Historical Society - more about Cobbadah PO
History Notes
What a lovely day for markets on Saturday. The average number of stalls provided a wide variety of goods from vegetables to paintings to jams, pottery, plants and jewelry. The music was very pleasant to listen to and some people were happy to sit on the patio and enjoy the company. The next market falls on the weekend after the show so be prepared.
I have been corrected on the building of Clifton's garage -the brick facade was built pre-1960 and before Ross Campbell took the garage over. Thank you to the bricklayer (who worked on the building) for his comments.
Continuing with the Cobbadah Post Office which had come to a "standstill" In 1907 after the sale of the Cobbadah Hotel. There was a move to close the Post Office but the Inspector recommended that it be continued with the existing allowance and said :- “Considerable impetus has been given to mining recently at Gulf Creek 10 miles NW of Cobbadah where an English Company has acquired the old Gulf Creek Copper Mine and smelting plant, the manager of which informed me there are 30 men employed which will be increased to 50 shortly, and that a discontinuance of the Telephone service at Cobbadah will involve very heavy loss on the company which is a large user of the telephone.''
Mr T. Christie, a relative of the hotel proprietor, rented the office and was appointed postmaster on 3rd April, 1907. (the office had been closed from 31st March to 3rd April).
Telephone lines were beginning to appear with a line connected to the Upper Horton public telephone in 1908. There was also a private line from the Post Office to Piedmont.
Early in 1909 J.T.Lennan purchased the Hotel and became the postmaster on 13th May, 1909. He leased the post office premises and said that he intended to open a store and bakery.
At this stage Cobbadah was not a township -there was a hotel with a detached room for postal business. The surrounding land was privately owned. There was no school or private residence within two miles of the post office.
The telephone exchange was added in 1910 and there was a telephone directory in January, 1911.
3 Capel, D., "Piedmont"
- Crowley, A., "Glen Arthur"
- Crowley, F., "Gowrie"
Other numbers added were
1 "Carisbrooke”
2 "Dunnee”
and others as landholders built a line.