Pyrmont Post Office

Pyrmont was isolated from early Sydney and initial development in the area was generally related to waterfront industries, such as shipyards. The establishment of the Australasian Steam Navigation Company shipyard on Darling Island, plus several other industrial enterprises, including Charles Saunders' stone quarry, brought a residential population of workers, though anyone of means tended to travel to the area from somewhere more desirable. The opening of the Pyrmont Bridge across Darling Harbour in the 1850s facilitated development in both industry and population. Several large businesses became established in Pyrmont in the late nineteenth century, including Colonial Sugar Refinery (CSR) and the woolstores began to move here during the 1880s. A new bridge in 1901, the opening of the power stations (Ultimo Power Station in 1899 and Pyrmont Power Station in 1904) and the extension of wharfage around the waterfront from Darling Harbour cemented the industrial character of the peninsula and it remained this way until after the end of World War II. With only a few notable exceptions, residential development remained largely working class and in fact progressively reduced in size as the new industries demolished housing to accommodate larger premises. After World War II, though, most of the characterising industries either ceased operating or moved to other locations. Since the 1970s, redevelopment of the area has moved slowly, with numerous schemes and proposals. Many of the industrial buildings have been demolished or converted to other uses.

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 NSW. 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.[2]

In 1825 the colonial administration was empowered to establish a Postmaster General's Department, which had previously been administered from Britain.[2]

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 NSW. In 1863, the Postmaster General WH 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".[2]

The first telegraph line was opened in Victoria in March 1854 and in NSW in 1858. The NSW colonial government constructed two lines from the GPO, one to the South Head Signal Station, the other to Liverpool. Development was slow in NSW 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 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 NSW 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.[2]

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 NSW. 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".[2]

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.[2]

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.[2]

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.[2]

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.[2]

The first Post Office in Pyrmont was opened in April 1852 as a sub-office, receiving and delivering letters within the rapidly growing Pyrmont/Ultimo area. The first subdivisions of land within Pyrmont had been held in December 1839, with most of the lots having been sold and developed by 1843. By the early 1850s a number of major developments were beginning to transform the Pyrmont peninsula as large-scale industry sought to established itself there. Industries such as shipbuilding and quarrying attracted workers to settle in the area who in turn encouraged the growth of infrastructure. In 1858 the Pyrmont Bridge was constructed, linking the peninsula to the town of Sydney, further encouraging the development of Pyrmont.[2]

From 1 July 1871, money orders became available from Pyrmont Post Office, with a branch of the Government Savings Bank opening from October 1871. The introduction of money orders and Government Savings Banks into Pyrmont indicates that by this time the Post Office had been upgraded from a sub-branch to an official office.[2]

With an increase in the population of the area throughout the 1870s and 1880s, local residents began to petition for a new Post and Telegraph Office for Pyrmont. Pyrmont did not have a telegraph office as all telegraphs were delivered via the GPO in Sydney. By the early 1880s approximately 1000 telegrams per week were being delivered to the Pyrmont/Ultimo area, underlining the need for a telegraph office.[2]

A temporary post office existed for some years in Harris Street before the local Member of the Legislative Assembly, Francis Abigail, requested a more substantial facility in 1882. Premises were rented from Francis Buckle in Union Street and Frederick Lassre was appointed postmaster, a position he held until his death in 1905. In July 1882 the Post Master General advertised for tenders to lease a new building in Pyrmont for use as a Post and Telegraph Office. Following the advertisement, a number of sites along the peninsula were reviewed with the majority being based around Harris and Union Streets. Of the applicants, seven were eventually shortlisted, with an eight-room shop/residence in Union Street close to the junction of Harris Street being leased from Mr F Buckler for £100pa. In contrast to post offices in other districts, Pyrmont Post Office had two long-term postal officers in its founding years. The first Postmistress, Elizabeth Fleming, served in Pyrmont from 1853 until 1881, after which her son Charles Fleming continued as Postmaster from 1881 until 1896. It was common during this period for postmistresses or postmasters to leave the job due to its poor pay and demanding nature, particularly when an office was still a sub-branch or unofficial office. Many had other jobs, running the postal business from a store or inn that they may also have operated.[2]

Pressure to build an official office was again placed on the Post Master General by Pyrmont residents during the 1890s, and by 1899 a site for a new office had been secured. The new office was designed by New South Wales Government Architect Walter Liberty Vernon and built by day labour at a cost of £4,347. The Minister for Public Works, Edward William O'Sullivan, officially opened it on 19 January 1901.[3] The office was built using surplus Pyrmont sandstone from the construction of the General Post Office (GPO) and Customs House buildings. The office was two storeys with a basement. The basement originally held the kitchen, dining room, laundry and bathroom, the ground floor housed the main office space and one bedroom, with three more bedrooms on the first floor.[2] It continued to function as the post office for Pyrmont for many years and remains a key part of the civic centre.[1]

Renovations were carried out on the building during the 1950s when the original entry door was relocated to the western end of the building and Post Boxes were installed.[2]

In December 2009, the post office building became the Pyrmont Community Branch of the Bendigo Bank.[4]

As at 1996, the building was still in use as a post office and is in good condition, with a high level of integrity. The entrance was slightly altered in the 1950s.[1] As at 4 August 2000, the building was generally in very good condition, with particular reference to the exterior. The archaeological potential of the site is considered high for evidence of early uses of the site. Pyrmont Post Office is substantially intact to its original form. It retains the features that make it culturally significant, including details such as the sandstone exteriors, large round arched entrance and stone parapet and gable, as well as its overall form and style.[2]

Pyrmont Post Office, as it stands today, was completed in 1901. It is a two-storey sandstone building with basement, providing a Post Office area to the front half of the building and three-storey residence to the rear half. In c. 1950 the original front entry was altered with the rearrangement of the interior ground floor. Post boxes were installed in their current locations and the current entry door replaced an existing telephone booth. This is possibly when the reconfiguration of the Post Office basement section also occurred.[2]

Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential - The building is generally in very good condition, with particular reference to the exterior. There has, however, been substantial moisture damage to paintwork and some plaster. This has occurred within several ceilings and walls, particularly to the first floor and the underside of the main stair, with paint peeling in the basement level. All levels show evidence of general wear and tear. The archaeological potential of the site is considered high for evidence of early uses of the site or previous structures, with the open rear yard currently paved in bitumen and little evidence of other works within the site boundary since first construction.[2]

Pyrmont Post Office was listed on the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004 having satisfied the following criteria.[1]

Criterion D: Characteristic values

The building, with its Diocletian and other windows, its contrasting finishes to stonework, its parapeted gable with scroll and other features reflects well the characteristics of Federation Free style architecture.[1]

Criterion H: Significant people

Additional significance is attributable to the fact that the building was designed by New South Wales (NSW) Government Architect, W. L. Vernon.[1]

Pyrmont Post Office was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 December 2000 having satisfied the following criteria.[2]

The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales.

Pyrmont Post Office is associated with the early development of the area, as it is linked with the original post office established in 1852. The construction of a new, larger building in 1901 reflects the development of the area as a key industrial and warehouse suburb of Sydney, which resulted in the growth of the local population during the end of the nineteenth century. The growing community required improved services, and lobbied for a new post office.[2]

The Post Office was also an important part of the consolidation of communications services to the Pyrmont/Ultimo community. The building has a history of continuous original use that spans almost a century.[2]

Pyrmont Post Office provides evidence of the development of workers' conditions in NSW, particularly with regard to the level of self-containment of the residence. The residence at Pyrmont included the laundry and kitchen, which differs from post offices constructed up to the 1880s. These facilities were previously housed separately from the main building and added later.[2]

The unusual architectural footprint of the building reflects the difficulty with designing and constructing new buildings in well-established suburbs in Sydney. Pyrmont Post Office was designed by the NSW Government Architect's Office under Walter Liberty Vernon, a key practitioner of the Federation Free Style of architecture.[2]

The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

Pyrmont Post Office is aesthetically significant because it is a distinctive example of the Federation Free Style of architecture in NSW. Constructed predominantly of sandstone, Pyrmont Post Office is a visually pleasing element in the historic civic precinct of Pyrmont.[2]

The use of stone as a walling material is comparable with earlier post office designs at Cooma (1879) and Wilcannia (1880), and its design compares with Burwood Post Office (1892).[2]

Located in the Pyrmont Square Group, the Post Office forms part of a significant late Victorian and Federation period streetscape, which is the focal point of the Pyrmont urban area.[2]

The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.

Pyrmont Post Office was constructed after the local community lobbied the Post Master General for improved services to the area. It has also been the centre of communications in Pyrmont for almost a century, and is an important part of the civic precinct. As such, it is considered to be significant to the Pyrmont community's sense of place.[2]

The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

Pyrmont Post Office has some potential to provide archaeological information about the previous use of the site.[2]

The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

Pyrmont Post Office is a largely intact as per its original form, which is rare for post offices in NSW. The unusual architectural footprint of the building adds to its rarity.[2]

The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales.

Pyrmont Post Office is a strong example of the Federation Free style of architecture. It is part of a group of post offices designed by the NSW Government Architect Office under Walter Liberty Vernon.[2]

• Andrew Ward & Associates and Clive Lucas Stapleton and Associates (1992). Australia Post Survey of Historic Properties in New South Wales.
• Apperly, Irving and Reynolds (1989). A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
• Australia Post. Pyrmont History File C3629/2 Box 508.
• Bridges and McDonald (1988). James Barnet Colonial Architect.
• Fitzgerald; Golder, H. (1994). Pyrmont and Ultimo Under Siege. Sydney: Hale & Iremonger.
• Godden Mackay Logan Pty Ltd (2000). Australia Post - Assessment of 24 Post Office.
• Matthews, M., 1982, Pyrmont & Ultimo: A History. Michael R. Matthews, Sydney.
• National Trust of Australia (NSW) (1993). National Trust Classification Listing Card – Pyrmont Post Office.
• National Trust of Australia (N.S.W.), Register.

• This Wikipedia article was originally based on Pyrmont Post Office, entry number 105510 in the Australian Heritage Database published by the Commonwealth of Australia 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 23 September 2018.
• This Wikipedia article contains material from Pyrmont Post Office, entry number 1440 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 13 October 2018.