History Notes - Ms Rachel Myers

History Notes

Society members held a successful meeting this week discussing items for the year 2022. There was also a request for more early history of the Akers family    and there will probably be another visit from a keen researcher whose Akers ancestor was born in southern N.S.W.

Continuing on with the Cobbadah Post Office. The office in 1909 was in a room attached to the Hotel and the owner of the hotel, J.T.Lennan, was the post master at that time. The business was taken over by the government and in 1910 Miss Rachel Myers was appointed postmistress at Cobbadah.

Rachel Myers was the eldest daughter of Joseph and Janet Myers of Tamworth, and sister of John Frederick Myers, undertaker and builder of Barraba. Her parents came to Barraba in 1877 and ran the Barraba lnn/Tattersall's Hotel for about 15 years before returning to Tamworth where Joseph was Bailiff for some years.

Under Miss Myers care the Post Office business grew to be quite a busy business and she moved to a separate stone building in a paddock to the north of the hotel. Miss Myers gave a wonderful caring service to the Cobbadah district residents - sometimes keeping the telephone business open at night if there was a crisis in the area and medical assistance could be needed.

Miss Myers stayed at Cobbadah until 1945 giving 35 years of service to the residents. She retired and went to live in Tamworth where she died on 31st July, 1960 aged 90 years.

Most Cobbadah residents did not think anyone could replace Miss Myers as Post Mistress at Cobbadah but Elsie Goldthorpe took up the job and was just as caring to the residents. Her husband, Arthur Goldthorpe, assisted her with the work as well as running three or four cows on the stock route. His milking yard was over the road near the school and older residents will remember him, in his shorts, in mid-winter going to milk. He then let the cows go and usually asked residents calling in at the office in the afternoon if they had seen them down the Upper Horton Road or up the Bingara Road so he could get them home before dark.

The Goldthorpe's built a new home close to the Bingara road and moved from the now dilapidated stone building. "Goldie" as he was known found a few coins in the ruins which he always treasured. The Cobbadah Pub caught fire one afternoon and as usual my father rang Elsie Goldthorpe, to find out where the fire was – “just the pub on fire” was the reply, “and several residents are working on it."

The Goldthorpes retired around 1970 and the department then had to find a new postmaster. Alec Baldock and his family moved into the post office in 1972 according to some records which I don't agree with. The post office services were down-graded and a road service was introduced. Later-on the telephones went automatic and the post office was closed.