Ballarat’s Post Office Did More Than Deliver Mail (1864)
Ballarat’s Post Office Did More Than Deliver Mail (1864)
Ballarat’s Post Office handled more than letters. Its expanding premises also housed a treasury, a telegraph office and a crown lands office.
The story behind the scene
The building opened for business on 29 December 1864, replacing an earlier post office at Sturt and Lydiard streets.
A wing along Lydiard Street was completed in 1871. The additional space accommodated government services as well as postal work.
The offices brought several kinds of public business to the same address. Sending a message and dealing with land or government payments could all involve a visit to this corner.
What you’re seeing
O. E. Jager’s 1899 photograph shows the Post Office and its tower. The modern photograph returns to the same landmark, with later street fittings and traffic around it.
Why this photo matters
The building’s size makes more sense when its other uses are included. Behind the postal frontage were offices that helped run a growing city.
Historical photograph: O. E. Jager, 1899, State Library Victoria, H2006.188:18. Modern photograph: Julian Varricchio.
Sources: Ballaarat Mechanics Institute