The first Post Office was originally located in the Court House, but as the town continued to grow so did the needs for better postal facilities and in 1878 the Morpeth Municipal Council applied for a more substantial Post Office building to meets the needs of a growing community. The NSW government obliged and commissioned Mr Robert James of West Maitland the contract for the construction of this building, with the corner stone laid on the 17th March 1880 and the building was officially opened on the 27th November 1881.
The Morpeth Post Office has ridden on the fortunes of the town, from the heady days when the town was a important river town and a vital transport link in the early development of the colony of NSW, through to today where the town now is a major tourist destination trading on its wonderfully restored 19th century architecture. However, after 129 years of service to the Morpeth community, the Post Office has moved out from its stately abode on Swan Street, as the owner has now listed this iconic building for sale with an asking price of $889,000.
Well you did use to have a grand PO.......very grand! A lovely old building it just shows how highly the PO was thought of. Our in Preston was ver grand but they have now moved down a side street.
@ethelperry Thanks Ethel. Not sure about the National Trust, but there are lots of historic buildings in Morpeth, so I would imagine that the National Trust will have a finger in that pie somewhere along the line.
The old Post Office has now been sold I believe and will now be a private residence. the new Post Office doesn't have anywhere near as much character.