North Hobart Post Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids North Hobart Post Office |
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| Location | 412-414 Elizabeth Street, North Hobart, Tasmania, Australia |
| Official name: North Hobart Post Office | |
| Type | Listed place (Historic) |
| Designated | 8 November 2011 |
| Reference no. | 105538 |
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The North Hobart Post Office is a special old building in North Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It's located at 412-414 Elizabeth Street. This historic post office was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on November 8, 2011. This means it's an important building that needs to be protected for the future.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
The North Hobart Post Office stands where Swan and Elizabeth Streets meet. Long ago, this area had small farms and gardens. From the 1820s, this part of Elizabeth Street marked the edge of Old Hobart Town. People who bought land here had to clear it and build a house.
How the Land Changed
Over time, these large pieces of land were divided into smaller ones. New streets like Pitt, Newdegate, and Swan streets were created. Some of the first businesses in North Hobart included a clock tower and a brewery.
The land where the post office now stands was once owned by John Swan. His family bought several properties in North Hobart. By the 1840s, a cottage and a large garden were on this land. In the 1890s, the land was divided, and Swan Street was made. In 1903, the government bought the site for a new post office.
Building the Post Office
The North Hobart Post Office was designed in 1912 and built in 1913. It was designed by the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs. An old postcard shows the building standing alone on a large corner. It had pretty picket fences and gardens around it.
Around 1950, a telephone box was placed near the entrance. The building's outside walls have been repainted a few times. In 2004, it was painted with liver red walls and mustard-colored stone details.
What the Building Looks Like
The North Hobart Post Office is a beautiful one-story building. It is made of brick and stucco. Stucco is a type of plaster used on walls. The roof is made of slate tiles. It has a hipped gable roof with large vents.
Main Features
The building has a central entrance with steps. It has a slightly Romanesque style, which means it looks a bit like old Roman buildings. It has small windows on the sides. The base of the building is made of rough stone.
The post office is located on a square piece of land. This land is bordered by Elizabeth and Swan Streets. The ground slopes down quite a bit towards one corner. There's also a small red brick toilet block on the property.
The Entrance and Walls
The main front of the building faces Elizabeth Street. The entry steps spread out on either side of an arched opening. This arch is flanked by two brick piers. A pier is like a strong column. The building sits on a rough stone base.
Above the stone base, there's a stone line that goes all around the building. The entrance arch has three special stones called voussoirs. These stones help support the arch. Two narrow windows are on each side of the entrance. Above the arch, the words "POST OFFICE" are written.
The Roof and Sides
The roof is symmetrical, meaning it's the same on both sides. It has slate tiles and hipped gables at each end. A gable is the triangular part of a wall under a sloping roof. The roof also has unique vents. The eaves, which are the parts of the roof that hang over the walls, are boxed. They have brackets underneath them.
The side walls were originally red brick. The north side has a central paired window. This window has a rounded arch at the top. It also has two flat-headed windows on either side. All these windows have dressed stone around them.
Inside the Post Office
The post office has different rooms for different uses. The main post office area includes the entrance, post boxes, and the public area. This area has been made larger over time. Behind this is an L-shaped room for sorting mail.
The part of the building that used to be a home for the postmaster is now used by staff. It has a toilet area, a store, and a lunchroom. A side entrance and a strong room are still in their original places. Later, a corridor for post office boxes was added to the building. There's also a ramp leading to the mailroom counter.
How Well It Has Been Kept
The North Hobart Post Office was designed to have both a public post office area and a home for the postmaster. From the outside, the building still looks very much like it did when it was built. The original design, materials, and details are still clear.
However, the brick and stonework have been painted over. Also, a glazed post office box lobby was added to one corner. The roof is mostly original, but it is in poor condition. The current paint colors are very bright and might hide some of the building's original beauty.
Inside, the layout has changed, but you can still see where the postal hall and the postmaster's home were. Many original details are still there. These include windows, doors, fireplaces, and decorative ceilings. The building seems to be in good shape, except for the roof.
Why It's Important
The 1913 North Hobart Post Office is near the old business center of North Hobart. This area was once the edge of Old Hobart Town. The post office has been an important part of this area for almost 100 years. The government bought the land in 1903. This history makes the property very important.
A Special Design
The North Hobart Post Office is a great example of a post office from its time. It combined a postal hall with a postmaster's home. Even though the home part is no longer used as a residence, you can still see how the two parts worked together. This building is very well preserved, both inside and out. Some newer additions, like the post office box lobby, fit well with the building's changing needs.
Beautiful Architecture
The post office is a very well-designed building for its location. It looks like a home but also has a strong, important presence. It mixes home-like features with grand street elements. These include the heavy stone base, the special entrance porch, and the window designs. These features are still very strong and expressive, even though the outside has been repainted.
The building's style is quite unique. It has special Edwardian Baroque details. These include the turned columns at the entrance, molded scrolls, and exaggerated stones in the arch. These details make the building stand out.
A Local Landmark
The North Hobart Post Office is in a very visible spot on a busy street corner. It has a strong civic presence, meaning it looks like an important public building. It is a well-known Federation-era building in North Hobart because of its lively details.
The North Hobart Post Office is also important to the community. It has provided postal services for about 95 years. This makes it socially significant. The important parts of the North Hobart Post Office include the main building from 1913 and how it looks from all sides.
