York Post Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids York Post Office |
|
|---|---|
York Post Office
|
|
| Alternative names | York Post & Telegraph Office |
| General information | |
| Address | 134 Avon Tce |
| Town or city | York, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°53′18″S 116°46′07″E / 31.8884°S 116.7686°E |
| Construction started | 1893 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | George Temple-Poole |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 9 February 1996 |
| Reference no. | 2855 |
The York Post Office is a very old and important building in York, Western Australia. It stands on Avon Terrace and is the oldest two-story post office building still standing in Western Australia! It's part of a group of historic buildings, including the Court House and Police Station, which were built around 1895. People have been using this spot as a post office since 1866.
The post office became very important when York grew as a farming town. It was also the closest town and railway stop to the goldfields during the early days of the Western Australian gold rush.
Contents
Building the Post Office
The York Post Office was designed by a government architect named George Temple-Poole. He created it in a style called Federation Arts and Crafts, which is also known as Federation Free Style. The building was meant to be both a post and telegraph office and a home for the postmaster.
Construction started in 1893. The builders used strong local stone and bricks. They carefully chose stones for each part of the building. A special horse-powered machine, called a block and tackle, helped lift the heavy stones to the upper floor. The roof is made of corrugated iron.
This building replaced an earlier, single-story post office. That first building was built in 1866 and had a shingle roof.
The Famous Clock
In the mid-1890s, the people of York really wanted a town clock. They asked the government to put one in a main street. So, a special clock was put into the York Post Office. This clock is a "turret timepiece," which means it's a large clock designed for a tower or building.
It was made in London in 1895 by a company called J. W. Benson. However, the clock didn't always work well in the late 1890s. People even held a public meeting to complain that it was often broken!
Other Interesting Features
The York Post Office also has a weather vane on its roof. This weather vane came from an old mill built in 1852 by Solomon Cook. It was moved to the post office in the early 1900s, but without its rooster decoration.
In 1922, an "exchange room" was added to the building. This was the only big change made to the post office over the years.
What It's Used For Today
The upstairs part of the building used to be where the postmaster lived. Now, these rooms are used as offices. There's also an apartment there that people can rent for short stays.
Protecting Its History
The York Post Office is a very important historical site. It is officially recognized and protected by several groups:
- The National Trust of Australia has classified it as a significant building.
- It's on the Register of the National Estate since 1978.
- It's on the Shire register since 1995.
- It's permanently on the State Register of Heritage Places since 1996.
