Northam Post Office is a heritage-listed post office at 239-243 Fitzgerald Street, Northam, Western Australia, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.
History
Postal services were initially provided to Northam residents from the 1840s, when J. T. Cooke opened the first post office in the region. From 1861, the postmaster, George Throssell, conducted postal services from his business premises, until local residents began to lobby for a separate post and telegraph office. The first Northam Post Office was constructed in 1873 in Wellington Street and Hawes Street, but storm damage during the early 1890s resulted in repairs and additions. After significant population increases and development following the 1890s gold rush, the post office building was deemed to be inadequate and the community lobbied for a more centrally located, larger post office. In 1892-93 the building was enlarged to a design by George Temple-Poole, but finally replaced by a larger post office in response to successful local petitioning (1905-9).
In February 1905, the federal Postmaster-General's Department made a recommendation that the Northam Post Office be moved to a more convenient location and by July a site had been purchased for £450 from J. Sermon. Initially, State Government architect Hillson Beasley prepared sketch plans, but works were held up pending alterations requested by the Commonwealth Public Works. By 1908, the State Public Works Department (PWD), Commonwealth Works Officers and Post Department had not agreed on the sketch plans, leading the Post-Master General's Department (PMG) to submit new plans to the PWD. The two architects most heavily involved in post office work at that time were John Smith Murdoch and Horace Mackennal, who are believed, through the PMG, to have prepared a new set of plans and sent them back to the State Architect for full documentation, although this has not been confirmed.
The contractors, Messrs Pittman and Totterdill on 10 December 1908, completed construction of the new post office and the building was opened for business on 1 February 1909. Coincidental with the new building was the introduction of the underground system of telephone wires. It incorporated the clock from the former 1873 post office on a projecting gable to the main street.
Telegraph operations were relocated to the new telephone exchange building constructed on the south side of post office 1923. Rear yard alterations to serve motor delivery of mail were implemented in 1936. In 1957, the 1873 post office clock, which was by then unserviceable, was removed.
Major refurbishments in 1961-62 included the addition of new toilets and staff areas, and extensive maintenance. Some site alterations at the rear to provide for vehicle access to the Longline communications facility nearby occurred around the same time. A laundry and garage was added to the rear of current building 1966–8.
The quarters were refurbished 1985 and in 1994 the post office underwent an internal refurbishment of the postal hall area to standard Australia Post retail design.
Description
Northam Post Office is located at 239-243 Fitzgerald Street, corner Gordon Street, Northam.
Northam Post Office is a large one and two storey redbrick building with a residence located at the rear. It is located on a northeast corner site formed by Gordon and Fitzgerald Street, the latter being the main approach road to the township. Nearby is the town hall and library buildings, both of which are notable buildings.
Behind the post office, the rear of the site has an established lawn garden with fruit trees and a brick paved courtyard. Surrounding this is a number of outbuildings which include a metal clad carport, a brickwork laundry (formerly a bicycle shed) and toilet and secured by a metal fence. Two red colorbond sheds, one large, are located along the south rear boundary with vehicular access provided by a side laneway and asphalted apron.