Engineers, postmen and other staff pose outside Canterbury Post Office in the1930s.black and white photographcanterbury post and telegraph office, canterbury, canterbury road, postal workers

Notes on Eaglehawk compiled by H Biggs mentions early settlement, discovery of gold, separation of Eaglehawk from the Marong District Roads Board, Nominations for Council and Newspapers. Noted Events compiled by June Parry mention events from 1839 to 1876 and some in 1928. These included early settlement, gold discovery at The Rocks, Churches, hospital, Bendigo Advertiser, Theatre Royal, Police Office, Post Office, Census, First Council Works, Telegraph, Mining Company, Mining Board, Public Market, various buildings built, Rates, Schools, and very early trams.bendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - eaglehawk & noted events, h biggs, june parry, james mouat, joseph crook, marong district roads board, camp hotel, charles sherratt, mt alexander north run, grice and heape, ravenswood, gibson and fenton, mrs john kennedy, mrs patrick farrel, mr j a paton, mr lachlan mclachlan (bendigo mac), bendigo hospital, bendigo advertiser, theatre royal, lieutenant governor sir charles and lady hotham, harney's bridge, e j ennor, sandhurst fire brigade, mr townsend, bendigo water works, cornish & co, post office, bendigo pottery, bendiog agricultural society, benevolent asylum, bendigo gas company, cattle yards, coliban water supply scheme, cr w v simons, j mouat, sir henry barkly, sandhurst borough, eaglehawk borough, cr john mcintyre, duke of edinburgh, latham and watson's mine, galatea (model ship), st paul's church of england, rev g p despard, bendog rifle association, strathfieldsaye shire hall, corporate high school, bendigonian society, richard andrews, easter fair, g aspinall, j burnsides, viscount canterbury (sir h manners sutton), beehive stores, mining exchanges, annual waverley prize, bendigo water works, city fire brigade, city family hotel, bendigo united friendly society medical institute and dispensary, jewish synagogue, masonic hall, school of mines, j h abbott, australian natives association, temperance hall, royal princess theatre, albion hall, central state school, high school, gravel hill state school, early trams, electricity commission

Don Brown was born in 1924. He commenced work as a messenger at the Surrey Hills post office on 12 July 1938. The photo was taken in early 1939 in the yard beside the post office. He became the postal assistant in 1940. This work involved some counter duties, but mainly despatching the mail. In January 1940 he enlisted in the RAAF. In November 1987, Don visited Surrey Hills on a trip 'down memory lane' from his then home in Canberra. He sent this photo to the historical collection following this trip and recorded the following memories of staff at the Surrey hills post office during the period 1938-1941. The post master was HS (Stan) Shaw; the postal clerk was AH (Bert) Mitchell; the postal assistant was Alec Walsh, then Terry Gawne, the Don Brown. There were 9 postmen at any one time. Postmen Don remembered were Len Collins, Bert Binns, Frank Johnson, Ern Harding, Len Warmbrunn, Merv Daley, Chris Larsen, Charlie Woodford, Pat Ginnane, Bill Carlson, Jim Payne and Bill Devlin. There were 2 telegraph messengers at any one time; apart from Don himself there were George Smith, Ron Paez and Bob Nelson. Terry Gawne and George Smith also joined the RAAF. Terry was shot down and killed in the Pacific in 1943. Ern Harding, Bill Carson and Bill Devlin joined the army. At the time of his employment George Smith, Bill Devlin, Jim Payne and Don himself were under 40; the others were in their forties or older. Don remained in contact with George Smith, who in 1987 was living in Box Hill.Black and white photo of a young man wearing a uniform astride a bicycle. In the background is a corrugated iron fence. don brown, surrey hills post office