephones
The first telegraph line in New South Wales opened in 1858. Telegraphs allowed people to send messages much faster than mail. Unlike post offices, telegraph offices needed special equipment.
In 1870, the postal and telegraph departments joined together. New buildings were then built to offer both services. Later, in 1881, the first telephone exchange opened in Sydney. Soon, telephones also reached country areas. The Post Office became very important for all kinds of communication services.
Designing Post Offices
From 1865 to 1890, the Colonial Architect's Office built and looked after many post offices. They built 169 offices during this time! These buildings came in many different styles.
Even during tough economic times in the 1890s, new post offices continued to be built. After Australia became a federation in 1901, the national government took over responsibility for post, telegraph, and telephone services.
In 1975, the Postmaster General's Department was replaced by new organisations: Telecom (for phones) and Australia Post (for mail). Australia Post later became a self-funded company. This led to a change from large, traditional post office buildings to smaller, shop-front style offices.
For a long time, post offices did much more than just handle mail. They also offered banking services, helped with voter registration, and provided telegraph and telephone services. The local post office was often a central meeting point in a town, usually built in a special spot near other important public buildings.
Newcastle's Post Office Story
The First Office
The first Newcastle Post Office opened on 1 March 1828. It was one of the first seven offices outside Sydney. It was located in the "Sessions House" on Watt and Church Streets. Mail arrived once a week from Sydney by ship.
By 1832, steam vessels were used to carry mail, making the service faster. Over time, the nearby Maitland Post Office became busier than Newcastle's because it was closer to growing settlements.
In 1851, the post office building burned down, but all the mail was saved! The office moved to a government cottage. In 1862, Newcastle's Post Office became an "official office." This meant it could offer money order services, being one of the first to do so in 1863. A government savings bank branch also opened there in 1871.
A New Building
In 1872, a new post office was built at the corner of Hunter and Watt Streets. This was a two-storey brick building, and it officially opened on 10 June 1873. Back then, the telegraph office in Newcastle handled about 55,000 messages each year, showing how important this communication was.
In 1881, the building was updated to include more space for sorting mail and for the postmen. A small washing shed was also added for the Postmaster's wife. More changes happened in 1883, including a new ceiling and a balcony.
The Grand Building We See Today
Newcastle grew a lot in the late 1800s because of the coal industry. The government decided to build a grand new post office to show off the city's importance.
In 1899, they chose the site of the old Court House for the new building. Walter Liberty Vernon, the Government Architect, designed it. Construction began in 1900. The building was very expensive, costing about £33,500.
The new Newcastle Post Office officially opened on 8 August 1903. It had a main office, mail room, and offices on the ground floor. Upstairs were rooms for clerks, a telephone exchange, and bedrooms. The basement held workshops and a heating system. Cables for telegraph and telephone equipment came into the building through special tunnels.
Over the years, the building was updated. In 1938, an adjoining building was bought to expand the mail handling section. However, in 1973, the mail sorting moved to a different location.
The interior of the building has changed over time to fit modern needs. Eventually, the post office moved out of the building entirely.
The building was sold in 2002. There have been different ideas for its future, including a bar and a conference centre. In 2010, the state government bought it. Later, the Awabakal Land Council won a court case to claim the site, hoping to use it as an Aboriginal health and cultural centre. However, they couldn't raise enough money to fix up the building.
By 2017, the building was empty and in poor condition. It was put up for sale again, with many people interested in buying it.
What the Building Looks Like
The Newcastle Post Office is a very noticeable building in the city. It stands on a main corner in the civic centre. Built in 1902–03, it's a two-storey building made of sandstone blocks. It has a basement and an upper mezzanine level.
The roof is hidden behind a tall, decorative sandstone wall. There are also cool copper domes with small towers at the corners of the front. The front of the building is perfectly symmetrical, with arched windows on the ground floor and square windows on the first floor.
There's a two-storey colonnade (a row of columns) that wraps around three sides of the building. The ground floor has a beautiful grey and white mosaic tiled floor. The first floor colonnade can be reached by timber stairs.
The building is mostly made of fine sandstone, with many carved classical designs. These include Doric columns on the ground floor and Ionic columns on the first floor. The back of the building is made of yellow brick with sandstone stripes.
The inside of the Newcastle Post Office has changed a lot over the years. It has four main levels: the basement, ground floor, upper mezzanine, and first floor.
The basement is below street level and was used for storage. The ground floor used to have a large retail area, post boxes, and a mail sorting area. The mezzanine level used to be a staff lunchroom and other offices. The first floor was mostly offices and a telephone exchange.
While the inside has been changed, the outside of the Newcastle Post Office is still mostly original. It keeps its important features, like the carved stonework, the domed towers, and its grand size and style.
Condition and Changes
How it Looks Now
In 2000, the outside of the building was in very good condition, except for some small cracks. The basement showed signs of dampness. The ground floor was in very good condition because it had been recently fixed up. The upper levels, however, showed signs of moisture damage, with peeling paint and cracks.
The building has some potential for archaeological finds, meaning there might be old things buried beneath it from earlier buildings or uses.
What Has Changed Over Time
The original building opened in August 1903. It had offices, public spaces, and a mail room. The first floor had living areas for clerks and the telephone exchange.
- Between 1912 and 1913, some small additions were made.
- In 1938, the mail room was expanded by taking over the building next door.
- In 1973, the mail handling part of the building stopped when it moved to a new location.
- Around the 1970s, a loading dock and awning were added.
- In 1996, the inside was updated to fit Australia Post's retail style.
- From 1998 to 1999, restoration work was done, especially on the stonework.
Some parts added later, like the concrete loading dock and a small concrete ramp, don't quite match the original style of the building.
Why it's Important
Historical Significance
The Newcastle Post Office is important because it's connected to the very first post office in Newcastle from 1828. This shows how the city grew and how communication services changed over time. The building's large size and design also show how successful Newcastle was in the late 1800s because of the coal industry.
Architectural Beauty
This building is a great example of the Federation Academic Classical style of architecture. It's beautiful and stands out in the city. Its unique features include the carved stonework, the domed towers, and the rows of columns. Along with other nearby buildings like the Police Station, it forms an important group of public buildings in Newcastle.
The building was designed by Walter Liberty Vernon, a very important architect of that time.
Community Value
The Newcastle Post Office is a well-known landmark and was the centre of communication for the city for over a hundred years. Because of this, it's very important to the people of Newcastle and their sense of local identity.
Learning from the Past
The building's design, including the tunnels for underground cables, shows how technology advanced in communications. There's also a chance to find archaeological information about the old Court House that was on this site before the Post Office.
A Special Building
The Newcastle Post Office is a rare and grand example of post offices in New South Wales. Its size, architectural style, and important location make it unique. It's also part of a group of impressive post offices designed by Walter Liberty Vernon.
Images for kids
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The Post Office in the early 1900s
