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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Imagine a time before mobile phones and emails! The Old Wollongong Telegraph and Post Office was once a super important building in Wollongong, New South Wales. It helped people send messages across long distances using telegraphs and also handled all the mail as a post office.
Today, this historic building is a cool local history museum called the Illawarra Historical Society Museum. It was built in stages between 1864 and 1882, with a big upgrade in 1882 designed by a famous architect named James Barnet. This building is so special that it was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 2015, which means it's protected because of its history and beauty.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Early Days: Aboriginal Land
For over 30,000 years before Europeans arrived, the Illawarra area was the home of the Dharawal people. They used the land for important cultural activities and found plenty of food from the ocean and rivers. You can still find signs of their long history, like ancient shell middens (piles of shells from their meals).
European Settlement and Communication
When British settlers arrived in Sydney Harbour in 1788, their presence slowly spread to Wollongong, about 80 kilometers south. At first, Aboriginal people and settlers got along, but by the 1830s, things changed as Europeans claimed more land. The Aboriginal population sadly decreased, but their descendants still live in the area today.
The first official postal service in Australia started in 1809 in Sydney. Before that, getting mail was tricky! In 1815, Charles Throsby explored the Wollongong area, and soon after, land was granted to new settlers.
By the 1820s, Wollongong was sending goods like timber to Sydney by boat. In 1828, the first post offices outside Sydney opened, and by 1839, there were forty across the colony.
Wollongong's Growth and Early Mail
Wollongong officially began as a European settlement in 1826. It grew as a place for timber and farming. In the early days, mail arrived only once a week by boat and was handled at the local courthouse. Imagine waiting a whole week for a letter!
In 1834, Governor Bourke officially named the Town of Wollongong. The postal service moved to a local store. During the 1830s and 1840s, a harbor was built by convicts, making it safer for ships and helping the region's trade grow. By 1865, mail delivery was much better, with daily horseback deliveries and steamers arriving several times a week.
The Telegraph Arrives
The telegraph was like the internet of its time – it allowed messages to be sent almost instantly! The telegraph line reached Wollongong on 13 August 1862. The government decided to build a special telegraph station.
In 1864, the construction of the telegraph station began, costing about A£670. It was built by Mr S. E. Bloomfield. The location chosen was a bit controversial because it was a few blocks away from the town center. Some people wondered if the land owner, Robert Haworth, sold the land cheaply to help his nearby hotel.
Combining Post and Telegraph Services
In 1868, people asked for a new post office, but it didn't happen right away. Instead, in 1869, the telegraph station building was extended to include the post office. A new section was added to the building.
Around this time, a "time ball" was likely added. This was a disc on a pole. Just before 1 pm each day, it would be raised. At 1 pm, a telegram from Sydney would announce the time, and the postmaster would drop the disc. Soldiers on Flagstaff Hill would see it drop and fire a small cannon, letting everyone in the area know the correct time!
A Bigger Building and a New Location
In 1879, the postmaster suggested adding a second floor for more office space and a home for his family. Colonial Architect James Barnet designed the new floor and a new look for the building in 1880. It cost about A£1,050. While the work was being done, post and telegraph services moved to a temporary spot. By 1882, the two-story building was finished, and its time ball was moved to the roof.
In 1885, a larger "Battery room" was built for the telegraph equipment. By 1887, a railway linked Wollongong to Sydney, which changed the town's center and brought more tourists.
Because the old building was a bit far from the new town center, a new, more convenient post and telegraph office was built on Crown Street in 1889. The time ball was moved to the new building and used until about 1910.
Life After the Post Office
From the 1890s until 1964, the old telegraph and post office building was used by different government departments. It housed the Wollongong Harbour Trust, the Department of Public Works, and even served as a "Dole and Food clothing ticket office" during the Great Depression in the 1930s. During World War II, it was a Recruiting Office. Later, it was used by the Electoral Office, Motor Registry Office, and the Department of Labour and Industry.
The Museum Today
Becoming a Museum
After Australia became a single nation in 1901, all post and telegraph offices became part of the Commonwealth Government. In the 1940s, a freestanding air raid shelter was built behind the old post office during World War II. It had thick concrete walls and roof for protection.
The Illawarra Historical Society was started in 1944. They began collecting old objects, photos, and documents about local history. At first, their collection was stored in members' homes, and later in the old air raid shelter on Crown Street.
In 1965, the Historical Society learned that the old Telegraph and Post Office building was empty. They started asking the government to let them use it as a museum. The Wollongong City Council helped them, and in 1966, the Illawarra Historical Society moved into the ground floor of the building. The museum officially opened on 2 December 1966.
Growing the Museum
In 1968, an old timber "stockman's hut" from around 1816 was moved to the museum's backyard. It was carefully taken apart and put back together. In 1971-1972, a "blacksmith's shop" was built using old timbers from another historic cottage. In 1974, a "colonial kitchen" was set up inside the 1885 Battery Room, decorated with furniture from the same cottage.
In 1978, the ownership of the building was transferred to Wollongong City Council. In 1985, the National Trust of Australia (NSW) added the museum to its list of historic properties. The museum continued to grow, with professional curators helping to manage the collections.
The Museum's Collection
Today, the Illawarra Historical Society Museum is run by volunteers. It has a huge collection of over 20,000 objects, photos, and documents that tell the story of the Illawarra region, especially from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s.
The collection shows what pioneer life was like, including farming, mining, transport, and trade. You can see a beautiful cedar post office counter from the original Camden Post Office. The museum also has unique items like:
- A rare cabbage tree hat made around 1900.
- Old chairs made by a local craftsman in the 1860s-1870s.
- A model of the Austinmer jetty from 1891.
- Aboriginal breastplates for important leaders like Charley Hookah, King of Mullet Creek.
- A horse hoof relic from the terrible 1902 Mount Kembla Mine Disaster, which killed 96 men and boys.
- The first "ambulance litter" (a stretcher on wheels) in Wollongong from 1908.
- A special sectioned Owen submachine gun, designed by a local resident, Evelyn Ernest Owen, and made in Port Kembla during World War II.
This collection is very important because it tells the story of Wollongong and the Illawarra, a region known for its industry and innovation. It shows the skills and cleverness of early settlers and the challenges they faced.
Building Features
The Illawarra Historical Society Museum is a grand, two-story building with many classic architectural details. It's painted to look like it's made of large, cut stones. You can see fancy window frames, decorative corner stones, and false balconies on the upper windows. The front porch has columns and a flat top. The roof has concrete tiles, and the chimneys still have their original slate tops.
Inside, there's a well-made Victorian staircase from 1882. The first floor, which used to be the postmaster's home, has marble fireplaces and decorative metal ceilings. Some of the original pull-chain toilets from the 1920s are still in use!
In the backyard, you'll find the relocated "stockman's hut" and the "blacksmith's shop," which were added by the Historical Society to show more about early life in the region.
Building Changes Over Time
The building has changed a lot since it was first built:
- 1864: The original building was smaller, with a shingle roof. It had a main entry, a counter for telegraph services, and a room for sending and receiving messages.
- 1869: A big extension added a one-story post office next to the telegraph office. The back wall was removed to make more space. A "battery room" was also added for the telegraph equipment.
- 1880–1882: The second floor was added, along with a new front look, designed by James Barnet. The top floor became a large apartment for the postmaster's family and some office space.
- Late 1920s–1930s: Bathrooms were updated and added after Wollongong got sewerage. Some internal doors were also changed.
- 1966: The Illawarra Historical Society moved in. The building needed some repairs, like fixing windows, doors, and plaster.
- 1968: The timber floor in the main entry was replaced with concrete.
- 1969: An awning was added at the back, and more wooden floors were replaced with concrete.
- 1970s-1990s: Many repairs and upgrades happened over these decades, including replacing water pipes, replastering walls, fixing the air raid shelter roof, sealing foundations, rewiring electricity, and adding security grills.
- 1979: The "stockman's hut" was relocated to the backyard.
- 1999: The upstairs apartment was finally converted into museum space for filing and storage.
- 2000s-2010s: More roof repairs, painting, and drainage work were done to keep the historic building in good shape.
Why This Place is Special
The Old Wollongong Telegraph and Post Office is important for many reasons:
- History: It shows how communication changed in regional areas of New South Wales, from early telegraphs to post offices. Its long history of different uses shows how government buildings adapted over time.
- Design: It's a great example of a mid-1800s government building, with beautiful classical and Italianate architectural details. The 1882 additions by James Barnet made it a local landmark.
- Community: Since 1966, it has been the home of the Illawarra Historical Society, a place where the community can connect with their past. The museum's collection, filled with items donated by local families, has huge social value for the people of the Illawarra.
- Rarity: The intact air raid shelter from World War II in the backyard is quite rare in New South Wales. It reminds us of a time when people needed protection from potential attacks.
- Representation: The building represents a type of historic government building that was adapted over time and is now used as a museum by local historical groups across New South Wales.
See also
- List of post office buildings in New South Wales
Images for kids
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Old Wollongong Telegraph and Post Office, pictured in 2009
