Tamworth Post Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tamworth Post Office |
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Tamworth Post Office, c. 1890s
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| Location | Fitzroy Street, Tamworth, Tamworth Regional Council, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1886 |
| Architect | James Barnet (Colonial Architect's Office) |
| Architectural style(s) |
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| Owner | Australia Post |
| Official name: Tamworth Post Office | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 22 December 2000 |
| Reference no. | 1421 |
| Type | Post Office |
| Category | Postal and Telecommunications |
| Builders | W. C. Cains |
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The Tamworth Post Office is a very old and important building in Tamworth, Australia. It's a special place because of its history and beautiful design. The building was designed by James Barnet, a famous architect, and built by W. C. Cains. Today, it is owned by Australia Post. This historic post office was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 2000, meaning it's protected for its importance.
Contents
History of Postal Services
How Mail Started in Australia
Did you know that the first official mail service in Australia began in 1809? Before that, ship captains just handed out mail when they arrived. This wasn't very safe or reliable. So, a merchant named Isaac Nichols became the first Postmaster in Sydney.
Later, in 1825, a special department was created to manage mail in New South Wales. This made the postal service much more organized.
Growing Mail Services Across NSW
By 1828, post offices started opening outside of Sydney. Places like Bathurst and Newcastle got their own offices. By 1839, there were 40 post offices in the colony. As more people moved into new areas, more post offices were built.
The arrival of railways in the 1860s helped mail travel even faster. It became very important for postmasters to live inside the post office building. This helped keep the mail safe and secure.
Designing New Post Offices
James Barnet became the main government architect in 1862. During his time, from 1865 to 1890, his office built and looked after 169 post and telegraph offices. He liked to design buildings in 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 the postal service.
In 1975, the old Postmaster-General's Department changed. Two new companies were created: Telecom (for phones) and Australia Post (for mail). Later, Australia Post became its own self-funded business. This led to smaller, shop-front post offices instead of the large, traditional buildings.
For many years, post offices were central to communities. They handled mail, banking, voter registrations, and phone services. They were often built in important spots in town, becoming a symbol of community pride.
Tamworth's Early European History
First European Settlers in Tamworth
Europeans first explored the Tamworth area in 1818 with John Oxley. He thought the land was great for grazing animals. But it wasn't until nine years later that the first farmers settled there.
In 1832, a large company called the Australian Agricultural Company (AA Co) took over a huge piece of land. This included the future site of Tamworth. By 1834, the AA Co built the first buildings for its workers and stores. This was the very beginning of Tamworth.
How Tamworth Town Grew
In 1835, James White opened the first store on the east side of the Peel River. This was the first building in what is now Peel Street. In 1840, Thomas Byrne, who bought the store, became Tamworth's first Postmaster.
In 1847, people started planning Tamworth as a proper town. The first land sales happened in 1850. But the town grew slowly, with only about 600 people by the late 1850s.
Tamworth Post Office: A New Building
Why a New Post Office Was Needed
Tamworth grew steadily in the 1860s. A telegraph line reached Tamworth in 1861, and a new telegraph office was built in 1866. A small room in this office was used as a post office. But it quickly became too small.
People in Tamworth asked for a bigger space. An extension was built in 1881, but it was still not big enough. In March 1881, even before the extension was finished, residents asked for a brand new Post and Telegraph Office.
Building the Current Post Office
The railway arrived in East Tamworth in 1882, which made the town feel more confident and led to a building boom. Plans for a new post office began, and the tender was awarded in 1883.
The final plans were drawn up in 1884 by the Colonial Architect's Office. W. C. Cains from Sydney won the contract to build it for £6,859. The foundation stone was laid on 23 January 1886. The new building opened on 31 May 1886. The clock was added later that year.
In 1870, the Post Office and Telegraph Office joined together. A government savings bank branch opened in the Post Office in 1871. In 1900, a telephone exchange opened with 80 users. In 1939, it became the first automatic telephone exchange in a country town outside of Canberra.
Changes Over the Years
In the 1960s, the building had its first big change. The front on Fitzroy Street was made twice as long. This added more space and matched the original design.
In 1986, more renovations happened. The public areas were made bigger, and the offices upstairs were completely redone.
What the Tamworth Post Office Looks Like
The Tamworth Post Office is a two-storey building with a four-storey clock tower. It's built from brick and painted a light apricot color with off-white details. The roof is hidden behind a decorative wall.
The clock tower is the most striking part of the building. It has a dome-shaped top with a metal spike. Inside, there's a spiral staircase leading up to the clock. You can see four clock faces on the tower.
The building has three arched walkways with railings, facing Peel and Fitzroy Streets. These walkways have arches on both the ground and first floors.
A large addition was built in 1966 on the Fitzroy Street side. It was designed to match the original building's style. This part now houses the main Post Office area.
Inside the Post Office
The ground floor of the Post Office has a large public area for retail and a section for post boxes. There are also storage and sorting areas, plus offices. Part of the ground floor is a separate commercial space.
The Australia Post retail area has modern counters and displays. The ceilings are mostly false or plasterboard. Air conditioning and fluorescent lights are throughout the building.
Upstairs, the first floor used to be the telephone exchange. It also has staff rooms, a lunch room, and storage. Many of the original inside features have been changed over time.
The building has signs for "Tamworth Post Office 2340" and the Australia Post logo.
The Tamworth Post Office is a very important landmark in the town. It's surrounded by other historic and modern buildings. There are also palm trees and flower beds around it, making the area look nice.
Condition and Changes
The Tamworth Post Office is in very good condition, especially the outside. While many original parts inside have been changed, the building still looks like it did when it was first built, except for the matching addition from 1966.
The original building from 1886 had the corner tower and specific arched sections. The clock faces were added later in 1886. The 1966 extensions on Fitzroy Street were built to look like the original design. The Peel Street side and the tower still look much like they did originally.
Many changes have happened inside over the years. For example, the Post Office moved to the back, and a separate business space was created at the front. The current Australia Post setup was installed around the 1990s.
Special Features
A cool feature of the Tamworth Post Office is the clock mechanism inside the tower. It's still complete and works perfectly. It's operated by hand and has a bell that strikes the hour. This is a rare and special part of the building's history.
The site might also hold archaeological information about how the building and its surroundings have changed over time.
Why Tamworth Post Office is Important
The Tamworth Post Office is very important for its history, its beautiful design, and its meaning to the community.
It's linked to the very first postal services in Tamworth from 1840. The size and style of the building show how much Tamworth grew in the early 1880s. It also shows how postal and phone services changed in New South Wales. It's famous for having the first automatic telephone exchange in a country town outside of Canberra. This helps us understand how communication developed in NSW.
The building is a great example of the Victorian Italianate style, with some Free Classical touches on the clock tower. It makes the civic area of Tamworth look very grand. It was designed by James Barnet, who was a master of this architectural style.
The Post Office could also teach us about old clock tower mechanisms and the history of the site.
It's a landmark building that the Tamworth community feels proud of.
The Tamworth Post Office was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 2000 because:
- It shows the history of New South Wales.
- It's connected to Tamworth's early development and has been the communication hub for over a century.
- Its size shows the growth of the town after the railway arrived in the 1880s.
- It shows how postal and phone services changed, especially being the first country town (besides Canberra) with an automatic phone exchange.
- It was designed by James Barnet, a key architect of the Victorian Italianate style.
- It's a beautiful and well-designed building.
- It's a fine example of Victorian Italianate architecture.
- Its size, style, and prominent clock tower make it a focal point in Tamworth.
- The 1966 addition was built to match, adding to its beauty.
- Its design, with a corner tower and arched walkways, is unique compared to other post offices.
- It's important to the community.
- It's a well-known landmark and has been central to the town's communication for over 100 years.
- It has a long connection with Tamworth's postal services, making it very important to the community's sense of place.
- It has potential to teach us new things.
- The intact, manually operated clock mechanism in the tower is technically significant. It can teach us about how public clocks were designed in the late 1800s.
- The site might also have archaeological information about its past uses.
- It's a rare and special building.
- Its size, architectural style, and importance make it a rare example among country post offices in NSW.
- The original, working clock mechanism is also a rare feature.
- It shows the main features of its type of building.
- It's a strong example of Victorian Italianate architecture.
- It's part of a group of 19th-century post offices in NSW designed by James Barnet's office.
