Pingelly Post Office

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

The place is representative of the government's purpose-designed and built post offices in Western Australia. The place is enhanced by its simple, domestic design, suitable for a rural town. The former post office, now residence and the new adjacent post office are important as a group as they are a demonstration of a rural office and living conditions of a postal officer at the early part of the century, and the provisions of government services to an expanding town.

Physical Description

The post office is a single-storey building built in a domestic style representative of the government's purpose designed and built post offices in Western Australia. The building features distinctive bay windows, polygonal in plan including three-light casement sashes set in the gable at both sides of a central wide window. The roof over is supported by turned timber struts. The verandah to the south relieves the symmetry of the masonry section of the street elevation. The masonry walls have been rendered and painted. The site featured a picket boundary fence that is no longer extant. The postal officers would have originally been housed behind the bay windows. The remaining building accommodated the residence. In 1923, renovations to the building were carried out. A new post office was constructed that adjoined the existing structure on the north elevation. The existing structure was then converted for use solely as the postmaster's residence. The new post office building is in stretcher bond brickwork with a timber framed gable roof covered in cgi. The entrance is approached via five steps onto a porch. The doorway has been altered to include a pair of aluminium framed doors. Fixed window panes with toughened and textured glass surround the doorway, and PLBs are to the south of the doorway. The interior of the post office has a timber boarded ceiling, linoleum covered floor, and rendered walls. Lightweight partitions and air conditioning ducting have been installed. The interior retains its original counter. Weatherboard clad additions to the residence are at the rear to accommodate bathroom and laundry facilitates. An interior wall was removed from the original postal hall to accommodate a new living area.

History

By 1898, a post and telegraph office had been established at Pingelly to carry out postal transactions and from which country mail delivery service began to circulate. With the rapid growth of Pingelly, the Post Office, like so many other buildings at the time, was regarded as inadequate. In 1913, requests were made to the Postmaster General, urging the building of a new office. This request was refused but further proposals and agitation continued. The tender for the erection of a new Post Office was finally let in August 1918. It was expected that the Post Office be opened after the Easter holidays. Renovations were carried out in 1923. In 1960, an amount of £4,594 was to be spent on the post office building and postmaster's quarters. The Post Office counter and posting slips will be modernised, a new writing slope will be provided, and the number of private letter boxes increased. The floor of the public space will be covered with lino tiles and plate glass will be installed in the entrance doors. The interior and exterior will be painted throughout. On the outside the Royal Cypher and the name of the office in bonze letters, and also a flagpole, will be added. Part of the back verandah of the quarters will be enclosed, a new bathroom and wash house will be built, and new linoleum will be laid in the passageway and living room.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate

Condition

Good

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