Early post office in Barraba

History Notes

Another cold frosty morning to test our ability to keep warm and after a couple of days up north it seems even colder than usual. The re-organisation of the Dean room continues with most of the second hand books sorted into types ready for the next market stall which should be in slightly warmer weather in August. Members don't forget the meeting next week.

The photo of the old post office in last week's News is probably the oldest one in existence dating from the early 1880's. The notes in the Post Office file gives a few details of a plan for a building which provided an office of two rooms measuring 25 feet (approx 8 metres) by 15 feet (approx 5 metres) and a residence of two living rooms, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a pantry. A bathroom and laundry were not included.

William Lee won the tender for the erection of the building to cost 2,100 pounds (approx $4,100) and the building was to be completed in twelve months. The family moved in, in November 1882. This is possibly the section on the left of the photo in the news. A bathroom and laundry were added in 1890.

There was a proposal in 1901 to enlarge the building by extending both sides of the office to the side verandah alignments but the notes I have inherited do not say exactly when that was done. I suspect it was before 1903 when it was reported that the ceilings were in a very dangerous condition - possibly in the residence. Major repairs were carried out before the telephone exchange room was added in 1909.

Considering all these dates of the building this photo is probably pre 1901- perhaps mid to late 1890's considering the bank building on the right-hand side of the Court House (remember it was built after the Bank Robbery in 1894)

As far as the postmasters are concerned John Banfield was suspended in 1884 after 3 ½ years and his place was taken by Edward Connolly who remained postmaster until 1902 with several assistants including William Williams and James J. McCann.