Victoria Park Post Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Victoria Park Post Office |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | 414 Albany Highway, Victoria Park, Western Australia, Australia |
| Official name: Victoria Park Post Office | |
| Type | Listed place (Historic) |
| Designated | 22 August 2012 |
| Reference no. | 106197 |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 11 October 1995 |
| Reference no. | 2222 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Victoria Park Post Office is a special old building located at 414 Albany Highway in Victoria Park, Western Australia. It's considered a very important historical site in Western Australia, Australia. This post office was added to the Commonwealth Heritage List on August 22, 2012, which means it's officially recognized for its history and unique design.
Contents
The Story of Victoria Park Post Office
How Victoria Park Grew
Victoria Park started as a long street of buildings along a main road. This road is now called Albany Highway. It connected the city of Perth to the town of Albany. In 1887, people began to buy land and build homes there.
After the Victoria Park railway station opened in 1893, more shops and houses appeared. By 1897, Victoria Park became its own town area.
Early Post Office Days
In 1898, a post and telegraph office opened in Victoria Park. It first operated from a rented building. Over time, it became more important. In 1904, it was called an "allowance office." Then, in 1912, it officially became a full post office.
Building the New Post Office
The Australian Government bought land for a new post office in July 1913. They planned to use an existing house on the site to make a bigger building. Hillson Beasley, who was the Chief Architect for the Public Works Department, drew up the plans. In January 1913, a builder named W. N. Roberts won the contract to build it for £1711/14.
The Victoria Park Post Office was built in 1913. It was made of brick and had a home attached to the back. This home had three bedrooms for the postmaster. There were entrances from Duncan Street and the backyard. The main entrance at the corner had cool arched openings made of brick.
Changes Over the Years
The building changed quite a bit over time. Around 1920 or 1923, the living area was made smaller. It became just one bedroom and a bathroom. The rest of the home was turned into a mailroom and offices. This included a special office for the postmaster and a room for telegraphs. The kitchen became a staff room, and the living room became part of the mailroom.
In the 1940s, a wall between the public hall and the mailroom was removed. This made the main counter longer. More changes were made to the doors and windows. Old plans from this time also show fences, small buildings, a garage, and an incinerator on the Duncan Street side.
Around the 1950s, two more arches were added to the front of the building on Albany Highway. This made the building look even grander. Some parts of the roof were changed, and some decorations like "gryphons" (mythical creatures) and a roof lantern were removed. Inside, the public area and mailroom were simplified. A new postmaster's office was added at the back. The staff room was turned into toilets, and the lunchroom moved to the last remaining bedroom.
Later, air conditioning was installed. Some arched windows facing Duncan Street were replaced with modern ones. The floor in the public areas was changed from linoleum to carpet. A new ceiling with fluorescent lights was added, probably in the 1980s or 1990s.
More changes happened at unknown times. A metal roof and a small office were added to one side. The backyard was turned into a loading area and car park. Recently, the old living quarters have been renovated and are now rented out as private offices.
What the Post Office Looks Like
Outside the Building
The Victoria Park Post Office is located at 414 Albany Highway, right on the corner of Duncan Street. It stands on its own, set back a bit from the street corner. It looks very different from the newer shops around it.
The post office is a single-storey building made of red brick, which has been painted over. It has contrasting white details and cool arched fronts facing the streets. The roof is tiled and has a hipped shape.
The main entrance is at the corner. It has white arched openings with special "keystones" and strong pillars. These lead into the shop area. The side of the building facing Duncan Street has three main parts. One part has the arched front of the post office. Another part has a sloped roof over a verandah (which used to have timber posts). The last part has two rectangular windows. These last two parts were originally part of the postmaster's home.
The front of the building on Albany Highway originally had four arches, including the corner entrance. It also had a special roof gable and a lantern. These roof features, along with the gryphons, have been removed. In the 1950s, two more arches were added to this side, matching the original style.
The chimneys are made of rough brick. This rough brick pattern is also seen along the highway front, forming a low wall up to the arches. The arches themselves have detailed brickwork and long keystones, showing a style popular in the early 1900s. The sides and back of the post office look like typical old Australian houses, with double-hung windows and angled fireplaces.
Other parts outside include a timber-framed area at the back for post office boxes. This area has a sloped roof and is enclosed with glass and corrugated iron. There's also a ramp with a steel railing at the corner entrance. A timber picket fence runs along part of the property. The post-box area was created in the 1920s when the back verandah was enclosed. A metal roof and small office were also added to the side of the old telegraph office.
Inside the Building
The inside of the post office has changed many times over the years. These changes have affected how the main postal hall connects to the old home and telegraph office. However, some original parts of the inside are still there, like the decorative moldings on the ceilings and around the doors. Newer parts include different types of wood, false ceilings, and new walls. The main postal area now looks like a typical modern Australia Post shop.
Around 1923, the living quarters were made smaller, becoming just one bedroom and a bathroom. The rest of the space was turned into a mailroom and offices. This included the postmaster's office and the telegraph room, which took the place of two bedrooms. The kitchen became a staff room, and the mailroom moved into the old living room.
Later, the wall between the postal hall and the mailroom was removed. The main counter was made longer, and doors and windows were changed. Another set of changes inside led to a simpler layout for the public area and mailroom. A new postmaster's office was added at the back, with easy access to the post office boxes. The staff room was turned into a toilet block, and the lunchroom moved to the last old bedroom. The fireplace in the public hall was removed, but other fireplaces remain, though they are blocked up. One even has a small safe inside it!
The post office boxes are in a separate timber building in the northwest corner of the property. This building is covered with metal sheets.
Why This Building is Special
A Place of History
The Victoria Park Post Office was listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List on August 22, 2012. This means it is very important for its history and how it has served the community.
The building was finished in 1913. It was designed by Hillson Beasley, an architect from the Public Works Department. It started as a post office and telegraph office with a home for the postmaster. Its construction was important because Victoria Park was growing fast along Albany Highway. An earlier post office from 1898 was in a rented building. The current building replaced it on a very noticeable corner.
The post office is a large building with rich original details. It faces two streets and is in an important part of Victoria Park's shopping area. All these things make it historically and socially significant. It's a well-known old public building in the town.
Its Unique Look
The post office building is also special for its architecture and style. Most of the outside of the building is still original, even though some changes have been made over time. When the main building was extended around 1950, it kept most of the original details. However, some changes to the roof, like removing the decorative gargoyles, roof lantern, and a gable, made it lose some of its original charm. Painting the outside has also changed its look.
Despite these changes, the post office still has its strong brick pillars, large Romanesque arched openings, and arched front. It also has deep white decorative bands. The original use of gryphons, even though they are gone, is interesting because these features were rare on government buildings.
A Landmark Building
The Victoria Park Post Office is also important for how it looks and feels. This is partly because it's on a very visible corner, where Albany Highway and Duncan Street meet, right in the middle of Victoria Park. Its historical walls and roof (even with changes) make it stand out as a landmark.
The building looks strong and impressive from the street. Even though it's painted over, you can still see the contrast between the brick walls and the white details. The strongly shaped arched fronts with their rough pillars make it even more beautiful.
Important Parts of the Building
The most important parts of the Victoria Park Post Office include the original building from 1913, which had the post office and the attached home. The timber-framed post office box alley at the back, added around the 1920s, is also a part of its history, though less important than the main building. Other parts, like the metal roof and small office added to the old telegraph office, the ramp at the corner entrance, and the timber picket fence, are not considered as historically significant.
Images for kids
-
Victoria Park Post Office
