POST OFFICE (Contd.)
records is dated July 5, 1847 being a letter filed in the department's correspondence. Almost the whole of the records now available consist of letters, copied into a series of books kept for the purpose, and it is only by seizing upon chance mention in these of people and incidents, and an occasional reference to a previous date, that one can obtain material for a historical note. The date when the department moved to its Queen's Road premises, for example is hidden away in a letter written some nine years afterwards while some idea of what the building was like when originally erected is only obtainable through a description in a communication addressed to the Postmaster General in London.
The earlier records available from old works and other references, indicate that the Post Office was one of the first departments to come into existence in the Colony, as could be expected. It appears that the original Post Office was established by Sir Henry Pottinger in 1842, under a Mr. Fitz Gibbon, and the premises were, definitely, situated on a site either on or immediately above the present site of St. John's Cathedral. This would place the first Post Office approximately on the area where Volunteer Headquarters are to-day, and the suggestion is that the already levelled land was availed of when the first Volunteer unit was formed in 1862.
There are old plans in the Land Office which show the Post Office so situated; and an old sketch of the present Murray and Victoria barracks, which I was shown recently, has a building in the top right-hand corner approximately near the Cathedral site marked "Post Office". The sketch does not necessarily give an accurate idea of the type of premises used for the department's work, but the building shown is long, one-storeyed and evidently rather roughly constructed.
The importance of these old plans and early sketch, however, is the definite indication of the first site of the place.
Other old records state that letters and parcels were at that time received and delivered free of charge, and communication between the department and ships was placed under the Charge of the Harbour Master (Lt. Pedder).
It is obvious that a position nearer the seafront must soon have become desirable. The old correspondence already referred to discloses that occupation of the building on the Queen's Road-Pedder Street corner took place in January, 1846. The Post Office department it is further shown, used Pedder's Wharf, which was conveniently situated near the rear of the building at that time, of course, abutting on the seafront. It should be borne in mind that in 1846 and for some years afterwards the waterfront was along a line somewhat inland from where Des Voeux Road now runs, the seawall cutting through the site of Jardine's present offices.
Of the early Postmasters we merely know that they were successively Messrs. Fitz Gibbon, Mullahy (or Mullaly), and R. Edwards, in 1842; F. Spring from 1843 to 1846; and Thomas Hyland from 1846 up to 1860. A full list of successive Postmasters later known as Postmasters General will be given in due course. We are concerned for the present with the fact that the early Post Office, on what was known as Government Hill, must have been a rather primitive place possibly conducted in a haphazard manner, so that no records were preserved of the first five years of its existence; or else such as may have existed were lost or destroyed when the move to Queen's Road came about in 1846. Since that year
POST OFFICE (Contd.)
records is dated July 5, 1847 being a letter filed in the department's xorrespondence. Almost the whole of the records now available consist of letters, copied into a series of books kept for the purpose, and it is only by seizing upon chance mention in these of people and incidents, and an occasional reference to a previous date, that one can obtain material for a historical note. The date when the department moyed to its Queen's Road premises, for example is hidden away in a letter written some nine years afterwards while some idea of what the building was like when originally erected is only obtainable through a description in a communication addressed to the Postmaster General in London.
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The earlier records available from old works and other references, indicate that the Post Office was one of the first departments to come into existance in the Colony, as could be expected. It appears that the original Post Office was established by Sir Henry Pottinger in 1842, under a Hr. Fitz Gibbon, and the premises were, definitely, situated on a site either on or immediately above the present site of St. John's Cathedral. This would place the first Post Office approximately on the area where Volunteer Headquarters are to-day, and the suggestion is that the already levelled land was availed of when the first Volunteer unit was formed in 1862.
There are old plans in the Land Office which show the Post Office so situated; and an old sketch of the present Murray and Victoria barracks, which I was shown recently, has a building in the top right-hand corner approximately near the Cathedral site marked "Post Office". The sketch does not necessarily give an accurate idea of the type of premises used for the department's work, but the building shown in long, one-storeyed and evidently rather roughly constructed.
The importance of these old plans and early sketch, however, is the definite indic ation of the first site of the place.
Other old records state that letters and parcels were at that time received and delivered free of charge, and communication between the department and ships was placed under the Charge of the Harbour Master (Lt. Pedder).
It is obvious that a position nearere the seafront must sonn have become desirable. The old correspondence already referred to discloses that occupation of the building on the Queen's Road-Pedder Street corner took place in January, 1846. The Post Office department it is further shown, used Pedder's Wharf, which was conveniently situated near the rear of the building at that time, of course, abutting on the seafront. It should be borne in mind that in1846 and for some years afterwards the waterfront was along a line somewhat inland from where Des Voeux Road now runs, the seawall cutting through the site of Jardines present offices.
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Of the early Postmaster we merely know that they were successively Messrs. Fitz Gibbon, Mullahy (or Mullaly), and R. Edwards, in 1842; F. Spring from 1843 to 1846; and Thomas Hyland from 1846 up to 1860. A full list of successive Postmasters later known as Postmasters General
will be given in due course. We are concerned for the present with the fact that the early Post Office, on what was known as Government Hill, must have been a rather primitive place possibly conducted in a haphazard manner, so that no records were preserved of the first five years of its existence; or else such as may have existed were lost or destroyed when the move to Queen's Road came about in 1846. Since that year
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