Moora Post Office & Quarters

Statement of Significance

*demonstration of a way of life, custom, process or junction The arrival of, and despatch of mail shipments dictated the timing of acti vi ties of both townsfolk and countryfolk, and their consequent inter-action with other activities, such as attending the markets, collecting the fresh bread , doing business at the bank, and so on. The Post Office thereby became an important component of the way of life. *historical significance of developnumt of cultural phases ; association with important figures The Colonial Government saw a need to supply gazetted towns with purpose built Post Offices. Many of these first Post Offices were simply extensions of the concept that postal services could be carried out in someone's home and a small office was all that was required. However as time passed and the post and telegraphic services required more equipment these early post offices soon became inadequate for the task they had to perform . Moora's Post Office with Residence displays this kind of inadequacy admirably. *environmental importance; townscape or landscape value; high degree of unity of setting As the development of postal services changed, the relationship between the institution and its constituency altered. The Post Office is seen as providing an important communication service to the community. The importance of communications to the more remote centres gave the Post Offices a very prominent role. This was generally reflected in streetscape terms by the design and location of the building. *social significance In local context , the significance of the Post Offices as a meeting place gauged by the arrival and or departure of the mails initially, as well as a place for the dissemination of news and gossip, for the disbursement of social assistance, for the collection of war bonds and so on, the ediface is of significance to the development of a rural community . As the type of service provided changed in nature, the need to visit the post office in such a community diminished. Enormous social significance accrues to the Post Office.

Physical Description

Both the post office and quarters are constructed of local stone, rock faced on the post office and dressed on the quarters . Both buildings have GCI roofs. The Post Office occupies a comer position with Padbury Street on the eastern side and Dandaragan Street on the southern side. Beasley's Post Office has a symmetrical front facade with a projecting middle section. The projecting middle section has an arched central window with a tri -partite windowpane arrangement ; the central pane is surmounted by a triangular wooden pediment. Flanking this arched window are two narrow square headed windows. These particular design features (a central arched window flanked by two narrow square headed windows and the triangular wooden pediment above the central window pane) are also evident at Katanning, Narrogin Wagin and Donnybrook . The stonework on Moora's Post Office has been painted, while that of the quarters remain s unpainted . Externally the building appears to have retained its original appearance. In the interior of the Post Office the counter and postal area have been modernised. The Post Office is in good condition

History

Assessment 1986 Construction 1912 Architect: George Temple Poole 1896; H Beasley 1912 Builder J.H. Rennie Moora was a major station on the Midland Railway Line and is the centre of an extensive agricultural district. Postal facilities were available in 1894, possibly at the Railway Station. The present post office at Moora was designed by Beasley and replaces the original Poole building which became the postmaster's residence. Poole's building was completed in 1896 and cost £746. The present post office was let for tender on 20th June 1912 and cost £1436. Seven post offices were constructed during 1912 to Beasley's design, five of these use a very similar design: Donnybrook, Katanning, Moora, Narrogin and Wagin. (Meekatharra and Kellerberrin were the other two post offices constructed .) All five post offices have similar design elements with differences in the treatment of the facade.

Uses

Historic Themes

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