Built during 1890-91, the Bundaberg Post Office belongs to the second generation of Australian post offices constructed between 1870 and 1929.
It was designed by Charles McLay under the supervision of Queensland Colonial Architect George Connolly. The style and grandeur of the Post Office, its dual frontage and landmark clock tower, reflect the Bundaberg region’s growing wealth and prosperity during this time. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Post Offices in regional centres were significant as symbols of power and prosperity. They were administrative offices and sorting centres as well as public facilities for sending letters, parcels and telegrams. They enabled communication and social interaction, regulated the pace of business, and functioned as important landmarks.
In Bundaberg, the Post Office was the point from which road distances were measured. The steps were – and continue to be – a popular meeting place for people young and old. While the building has changed over the years through alterations and new additions, the Bundaberg Post Office still features the verandahs, loggia and clock towers characteristic of the style and era.
An interview with retired Australia Post employee Dave Bunyoung. Dave’s first role with Australia post as a ‘telegram boy’ in the 1960s, riding his bike all over Bundaberg delivering telegrams, and his enjoyment of working in the Bundaberg CBD post office.
References
1. Lee, Robert (2003), Linking a Nation: Australia’s Transport and Communications 1788 – 1970. Chapter 7. Sydney: Australian Heritage Commission. Accessed August 23rd 2017 from http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/ahc/publications/linking-a-nation/chapter7
2. Bundaberg Post Office, Australian Heritage Database, Australian Department of the Environment and Energy. Accessed August 23rd 2017 from http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;search=place_id%3D106125%3Bkeyword_PD%3Don%3Bkeyword_SS%3Don%3Bkeyword_PH%3Don%3Blatitude_1dir%3DS%3Blongitude_1dir%3DE%3Blongitude_2dir%3DE%3Blatitude_2dir%3DS%3Bin_region%3Dpart;place_id=106125
