Old Wollongong Telegraph and Post Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Wollongong Telegraph and Post Office |
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Old Wollongong Telegraph and Post Office, pictured in 2009
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| Location | 11 Market Street, Wollongong, City of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1864–1882 |
| Architect | James Barnet (1882 extension and expansion) |
| Owner | Wollongong City Council |
| Official name: Original Wollongong Telegraph and Post Office; Illawarra Historical Society Museum; Wollongong Museum; Illawarra Museum | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 27 February 2015 |
| Reference no. | 1940 |
| Type | Post Office |
| Category | Postal and Telecommunications |
| Builders |
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The Old Wollongong Telegraph and Post Office is a special building in Wollongong, Australia. It used to be a government office, a telegraph station, and a post office. Today, it is a local history museum.
This historic building is located at 11 Market Street. It was built in different stages between 1864 and 1882. Famous architect James Barnet designed the big additions made in 1882. The building is also known as the Illawarra Historical Society Museum, Wollongong Museum, or Illawarra Museum. The Wollongong City Council owns it. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on February 27, 2015, because of its important history.
Contents
A Look Back: The Building's History
First People of the Land
For over 30,000 years, the Illawarra area was home to the Dharawal people. They used the land for many cultural activities. There was plenty of food from the ocean and rivers. We know this from old shell mounds found in the area. These mounds show that Aboriginal people lived here for a very long time.
Early European Settlement
In 1788, British settlers arrived in Sydney Harbour. Slowly, their presence began to affect the Wollongong area, which is about 80 kilometers south. At first, Aboriginal people and early European settlers got along. But by the 1830s, things changed as Europeans claimed more land. The Aboriginal population decreased, but their descendants still live in the area today.
Australia's first official postal service started in 1809. Before that, mail was not very safe or reliable. In 1815, Charles Throsby explored the area and set up grazing lands near the harbor.
John Oxley surveyed the land in 1816. This led to the first land grants in Illawarra in late 1816 or early 1817.
Wollongong's Growth and Early Mail
In the 1820s, goods like timber were sent from Wollongong to Sydney by small boats. In 1825, Australia was allowed to set up its own postal service. By 1828, the first post offices outside Sydney opened in places like Bathurst and Parramatta. By 1839, there were 40 post offices in the colony.
A military base was set up in Wollongong in 1826. This marked the start of official European settlement. Wollongong became a port for cedar timber and a farming center. In the early days, mail arrived once a week by boat. It was handled at the court house.
In 1834, Governor Bourke officially declared Wollongong a town. In 1838, the postal service moved to E. Palmer's store. During the 1830s and 1840s, Governor Bourke ordered a harbor to be built in Wollongong. Hundreds of convicts worked to dig out a safe harbor. This helped ships dock safely and boosted trade in the region.
The first coal mine in Illawarra opened in 1849. By 1865, mail services to Wollongong were much better. Mail was delivered daily by horse, and a steamer ship visited at least three times a week.
The Telegraph Arrives
The telegraph line, which connected Australia to the rest of the world, reached Wollongong on August 13, 1862. The government looked for land to build a telegraph station. The land was bought from Robert Haworth. He owned a lot of land and was a member of NSW Parliament. The telegraph office was built next to his Queen's Hotel. Some people thought the location was not very convenient for the town center.
In 1864, Mr. S. E. Bloomfield built the telegraph station for about A£670. People questioned why the telegraph office was built so far from the town center. They thought it might have been to help Mr. Haworth's hotel. No official investigation was ever found.
Combining Post and Telegraph Services
In 1868, people asked for a new post office in Wollongong, but this did not happen. In December 1869, a new section was added to the Telegraph Station building. This allowed the Post Office and Telegraph Station to be in one building.
Around this time, a "time ball" was likely added. This was a disc on a pole. Just before 1 pm each day, the disc was raised. At 1 pm, a telegram from Sydney announced the time. The Postmaster would drop the disc. Soldiers on Flagstaff Hill would see it drop and fire a small cannon. This cannon sound told everyone in the area the correct time.
In 1879, the postmaster suggested adding another floor to the building. This would create more office space and a home for the postmaster. Colonial Architect James Barnet drew plans in 1880 for this addition. The cost was estimated at A£1,050. While the new floor was being built, post and telegraph services moved to a temporary location. By 1882, the two-story post and telegraph office was finished. The time ball was moved to the roof.
In 1885, a second, larger "Battery room" was built. This room was used to house batteries for the telegraph system. It was designed by Barnet and built by Andrew Herd & Son.
A New Post Office and Other Uses
In 1887, a railway line connected the northern mines to Wollongong and Sydney. This meant ships were no longer as important. The railway also moved the town's center away from the harbor.
In 1889, a new, more convenient post and telegraph office was built on Crown Street. This was called the East Wollongong Post Office. The time ball was moved to the top of this new building. It stayed there until about 1910.
From the 1890s to 1964, the old telegraph and post office building was owned by the NSW Government. It was used by different government departments. During the 1930s Depression, it was a ticket office for dole and food. From 1939 to 1945, it was a Recruiting Office during World War II. Later, it housed the Electoral Office and the Motor Registry Office.
After Australia Became a Nation
After Australia became a single nation in 1901, all post and telegraph offices became part of the Commonwealth Government.
Around 1940, an air raid shelter was built behind the old post office during World War II. It had strong concrete walls and roof to protect people from bombs. This blast wall was removed before 1966.
The Illawarra Historical Society started in 1944. They wanted to collect objects, photos, and documents about local history. At first, their collection was stored in members' homes. Later, some items were kept in the old World War II air raid shelter.
In the 1950s, a garage was built at the back of the building, but it has since been removed.
The Museum Opens
In 1963, the Illawarra Historical Society needed a place for their growing collection. They looked at different sites. In 1965, they learned about the empty former Telegraph and Post Office building. They began asking the government to let them use it as a museum.
The Council decided to help the society celebrate the 150th anniversary of settlement in the region. They worked to get the building for the society. In 1966, the Illawarra Historical Society took over the ground floor of the building. They could use it for free to set up a museum. The museum officially opened on December 2, 1966. This was 150 years after the first land grants in Illawarra.
At first, the museum was run by volunteers and was open seven days a week. The upstairs part of the building was still rented out to people. But over a few years, the historical society managed to get all other occupants to leave.
In 1968, an old timber 'stockman's hut' was moved to the museum's backyard. It was from one of the first land grants in Illawarra, dating back to about 1816.
Between 1971 and 1972, a 'blacksmith's shop' was built at the museum using old timbers. In 1974, a "colonial kitchen" was set up inside the 1885 Battery Room. It used furniture from an old homestead.
On January 20, 1978, the NSW Government officially gave ownership of the building to Wollongong City Council. In 1985, the National Trust of Australia (NSW) added the museum to its list of historic properties.
In 1997, Australia Post donated a red cedar post office counter from the original Camden Post Office to the museum.
The Museum Collection
The Illawarra Historical Society Museum is run by volunteers. It has a collection of over 9,000 photographs and many books on local history. The collection shows what pioneer life was like, including farming, mining, and trade. The entrance room has a beautiful cedar Post Office counter.
The museum's collection is very important. It has been built up by volunteers since 1944. Many old families and local businesses have donated items. Almost all the objects were owned and used by local people in Illawarra. This makes the collection very special to the community.
The collection has about 20,000 objects. Most are from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. They show the history and development of Illawarra, which was an important manufacturing center. The collection includes rare items that show the skills of early settlers. It also has items related to important events, like the 1902 Mount Kembla mine explosion, one of Australia's worst disasters.
Comparing Museums
Many local historical society museums in NSW are in old buildings. For example, the Berry Museum is in a former bank, and the St Claire Museum in Goulburn is in an old house.
The Illawarra Historical Society's collection is similar to others started around the 1950s. It shares themes with the Port Macquarie Historical Society's collection. Both are strong in items from their region's early days. The Illawarra collection is known for its depth and quality, especially when compared to collections in other industrial centers like Newcastle.
Building Features
Wollongong is about 80 kilometers south of Sydney. It sits on a narrow strip of land between the Royal National Park, Lake Illawarra, and the Illawarra escarpment.
The former Wollongong Telegraph and Post Office is a large, two-story building. It has many classic architectural details both inside and out. The outside walls are painted to look like stone blocks. It has fancy window frames, corner stones, and fake balconies on the top floor. There is a real balcony above the front porch, supported by columns. The roof is made of concrete tiles, and the chimneys still have their original tops. There is a small porch at the back. At the front, there is a low wall and an iron fence from 1883.
Inside, there is a well-made staircase from 1882. The red cedar post office counter was moved here in 1997 from the Camden Post Office. The upstairs part, which used to be a home, has marble fireplaces and decorative metal ceilings. The ground floor has wooden slat ceilings. Old pull-chain toilets from the 1920s are still used today. The original front door was moved to a storeroom in the backyard, but it should be put back in its original place.
Several structures have been added to the backyard since the Illawarra Historical Society moved in. These include:
- A 'stockman's hut' from about 1816, moved and rebuilt in 1968.
- A 'blacksmith's shop' built in 1972 using old timbers.
- A "colonial kitchen" set up in 1974 inside the 1885 Battery Room.
The museum's collection of objects is not part of this heritage listing. However, some items are very important, such as:
- A rare cabbage tree hat made around 1900.
- Old cedar chairs made around 1860-1870.
- A model of the Austinmer jetty from 1891.
- An 1887 teaset showing a plan for Wollongong Harbour that was never built.
- Aboriginal breastplates from 1909.
- A horse hoof relic from the 1902 Mount Kembla Mine Disaster.
- The first "ambulance litter" (stretcher on wheels) in Wollongong from 1908.
- A special Owen submachine gun, designed in Wollongong during World War II.
Building Condition
As of July 29, 2014, the building was in good condition.
Changes Over Time
The building has been changed and updated many times:
- 1864: The first building was small, with a shingle roof. It had a counter for telegraph services and an office.
- 1869: The first major extension added a one-story post office next to the telegraph office.
- 1880–1882: A second floor and a new front were added. The top floor became a large apartment for the postmaster's family and some office space.
- Late 1920s–30s: Bathrooms were updated after sewerage was installed in Wollongong.
- 1966: The Illawarra Historical Society moved in. The backyard was overgrown, and the building needed some repairs.
- 1968: The timber floor in the main entry was replaced with concrete.
- 1969: An awning was added at the back, and other wooden floors were replaced with concrete.
- 1970: Old water pipes were replaced with copper pipes.
- 1972: A damp wall in the kitchen was replastered.
- 1977: A new roof was put on the air raid shelter because it was leaking.
- 1978: The building's foundations were sealed to stop dampness. The museum closed for these repairs.
- 1979: The 'stockman's hut' was moved and rebuilt in the backyard.
- 1981: The building was re-wired for electricity. The front door was replaced.
- 1983: A covered extension and storeroom were built at the back.
- 1988: The building's foundations were strengthened again.
- 1989: More work was planned to fix dampness, cracks, and for painting.
- 1991: Paths were paved, and repairs were made to windows, doors, and the upstairs balcony.
- 1992: Downstairs rooms were carpeted, and security grills were installed on ground floor windows.
- 1995: The air raid shelter was divided for storage. Glass partitions were added upstairs and in the colonial kitchen.
- 1996: Roof tiles were repaired, and roofs on the Blacksmith's shop and Stockman's Hut were replaced.
- 1997: A garden shed was built behind the Stockman's Hut.
- 1998: Air raid shelter windows were covered. A brick floor was installed in the garden shed.
- 1999: The upstairs flat was fully converted to museum use.
- 2002: The building's exterior was painted.
- 2003: Damaged rear gates were repaired.
- 2006: New roofing was installed over the colonial kitchen and lady's toilet.
- 2007: A smoke detection system was installed. The front doorstep was replaced.
- 2009: The roof was replaced on the storeroom.
- 2011: Kitchen and laundry roofs were replaced, and new gutters and drainage were installed.
- 2012: Plaster under the staircase was repaired. New downpipes were installed.
- About 2013: A driveway from the 1950s garage was removed.
Why This Building is Important
The Old Wollongong Telegraph and Post Office is important for many reasons:
- Historical Significance: It shows the history of communication in New South Wales. It was one of the first purpose-built telegraph offices in a regional area. Its many changes over time show how government buildings adapted to new needs. Since 1966, it has been a museum, preserving local history.
- Connection to Important People: The building and its museum collection are linked to people like Edgar Beale and Joyce McCarthy. They were key members of the Illawarra Historical Society. Joyce McCarthy was honored for her work, and a room in the museum is named after her.
- Architectural Beauty: The building is a great example of a 19th-century government building. It has beautiful Classical and Italianate architectural details. It is a well-known landmark in Wollongong.
- Community Connection: Since 1966, the building has been home to the Illawarra Historical Society. The museum's collection is made up of items donated by local residents. This makes it very important to the people of Illawarra.
- Rare Features: The intact air raid shelter from World War II is rare. It shows how people prepared for possible attacks during the war.
- Example of its Kind: The building is a good example of telegraph offices in regional areas. It also shows how old government buildings can be used for new purposes, like museums.
See also
- List of post office buildings in New South Wales
