Return to Sender Exhibition | Mundaring Museum

CURRENT EXHIBITION

Return to Sender

Exploring the history of the post offices in the Shire of Mundaring. The exhibition showcases photographs of the post office buildings through the decades, as well as some of the stories connected to the people who operated them.

OPEN FROM 12 JULY UNTIL 28 FEBRUARY 2025

Post Offices have played an important role in the social and economic development of our localities and continue to do so today. Methods of communication such as the handwritten letter, telegrams and later telephone, were vital in the early development of communities. Hence, the establishment of a post office was a priority.

On display at the museum you will see telephones, handwritten letters and various memorabilia celebrating past and present services provided by the post office.

It is hoped that through this exhibition new historical information, photographs and stories will be discovered. These do not have to be decades old as current information is tomorrow’s history. We continue to develop our collection and invite the community to assist us with documenting our history.

There will be a ‘Find the Mail Truck” competition for visitors to locate the five replica mail trucks. Each month the first winning entry pulled out of the exhibition letterbox will be awarded a small prize.

The first organised postal service in Australia commenced in 1809 with ex-convict Isaac Nichols. He operated this service from his home in George Street in Sydney. After picking up the letters and parcels arriving by ship he would post a list of recipients outside his house.

Western Australia established its postal service soon after settlement in 1829. Fremantle's Harbourmaster was appointed first Postmaster. In 1834 the main Post Office moved to Perth.

The Postmaster-General's Department (PMG)

1901 - The Postmaster-General’s Department (PMG) was a department of the Australian Federal Government established at Federation. Its responsibilities included the provision of postal and telegraphic services throughout Australia.
1901 - Sir John Forrest held the position of Postmaster General from 1 January 1901 - 17 January 1901. A total of 16 days.
In its first 25 years the department grew from 6,000 to 10,000 offices, and from 18,000 to 47,000 staff.
Mid 1975 - The department divided into the Australian Telecommunications Commission trading as Telecom Australia, and the Australian Postal Commission trading as Australia Post. By December 1975 this department was abolished and replaced by the Postal and Telecommunications Department. The change was intended to take account of the increase in the functions for the department to include all electronic media matters.
1995 - Telecom Australia changed its name to Telstra and has since been privatised.

Mundaring Post Office

The first Mundaring Post Office

Mundaring townsite began as a direct result of the Coolgardie Water Supply Scheme. Initially it the area for orchardists and poultry farms. Housing first began in the area north of the railway bounded by Gill, Hartung, Fenton and Jacoby streets. Apart from the railway station the earliest public building was the Post Office which was built in July 1898 on the corner of Jacoby and Hodgson streets. The first Postmistress was Miss McPhee who lived in the attached residence. This is where the Toy Library now stands.

Over those early years various businesses were stretched along Jacoby Street, but gradually moved to the highway after such buildings as the Police Station and the Road Board Offices and the school were built.

Opening Day of the 2nd Post Office in Mundaring

c.1898

The first Post Office was a corrugated iron building located on the corner of Hodgson St (now Mundaring Weir Road) & Jacoby Streets. It had living quarters consisting of a living room and one bedroom. There was a partly enclosed back verandah used for sleeping, and a bathroom at one end and the kitchen at the other. Mrs E Parsons was Postmistress from 1917-1948.

1925/26

The Post Office at the corner of Nichol Street and Great Eastern Highway was opened. As there were no living quarters in this new building the Postmistress Mrs Parsons acquired the house next door. With the opening of this new Post Office the original building became a private residence.

The Mundaring Post Office was always a hub of activity handling the mail, telegraph, telephone exchange and later the Commonwealth Savings Bank agency. The Postmaster/Mistress would also write references for local people seeking employment.

1984

Postmaster, Arthur Ferguson writes a letter to the ‘Hills Gazette’ requesting people to display their house numbers in a prominent position on or near their letter box to assist with mail delivery.

1992

Arthur Ferguson remains Postmaster with two full-time staff, seven part-time employees, and 11 mail contractors.

2024

The Post Office is currently located at the Mundaring Village Shopping Centre.