A photograph of the old Bunyip Post Office c1913.
The Bunyip Post Office was first opened in November 1877 at the railway station, opening one month after the completion of the Oakleigh to Bunyip line section.
Station master Mr J. McCraith was appointed postmaster and paid a postal allowance of £6. At the time, the telegraph office was also located at the station and Mr McCraith handled the local telegraphic traffic – a busy man!
Postmasters later appointed included Mr E. Rossan in 1879, Mr M. McAree in 1881, and Mr J. Woodcock in 1883. Interestingly, Mr Woodcock was paid £48 for his postal duties after processing a total of 6682 mail articles and 272 telegrams in 1884.
In 1896, the railways department was no longer able to keep up with the work
involved.
They reported £7000 of revenue had passed through the stationmaster's hands in the previous 12 months.
After a meeting in Mr Finch's billiard room, four applicants came forward for the position of postmaster and, after a ballot, storekeeper Mr Abbot was appointed.
Benjamin H. Williams was in charge in 1903. It may have been about this time that the office was raised to semi-official status.
A meeting was held in April 1906 for residents to select a suitable site for a new post office. Captain A'Beckett offered a site between the properties of Mr Gibb and Mrs Hansen which was eventually chosen. In May 1906, Miss C. E. Allen, formerly of Branxholme, became the first contract postmistress.
There is some conjecture that the post office burnt down in 1908, but more recent research indicates this was the Iona or Bunyip South post office.
In 1925, Mr Benjamin Angwin was appointed postmaster. In 1923, there were 19 telephone subscribers, and mail was delivered to Iona and Modella along a roadside delivery. As an aside, the Iona telephone exchange was opened in June 1935.
A new post office was opened for business on December 8, 1925 at a cost of £1450, and 18 private boxes were installed in July 1926.
Mr Angwin served as postmaster for 20 years and his daughter Betty, who had been Victoria's first postwoman, received presentations on their departure in November 1943. At that time, the post office was reduced to non-official status and Mr Ramsay Crellin took over duties of postmaster.
The line yard situated on the same site as the post office had five men operating in 1937, and grew to 20 personnel after the war. Mr Crellin served for another 12 months and Mr Angwin was once again appointed in December 1944 until November 1950, when the post office was granted official status.
Further postmasters included JL. Hiscocks-Price from 1950 to 1962, RE. McLaren, VK. Booker in 1969, and acting postmaster John Beavis until Neville Andrews took over in 1978.
Photograph and information courtesy of "Call of the Bunyip" by Denise Nest, Heather Arnold and the Bunyip Historical Society.
The Bunyip Historical Society is a small volunteer-based, non-profit organisation that aims to collect, preserve and promote the history and heritage of the Bunyip, Iona, Tonimbuk, Garfield and Garfield North districts.
Visit bunyiphistory.org.au for further information.