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Heritage Sites

First Post & Telegraph Office (c1910)

Description

Railway station became first PO

On 20 February 1885 a post and telegraph "Receiving Office" was opened at Lowood Railway Station. The Station Master was designated "ROK" or Receiving Office Keeper and was paid an extra £10 a year to operate the service. 

Other services were progressively added to the Station Master's workload and in 1896 the duties were described in The Queensland Times as "...telegraph operator, porter, ticket collector, goods agent, post master and savings bank official." (The Queensland Government Savings Bank had opened a branch at the station in 1894.)

Post Office opens in Main Street

In 1899 a petition was raised to separate the Station Master's duties, but it wasn't until 1910 that the post and telegraph services were moved from the railway station to this shop and upgraded to "semi-official".

In March 1913 the town's first telephone exchange was installed here. Initially there were only 17 local phone numbers and the exchange was operated by the daughter of the postmaster, J Sully.

PMG records from 1924 show that the Post Office rent was only 15 shillings a week but "...the present leased building is unsuitable." The PMG allocated £100 to buy land for its own building but it wasn't until 1936 that plans were approved for a new Post Office.

                 

New Post Office after 36 years

It was built next door to the original, incorporating a mail room, modern telephone exchange and the town's first public public phone and is where Lowood Post Office still operates today.

The century-old first Post Office has been used by many different businesses and for some years was the TAB. It appears that the roof-top facade may have been replaced after the telegraph wires were removed.

These days a popular acupunture & therapy centre operates here.