Maldon Post Office
History of the Maldon Post Office
From Canvas to Brick
Prior to the present building being completed in 1870, the Post Office business was conducted in various tents and small wooden buildings that dominated the early goldfields. At that time the Postmaster received an annual remuneration averaging about 40 pounds, based on a percentage of the postal business transacted. This arrangement appears to have been unsatisfactory as it was reported in the Mount Alexander Mail on 31 December 1854 that the local Post Office was to be discontinued. The Postmaster, Mr Possard, had only been offered 75 pounds after spending 40 pounds on fitting his tent out as a Post Office. Mr Cook, who was also the town's chemist and druggist, was appointed acting Postmaster and ran the Post Office business from premises next to the Tarrangower Hotel. William Burbridge, who conveyed mail three times a week between Castlemaine, Maldon and Maryborough, operated the first mail service in the district. On 1 July 1855, Frank Lewin was appointed Postmaster and operated the Post Office, in conjunction with a store, from premises on the Long Gully Road. Mr M T Mason succeeded Mr Lewin on 1 April 1857, followed two months later by John Wright. Mr Wright, of the firm of Wright and Ross, built a 24ft x 16ft wooden building, adjoining their store in Main Street. In 1859, the annual remuneration had risen to 200 pounds, an indication of the steadily growing population. In March 1859, tenders were called by the Public Works Department for the building of a telegraph station. The building was completed on 5 July 1859 by the builders Hornsby and Briscoe.
Telegraph facilities were introduced on 1 August 1859, with Arthur D. Ellis. Mr Ellis also became Postmaster in January 1860. The telegraph station had to be enlarged when the Post Office was also transferred to this building. 'Moons Tarrangower Past and Present', published in 1864, contained the following entries for the postal and telegraph facilities in Maldon:
"Telegraph Office - Manager A D Ellis, Messenger
F St Leger , Office hours 8.30am - 8pm."
"Post Office - Postmaster A D Ellis, Assistant James Lyon,
Office hours 9am - 5pm."
Letters containing gold for transmission by post between separate towns or places within the colony were 1 shilling for 1/2oz only, but not exceeding 2 shillings for every additional ounce or portion of an ounce. It is interesting to note that the extended hours for the telegraph station were 8.30am - 8pm. The telegraph served a vital role in the early days of the colony, before the advent of the telephone some 40 years later.
On 21 July 1865, Frederick A. Farrer became Postmaster, and on 6 November that year savings bank facilities were introduced at the Post Office. At this time the mail service from Castlemaine to Maryborough, by way of Muckleford, Maldon, Baringhup and Carisbrook, operated six days a week. In 1868 when Thomas Reed was appointed Postmaster, the annual remuneration had risen to 350 pounds and the volume of business transacted had become too large to be handled on the existing premises. Plans for a larger official office were then drawn up and the foundation stone for the present building was laid on 11 August 1869, the building being completed and occupied during 1870. George Groves was appointed Postmaster in 1875.
During 1878 extensive repairs and alterations were made to the building. The staff at that time consisted of a Postmaster, who also acted as the telegraph manager, two letter carriers and an office clerk. A few receipts from 1875, which have barely survived a century of silverfish, give a good indication of the environment at the time. One receipt was for a registered letter addressed to Sun Kun Set and signed for in red Chinese script. Another was for a remittance from overseas, and a third was signed for by the addressee making a mark, which was duly witnessed.
In August 1880, Maldon's first Postmistress was appointed. She was Mary Richardson, mother of Ethel Richardson, who later received worldwide acclaim as a successful novelist under the pen name Henry Handel Richardson. Ethel was 10 years old when she came to live at the Maldon Post Office. She described life in the Post Office in her books:
The Fortunes of Richard Mahony
Myself When Young
The Getting of Wisdom
In her book, Myself When Young, Ethel describes the time she lived at the Post Office as the happiest part of her childhood. Mary Richardson and her family remained at Maldon for six years and left at the end of January 1887. James Hughes was appointed later that year. Other Postmasters around this time were John Gavan Reilly in 1891 and John Edward Raven in 1893.
During 1898, and again in 1904, further alterations were made to the building.
In 1908 Frank Duncan was appointed Postmaster and, also in that year, a telephone exchange was established in the building. In 1912 there were 14 subscribers who were provided with a day service only. The first six subscribers were:
1. 'Tarrangower Times', including 'Maldon Advertiser' High Street.
2. Maldon Brewing Co.
3. Bank of Victoria Ltd.
4. R London, Grocer, High Street.
5. Kangaroo Hotel, Main Street, also P Jones Livery Stables.
6. Dr H A Leggo, Main Street.
In 1909 Charles Green was appointed Postmaster, followed by Robert McBeath in 1915, Lucy Gibson in 1922, William Bragge in 1935, and Mr S Julian in 1947. Frank Gazzard was Postmaster in 1953, followed by Eric George in 1962, Tom Markey in 1968, Ted Webb in 1972 and Alan Geisler in 1985. On 13 November 1995 the Maldon Post Office was converted to a Licensed Post Office. Allan and Jennie Geisler became the licensees, with Neville Annand as a part-time assistant.
In 2000, the Post Office was taken over by the first non-employees of Australia Post, Helen and Steve Kelson. Ms Kim Tan took over in April 2004 and the license once again changed hands in 2006, to Jan Elliott and Lee Mead.
Maldon has been the home of a number of Postmasters and Post Office administrators who worked in other Post Offices, the Edhouses, Griggs, Ralphs, Bolithos, Annands, Farleys, Alexanders, and Leachs to name a few. A number of the Rodda family members became Postmasters and one, Lindsay Rodda, became Director of Posts and Telegraphs shortly before his retirement.
The Post Office still retains the original external colour scheme and its interior layout remains true to its early origins, with the exception of the switchboard having been replaced by private mailboxes and manual scales having been replaced by electronic ones in the year 2000.
There is no doubt that the building has retained its historic character and charm.
Location
95 High Street, Maldon 3463 Map
