Dumbleyung Post Office

Statement of Significance

The Dumbleyung Post Office and Newsagency has aesthetic, historic, representative and social cultural heritage significance. The post office is part of the shopping strip along Absolon Street and has been a central focus of social, commerce and retail communication since its establishment in 1911. The Post Office is representative of the development of Dumbleyung in the early 19th century when the population was expanding and services grew accordingly to meet needs. The Post Office has heritage streetscape value as part of a group of heritage places such as the railway station and the shops at 16-18 Absolon St.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include: • Located in the main street of Dumbleyung • Red brick building with some rendered string coursing at roof level • Hipped corrugated iron roof • Brick chimneys with moulded capping • Separate entrance section with prominent rendered architrave and surrounding brickwork • There is an old conifer to the right of the Post Office. Some obvious modifications include: • Addition of ventilators on roof

History

The Post Office is situated on the main road through Dumbleyung. At the rear of the building is another building, now a residence, which was once used as the quarters for the Postmaster. In 1907 Mrs Mary Bahr consented to be Dumbleyung's first postmistress. She ran the post office and later the telephone exchange from home at Bauderding. Dumbleyung in 1911 was making rapid progress... and though not quite large, it was only a matter of time before the authorities consented to a Post Office being built. The first block of land allocated was on the south side of the railway line but was found to be quite unsuitable and very wet in winter. In 1910 the present site on the corner of Dawson and Absolon Streets was chosen. Mr William Harding Snr appears to be Dumbleyung's first postmaster. By 1911 Sydney Stubbs notified the Dumbleyung Road Board that /1,250 had been allocated to build a post office in Dumbleyung. Mr HJ Wilkinson submitted the lowest tender and started work (after completing the National Bank in Wagin). In 1912 the post office was opened. In 1926 finishing touches' were done. According to memoirs by Hazel Faulkner who worked at the Post Office, the services provided were varied. The Post Office handled all the Commonwealth Bank business and during World War II all war related business such as ration tickets and pensions. The mail was sent and received daily by train. Mail was sent out through the district by road. All telegrams were received and sent by Morse Code during the war and then delivered by foot or pushbike. Over the years the Post Office has provided a central focus in the town. In 2001 the Post Office was acting as a newsagency as well. It is not known when the facade was changed so dramatically though it appears form the architecture it could have been built in the 1950s??

Integrity/Authenticity

Integriyt: High Degree

Condition

Fair

Uses

Creation Date

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