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Perth General Post Office

Author

City of Perth

Place Number

01979
There no heritage location found in the Google fusion table.

Location

3 Forrest Pl Perth

Location Details

Other Name(s)

Perth GPO

Local Government

Perth

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1914 to 1923

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents More information
Heritage List Adopted 20 Dec 1985
Commonwealth List Adopted 22 Jun 2004 Heritage Council
Heritage Agreement YES 18 Dec 1992 Text of the Heritage Agreement
Heritage Council
State Register Registered 16 Oct 1992 Register Entry
Heritage Council

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management More information
Category Description
Municipal Inventory Adopted 13 Mar 2001 Category 1

Category 1

Exceptional significance - Essential to the heritage of the locality. Rare or outstanding example.

Local Heritage Survey Adopted 28 Mar 2023 Category 1

Category 1

Exceptional significance - Essential to the heritage of the locality. Rare or outstanding example.

Local Heritage Survey Completed\Draft Category 1

Category 1

Exceptional significance - Essential to the heritage of the locality. Rare or outstanding example.

Perth Draft Inventory 99-01 YES 31 Dec 1999

Heritage Council
Classified by the National Trust Classified 21 Aug 1978

Heritage Council
Survey of 20th Ctry Architecture Completed 01 Mar 1988

Heritage Council
Register of the National Estate Permanent 26 Sep 1982

Heritage Council
Restrictive Covenant YES

Heritage Council

Statement of Significance

The most vital element in the Forrest Place Precinct and perhaps the best example of monumental civic architecture in Perth.
Perth GPO is of representative significance due to its Forrest Place location, which is a major civic space.
Aesthetically the GPO combines well with the Commonwealth Bank and the Railway Station which is important in establishing the identity of the City of Perth.
The place is significant as a rare example in Australia of large building in the Beaux-Arts style. This style is demonstrated well in both the exterior and interior of the building. The two-storey high postal hall with its large roof lights emphasise the sense of space in this public area.
The historical significance of Perth GPO is its association with architect J S Murdoch who, as a Commonwealth Architect was responsible for many important Commonwealth buildings throughout Australia. The Perth GPO with the Commonwealth Bank and Forrest Place constitute an historically important civic construction undertaken by the Commonwealth Government. The design reflecting a new sense of importance and civic pride in Perth at the time. Its use since 1923 as the State's principal postal facility is of considerable historical and continued social significance. The use of the GPO to accommodate other Commonwealth departments for part of its history is partly important because it led to the addition of the attic storey to the original design.

Physical Description

Building constructed by the Commonwealth Government. Design features classical details and monumental scale. The GPO is 7 storeys to Forrest Place plus a basement. It has a concrete encased steel frame faced with brick and stone. The colonnading of the east elevation is faced with Granite Mahogany Creek with Donnybrook Sandstone above that. Paired ionic columns rise through three upper storeys. Red brick walls trimmed with stone are set back above the cornice, between stone towers and from the side and back walls. The interior have large spans creating open spaces on each floor.

The central two-storey postal hall has large roof lights which emphasise the sense of space.

History

In 1835 a General Post Office was established with other offices in Fremantle, Albany and Guildford. In 1871 the colonial government took control of the telegraph lines between Perth and Fremantle and Guildford which had been put up privately. Further poles were put up during the 1890s Gold Boom and after 1901 the Commonwealth Government took over the control of telegraph lines across Australia.
The General Post Office was relocated to Forrest Place as a larger building was required than the offices located in the Central Government Offices on St Georges Terrace and Barrack Street. This was also part of an idea to locate Federal Government buildings together. Construction on the building started in 1914.Between 1916-1920 a steel embargo prevented construction. In 1921 a new contract was signed on 4th July to complete GPO, including another 2 floors previously omitted from contract.
The GPO was completed in 1923 and was used as the Head Post of Office of WA.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium integrity.
Medium level of authenticity as it has been restored with some alterations from original detail.

Condition

Good

Associations

Name Type Year From Year To
Hilton Beasley (Pincipal Architect for the WA Government) Architect - -
John Smith Murdoch (Senior Assistant) Architect - -

References

Ref ID No Ref Name Ref Source Ref Date
720.9941 WES Western Towns and Buildings (1979) pp 67, 68, 123, 124, 131, 124, 131, 213 by Pitt Morrison, M and White J (Ed) 1979
File 1.33/3 COP Heritage Place File
Perth General Post Office (GPO) Andrew C Ward and Associates
R 720.9941 HER Heritage of Western Australia (1989) pp 42 by Australian Heritage Comission 1989
2007/8001/DEMLTN Demolition licence for redevelopment 2007/8001/DEMLTN
Conservation Analysis and Management Plan 1991 1991

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id Title Medium Year Of Publication
11358 Cast iron pillar boxes of Western Australia: An early history of the J & E Ledger foundry Book 2015
9506 Photographic archival record for Perth GPO shopfront works. Archival Record 0
292 GPO Trade Centre Report 1990
1372 Perth General Post Office: Conservation Analysis and Conservation Management Pla Heritage Study {Cons'n Plan} 1991
8540 GPO Perth : interpretation plan. Heritage Study {Other} 2007
290 Australian Postal Corporation GPO Perth refurbishment. Report 1991
6959 Perth and all this! : a story about a city. Book 1962
8469 General Post Office, Perth. Conservation management plan. Heritage Study {Cons'n Plan} 2006

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use Transport\Communications Comms: Post or Telegraph Office
Original Use Transport\Communications Comms: Post or Telegraph Office

Architectural Styles

Style
Inter-War Beaux-Arts

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall BRICK Face Brick
Other CONCRETE Reinforced Concrete
Wall STONE Donnybrook Sandstone
Wall STONE Granite
Wall ASBESTOS Fibrous Cement, corrugated
Roof GLASS Glass

Historic Themes

General Specific
TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS Mail services

Creation Date

30 May 1989

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

10 Jun 2024

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.