Tambo Post Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tambo Post Office |
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Former Tambo Post Office built in 1876
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| Location | Arthur Street, Tambo, Blackall-Tambo Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1876, 1885 |
| Official name: Tambo Post Office (former), Post and Telegraph Office Tambo, Tambo Telecommunications Museum | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600833 |
| Significant period | 1876, 1885-86 (fabric) 1870s-early 1900s (historical, social) |
| Significant components | residential accommodation - post master's house/quarters, post & telegraph office, kitchen/kitchen house, post office |
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The Tambo Post Office is a special old building in Tambo, Queensland, Australia. It used to be a post office, but now it's a museum! It was built a long time ago, in 1876 and 1885. People also call it the Post and Telegraph Office Tambo or the Tambo Telecommunications Museum. This building is so important that it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means it's protected because of its history.
Contents
History of Tambo and its Post Office
Early Days of Tambo
Explorers like Thomas Mitchell first visited the Tambo area in 1846. Later, in the 1850s and 1860s, more explorers came. Soon after, in 1861, the first large sheep or cattle farms, called "pastoral runs," were set up. By 1864, most of the land in the area was being used for these farms.
Tambo was the very first town built along the Barcoo River. It was officially made a town on June 27, 1863, and was first called "Carrangarra." In 1864, a hotel called the Barcoo Club Hotel opened, and the town quickly grew. By 1866, a mail service started at another hotel, the Royal Carrangarra Hotel. The person who ran the hotel also became the postmaster.
In 1868, the town was properly mapped out and its name was changed to Tambo. Even before land was officially sold in 1869, about 50 people and 34 buildings were already there! In 1873, the post office moved to a local store, and the storekeeper became the new postmaster.
Connecting Australia with Telegraph Lines
The Overland Telegraph network began in Australia in 1854. This was a system of wires used to send messages very quickly using electricity. Queensland's first telegraph line was built in 1861, connecting Ipswich to Brisbane. By 1870, most big towns along the coast and some in the west were connected.
An Electric Telegraph Station opened in Tambo on June 16, 1874. This happened after a telegraph line was built between Tambo and Springsure. This line connected Tambo to a larger network that went through many towns, all the way up to Normanton on the Gulf of Carpentaria. This made Tambo a very important part of Australia's communication system. More lines were added, connecting Tambo to Charleville in 1875 and Blackall in 1877.
The First Purpose-Built Post Office
In 1876, the first building made just for the post office was built in Tambo. It was a timber building with a roof made of wooden shingles. It was designed like a typical house for a country post office. The public office area was at the front, and the postmaster and his family lived in the back. There was also a separate kitchen building behind the main one.
Growing Needs and New Buildings
In 1879, the Post Office and Telegraph Office services in Queensland joined together. By 1883, a second telegraph line opened between Tambo and Blackall. Tambo was now a major "relay station," meaning it helped send messages further along the lines. The old post and telegraph office was becoming too small.
So, in 1885, a new building was constructed right next to the old one. The older 1876 building was then used only for living in. This was a common way to expand buildings back then. The new 1885 building started as just one room. In 1886, a "battery room" was added to the back. This room likely held batteries that powered the telegraph equipment. By 1887, Tambo was so busy that it needed five telegraph operators!
Even with these additions, the buildings were still considered too small by 1901. This was when Australia became a country (Federation), and the new Australian Government took over the post offices. A new, bigger post office was planned for 1903. Tambo stopped being a main telegraph relay station in 1916, as Charleville took over that role.
What Happened to the Old Buildings?
When the new post office was finished in 1904, the old buildings were sold. The 1876 building was bought by Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, who ran the nearby Telegraph Hotel. They moved the building across the road to land next to their hotel. It was used as a home until the mid-1990s.
The 1885 building was sold in 1905 to a builder named Frank Murch. It was also moved across the road to a block of land next to the Sullivans' property. A photo from 1906 shows that a verandah (a covered porch) was added to the front and a room to the back. This made it more suitable for living in.
In 1922, William and Hannah Volk bought the 1885 post office building to live in. After Mrs. Volk passed away in 1970, her home was offered to the Tambo Shire Council to become a museum. In 1973, the Council took over the building. In 1992, it was used for the Tambo Teddies project, which made and sold teddy bears from local wool. The Teddies project has since moved, and the old post office buildings are now the Tambo Telecommunications Museum.
What the Buildings Look Like
The two old post office buildings are made of timber. They are located near the Shire Council offices and across the street from the current 1904 Post Office.
The 1876 Building
The former 1876 post office sits on low stumps. It's built with vertical timber boards and battens (thin strips of wood covering the gaps). It has verandahs on all sides. The roof is shaped like a pyramid and is covered with corrugated iron (wavy metal sheets). The verandah roofs are also corrugated iron and are held up by timber posts. The main part of the building has four rooms, with a front door in the middle and windows that open outwards (casement windows). At the back, there's a separate kitchen building, also made of timber, with one room and a small roof (awning) along the front.
The 1885 Building
Next to the 1876 building is the 1885 post office extension. This is also a timber building on low stumps. It's shaped like a "T" when you look at it from above. It has two rooms facing the street and two rooms behind them. The roof is covered with corrugated iron. It's hipped (slopes on all four sides) over the front part and gabled (slopes on two sides, forming a triangle) at the back. A verandah with its own roof goes around three sides of the front section, supported by timber posts. This building has a central front door and windows that slide up and down (sash windows).
Why it's a Heritage-Listed Place
The former Tambo Post Office was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means it's recognized as an important historical site for several reasons:
Showing Queensland's History
The old Post Office in Tambo, with its 1876 office and 1885 extension, shows how Queensland's communication network grew. In the late 1800s, Tambo was a key communication point in western Queensland. The fact that several post and telegraph buildings were built one after another shows how quickly this network developed and how important Tambo was.
A Rare Example
Even though some changes have been made, these buildings, especially the 1876 post office, are rare examples of post office buildings from that time period that are still standing.
Good Design and Construction
These buildings are good examples of the types of architecture designed by the Public Works Department. This department helped improve the quality of building design and construction in Queensland back then.
Beautiful and Important to the Town
The former post office buildings are also important because they look good and fit in with other public buildings along Tambo's main street. These include the courthouse, the early 1900s post office, and the shire hall. Together, they help give Tambo its unique look and feel.
