Brisbane Street Post Office

Statement of Significance

Brisbane Street Post Office (former) is important as one of four remaining (5 originally) post offices of similar style from the same period, which incorporates the former post master’s residence. The design of these post offices was distinctive and provided the postal service with a clear identity, before the days of corporate branding. It represents the provision of Government services north of the railway line commencing in the mid 1890s and lasting almost a century. The post office also served as an impromptu meeting place for the local community during its period of operation.

Physical Description

The single storey building is residential in scale with a hipped iron roof, face brickwork and a distinctive brick verandah with three unadorned arches facing the street. The integral former post master's residence faced a side yard and is distinguished with an Arts and Crafts style side verandah. The post office triple arched entry is at zero setback. The residential section is setback behind a low cyclone mesh fence with lawns and garden in the setback area. None evident

History

The place is one of only 5 remaining examples in Metropolitan Perth of a suburban post office which incorporated a post master's residence. It was one of a series built to serve the rapidly expanding suburban area during the gold rush period. Other post offices built in the same period included Aberdeen Street, Leederville, Victoria Park and Hay Street (now demolished). All exhibited a similar style, adapted for their sites. Tenders were called for the North Perth (Brisbane Street) Post Office in April 1896, and a contract was let on 27 May 1896 to James Finlay for £1,111. Finlay was one half of the contracting partnership of Franklin & Finlay (contrators and timber merchants), which also constructed the North Perth Police Station in Angove Street in 1908. The Post Office was completed on 28 September 1896. It was renamed Brisbane Street Post Office in 1897, when the Perth North-West Post Office (later known as Northbridge Post Office) was built on the corner of Aberdeen and Brisbane streets. It is was first listed in Wise's Post Office Directories in 1898 when Mrs F. W. Stokes is recorded as postmistress. She was there for a number of years. In 1915, it was listed as Post and Telephone Office and Commonwealth Savings Bank, with Thomas Donahoe as postmaster. The Commonwealth Post and Telephone Stores Department was also listed as being either at the same address or right alongside and John Saunders was in charge of that. In 1949 it is just listed as the Brisbane Street Post Office. The trend toward centralizing public services eventually brought about the closure of the Brisbane Street Post Office. The building was sold and converted to commercial premises c.1994. In 2007 it was occupied by the Language Centre Bookshop, which specialised in foreign language material. The rear yard has had residential units constructed, and a carport now occupies the side yard facing Brisbane Street.

Integrity/Authenticity

Mostly intact

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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.