Albany Post Office
Encyclopedia
Albany Post Office is a heritage site
of the former Post office in Albany, Western Australia
. The site was also a Customs office, a base station of the overland telegraph
, and is noted for its architectural and historical significance. It was listed by the Register of the National Estate
in 1992.
The building is situated on Stirling Terrace, Albany, opposite Spencer Street, on a multilevel site that overlooks Princess Royal Harbour.
The main building was constructed in two stages, the first in local materials such as brick, granite and sheoak shingles, the second also included materials imported from New South Wales.
The original building was completed in 1869, after requests from the Government Resident to the administration in Perth, Western Australia
. Large scale site works included excavations, by convict labour, and a large granite retaining wall up to 5 feet thick. The design by James Manning, the Clerk of Works, now forms the eastern section of the building.
The functions of the region's first government building included postal, judicial, customs, and a meeting place for the Road Board and local government.
The second phase of construction, completed in 1895, was to a design of the Government architect George Temple Poole. It was an extension that was sympathetic to the earlier building, incorporating the same local materials, and successfully accommodating its multileveled situation. The granite, brick, and sheoak shingles, were used again, freestone, bluestone, and cedar was imported. A clock tower was included in the western extension, four clockfaces 4 feet across, with a spiral staircase. The steps of this staircase are supported by the outer wall, each atop the previous, in the flying style of Palladio. The tower was extended 20 feet in 1901 to increase the drop required by the weight-driven clocks, this increased its height to 84 feet. Wooden shingles were retained on the tower when the roof was later replaced by terracotta tiles.
The court house occupying the top floor was moved to a new building, also by Poole, in 1898.
A telegraph to Perth was established in 1871 and in 1875 the office provided the link to the worldwide network. The first telegraph pole was ceremoniously placed by Governor Weld
, where it remains on a monument commemorating the engineering milestone. A telephone exchange was housed in the building in 1895. The function as a post office continued until 1964, when it was moved to York Street, and the property was taken over by local government. The building had various functions in the period following this, as public hall, museum, and as a restaurant.
The listing by the National Trust of Australia
in 1977 inspired restorations to the heritage site. It was placed on the Register of Heritage Places in Australia in 1993. The City of Albany and the University of Western Australia
raised funds from state and federal sources to renovate the site, adapting it to become the Albany campus for UWA and Curtin University. This was officially opened in 2002.
Heritage site
A Heritage Site is a location designated as important to the cultural heritage of a governing body such as a township, county, province, state, or country. It is a non-moveable object such as a historic site or national monument, but it may include several sites grouped together such as...
of the former Post office in Albany, Western Australia
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
. The site was also a Customs office, a base station of the overland telegraph
Australian Overland Telegraph Line
The Australian Overland Telegraph Line was a 3200 km telegraph line that connected Darwin with Port Augusta in South Australia. Completed in 1872 the Overland Telegraph Line allowed fast communication between Australia and the rest of the world. An additional section was added in 1877 with the...
, and is noted for its architectural and historical significance. It was listed by the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
in 1992.
The main building was constructed in two stages, the first in local materials such as brick, granite and sheoak shingles, the second also included materials imported from New South Wales.
The original building was completed in 1869, after requests from the Government Resident to the administration in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. Large scale site works included excavations, by convict labour, and a large granite retaining wall up to 5 feet thick. The design by James Manning, the Clerk of Works, now forms the eastern section of the building.
The functions of the region's first government building included postal, judicial, customs, and a meeting place for the Road Board and local government.
The second phase of construction, completed in 1895, was to a design of the Government architect George Temple Poole. It was an extension that was sympathetic to the earlier building, incorporating the same local materials, and successfully accommodating its multileveled situation. The granite, brick, and sheoak shingles, were used again, freestone, bluestone, and cedar was imported. A clock tower was included in the western extension, four clockfaces 4 feet across, with a spiral staircase. The steps of this staircase are supported by the outer wall, each atop the previous, in the flying style of Palladio. The tower was extended 20 feet in 1901 to increase the drop required by the weight-driven clocks, this increased its height to 84 feet. Wooden shingles were retained on the tower when the roof was later replaced by terracotta tiles.
A telegraph to Perth was established in 1871 and in 1875 the office provided the link to the worldwide network. The first telegraph pole was ceremoniously placed by Governor Weld
Frederick Weld
Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, GCMG , was a New Zealand politician and a governor of various British colonies. He was the sixth Premier of New Zealand, and later served as Governor of Western Australia, Governor of Tasmania, and Governor of the Straits Settlements.-Early life:Weld was born near...
, where it remains on a monument commemorating the engineering milestone. A telephone exchange was housed in the building in 1895. The function as a post office continued until 1964, when it was moved to York Street, and the property was taken over by local government. The building had various functions in the period following this, as public hall, museum, and as a restaurant.
The listing by the National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
in 1977 inspired restorations to the heritage site. It was placed on the Register of Heritage Places in Australia in 1993. The City of Albany and the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
raised funds from state and federal sources to renovate the site, adapting it to become the Albany campus for UWA and Curtin University. This was officially opened in 2002.