North Sydney Post Office

About

The North Sydney Post Office is a heritage-listed post office located at 92–94 Pacific Highway, North Sydney, North Sydney Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by the Colonial Architect’s Office under the direction of James Barnet, and built from 1885 to 1889 by James Reynolds. The property is owned by Australia Post, an agency of the Australian Government. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 December 2000.

The first official postal service in Australia was established in April 1809, when the Sydney merchant Isaac Nichols was appointed as the first postmaster in the colony of New South Wales. Prior to this, mail had been distributed directly by the captain of the ship on which the mail arrived; however, this system was neither reliable nor secure. In 1825 the colonial administration was empowered to establish a Postmaster General's Department, which had previously been administered from Britain.

In 1828 the first post offices outside of Sydney were established, with offices in Bathurst, Campbelltown, Parramatta, Liverpool, Newcastle, Penrith and Windsor. By 1839 there were forty post offices in the colony, with more opened as settlement spread. During the 1860s, the advance of postal services was further increased as the railway network began to be established throughout New South Wales. In 1863, the postmaster general, W. H. Christie, noted that accommodation facilities for postmasters in some post offices was quite limited, and stated that it was a matter of importance that "post masters should reside and sleep under the same roof as the office".

The first telegraph line was opened in Victoria in March 1854 and in New South Wales in 1858. The New South Wales colonial government constructed two lines from the GPO, one to the South Head Signal Station, the other to Liverpool. Development was slow in New South Wales compared to the other states, with the Government concentrating on the development of country offices before suburban ones. As the line spread, however, telegraph offices were built to accommodate the operators. Unlike the post office, the telegraph office needed specialised equipment and could not be easily accommodated in a local store or private residence. Post and telegraph offices operated separately until January 1870 when the departments were amalgamated, after which time new offices were built to include both postal and telegraph services. In 1881 the first telephone exchange was opened in Sydney, three years after the first tests in Adelaide. As with the telegraph, the telephone system soon began to extend into country areas, with telephone exchanges appearing in country New South Wales from the late 1880s onwards. Again the post office was responsible for the public telephone exchange, further emphasising its place in the community as a provider of communications services.

The appointment of James Barnet as Acting Colonial Architect in 1862 coincided with a considerable increase in funding to the public works program. Between 1865 and 1890 the Colonial Architects Office was responsible for the building and maintenance of 169 Post Offices and telegraph offices in New South Wales. The post offices constructed during this period featured in a variety of architectural styles, as Barnet argued that the local parliamentary representatives always preferred "different patterns".

The construction of new post offices continued throughout the Depression years under the leadership of Walter Liberty Vernon, who held office from 1890 to 1911. While twenty-seven post offices were built between 1892 and 1895, funding to the Government Architect's Office was cut from 1893 to 1895, causing Vernon to postpone a number of projects.

Following Federation in 1901, the Commonwealth Government took over responsibility for post, telegraph and telephone offices, with the Department of Home Affairs Works Division being made responsible for post office construction. In 1916 construction was transferred to the Department of Works and Railways, with the Department of the Interior responsible during World War II.

On 22 December 1975, the Postmaster General's Department was abolished and replaced by the Post and Telecommunications Department. This was the creation of Telecom and Australia Post. In 1989, the Australian Postal Corporation Act established Australia Post as a self-funding entity, heralding a new direction in property management, including a move away from the larger more traditional buildings towards smaller shop front style post offices.

For much of its history, the post office has been responsible for a wide variety of community services including mail distribution, an agency for the Commonwealth Savings Bank, electoral enrolments, and the provision of telegraph and telephone services. The town post office has served as a focal point for the community, most often built in a prominent position in the centre of town close to other public buildings, creating a nucleus of civic buildings and community pride.

The first post office in North Sydney was opened on 1 May 1854, trading under the name of St Leonards, the official name for the area until 1890. Mr G. H. Stevens was appointed first postmaster in 1854 with an annual salary of £12, retiring in 1870 due to deteriorating health. The St Leonards post office serviced a large area of the lower North Shore, and by 1874 it was recommended that a "Branch" post and telegraph office be established at North Shore, upgrading the current office to an official post office with telegraph facilities.

In that year both the Superintendent of Telegraphs and the Postal Inspector were requested to investigate appropriate sites for a new post and telegraph office, as well as an estimated cost for the laying of telegraph cable across the harbour. This initial investigation for a post office site began a ten-year saga for the Postmaster General in North Sydney.

The Postal Inspector first advised of suggestions from both the Mayor of East St Leonards, and the Mayor of St Leonards that the site of the Police Station would be the most suitable site for a Post and Telegraph Office. This proposal was firmly rejected by the Inspector General of Police and so the PMG decided to advertise for other premises. Advertisements were then placed in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Empire on 11 November 1874. Postal Inspector Moyse recommended that an official office be located close to the existing office in Mount Street, as this would make it central to the three municipalities of East St Leonards, St Leonards and Victoria.

In response to the advertisements, many people in and around North Sydney made offers to sell or rent property to the Department. During the search for a permanent site (from June 1876) it was decided to rent the property of Mrs Jane Glover, for £2 per week. Her premises was situated at the junction of Blues Point and Lane Cove roads, and Mount and Miller streets opposite the police station, and consisted of a newly erected store and dwelling house of seven rooms.

A joint report on North Sydney Post Office was submitted by four postal inspectors in June 1876, recommending that the Government should erect a suitable building for a post office. The department agreed to put money on the Parliamentary estimates committee for a new office, but was advised by the Council Clerk that the only portion of land available within the Municipality dedicated for public use was the wharf at Blues Point. The Clerk further advised that the most suitable piece of land available was owned by Hon. F. Lord, being centrally located with a frontage to both Miller and Walker Streets of 110 metres (350 ft), and a frontage of 150 metres (500 ft) to Blue Street. The Department advised that it did not consider the purchase of such a large site to be necessary.

Between 1876 and November 1877, the department was offered thirteen separate sites for purchase around North Sydney for the erection of a new Post Office ranging in both size and price. In November 1877, two senior officers recommended the purchase of a parcel of land owned by W. G. Matthews with frontage to Lane Cove Road be purchased. The land cost £375, with plans being drawn and £4,000 provided by the estimates committee for construction of the post office. However, before any work could begin, complaints were received by residents that the site was too isolated and so the project was put on hold.

In April 1880 a conference was held between the four interested municipalities to discuss the location for the post office. It was decided that the site of the local Watch House was the most appropriate plus a portion of Government land adjoining it, which had been promised to the St Leonards Council as a site for the town hall. It was also recommended that the watch house be moved to the post office site. When it became known that a new site was being looked for, more offers of land came to the department. A further five land offers were put to the department between 1880 and 1884 before a final decision was made.

Finally, in February 1884, the Postmaster General told Parliament that steps were being taken to appropriate the Government land upon which the School of the Arts stood. A few months later it was announced that the land that had been bought from Matthews had been given to the School of the Arts in exchange for the site that had been taken over. In February 1885 a tender was accepted from A. & F. Heinan for the erection of a combined Post Office, Court House and Police Station for £12,670. However following a dispute with Heinan, another builder, James Reynolds took over the contract at a reduced cost of £11,500. Twelve months after the start of work an inquiry into the condition of the Department of Public Works reported that, while the contract for the building was £11,500, the likely cost of the completed development would be closer to £17,000, which was an illustration of the "impropriety of erecting buildings on ill-adapted sites".

The three buildings were completed between 1886, which is the date for the courthouse, and 1889 when construction of the post office was finished. The office was ready for occupation on 31 January 1889, with the cost of the post office section being £4500. A clock was installed over the front entrance to the office, later being transferred into a new tower. The clock tower was built over the entrance in 1895 at a cost of £965, with the clock being installed in July 1900. Circular stairs were also installed to the front of the office during this time. The delay in installing the clock had been caused by the postmaster general recommending that if the residents wished for a clock in the tower, then they should contribute a third of the cost.

Little information is held in relation to work on the building between the early 1900s to the 1970s. During 1974–1975 the post office underwent a major renovation costing $233,870. During this process the entire interior was renovated with wood panelling and the counter extended to allow for more serving positions. A two-storey addition was to be built in place of the existing courtyard affording more working space on the ground and mezzanine levels. Within the new addition a parcel contractor's room, drive-in mail pick-up and delivery facilities and improved staff amenities were also added. The work was completed by November 1975.

In 1977 the exterior stonework was restored and repainted at a total cost of $80,000.