Second Bunbury Post& Telegraph Office - Site

Author

City of Bunbury

Place Number

05697

Location

4 Stephen St Bunbury

Location Details

Local Government

Bunbury

Region

South West

Construction Date

Constructed from 1896, Constructed from 1894

Demolition Year

1976

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 31 Jul 1996 Historic Site

Statement of Significance

DEMOLISHED Bunbury Post and Telegraph Office was built to accommodate the postal and telegraphic needs of the growing Bunbury and district population. It operated from 1895 to 1969.

Physical Description

DEMOLISHED

History

In 1891, Chief Architect of the Public Works Department, George Temple Poole, prepared plans for a new post and telegraph office for Bunbury. However, it was not until 1894 that A Pugh built it for a cost of £1,838/19/7. Sir John Forrest laid the foundation stone for the new Bunbury Post and Telegraph Office on 24 May 1894 and the building was completed later that year. The new building provided post, telegraph, savings bank and telephone services. Additions costing £581 were completed in October 1896 by John Gibbs. He was contracted again the following year to complete works costing £749/8/4. In 1904, the building was described as ‘a fairly presentable pile of bricks, with little striking or uncommon in outward appearance.' By this time, Mr E Woodrow had been in charge of the Bunbury Post Office for twenty five years. On 14 October 1968, the Meckering Earthquake damaged the building, which fast tracked deliberations to replace it. In 1969, a new $500,000 combined post office, telephone exchange and administration building was built on the former site of the “Willows”, at the corner of Victoria and Stirling Streets. By this time, the telephone exchange had already moved out of the building to a site in Victoria Street. Between 1970 and 1974 the building was used as a court house. The building was purchased by the Bunbury City Council in 1974 and in 1976, it was demolished to make way for new council offices.

Integrity/Authenticity

DEMOLISHED.

Condition

DEMOLISHED

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use VACANT\UNUSED Vacant\Unused
Original Use Transport\Communications Comms: Post or Telegraph Office

Historic Themes

General Specific
TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS Mail services

Creation Date

13 May 1997

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.