The post office opened at this location in 1912. It was demolished in 2000. Post office history in the area: Until 1883 when the railway came through to Surrey Hills, this was essentially a rural community of scattered farms. Land subdivisions soon occurred along the railway line and limited postal services followed soon after, although a ‘permanent’ home for the post office was two decades away. George Sim Junior is acknowledged as our first postmaster; he opened a post office on 1 October 1884 in his father’s general store at 619-621 Canterbury Road, a few doors down from the Surrey Hills Hotel on the corner of Union Road. Over the next 20 years, the Surrey Hills Post Office moved several times into temporary, shared accommodation – in 1889 into Woodhead’s Corner Store at 364 Canterbury Road; then in 1895 to No 376, Hansen’s Exchange Building, part of Hansen’s Terrace (demolished) and in 1901 to 109 Union Road, on the corner of Windsor Crescent. Following Federation in 1901, the new Commonwealth Government established the Postmaster-General's Department to provide postal services to the nation. Many of the post offices constructed in the following years reflected a growing sense of Australian pride and nationalism. It was 1914 when building commenced on the ‘purpose-built’ post office at 609 Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills. Described as “a polychromatic Federation Freestyle building”, it served as the local post office for nearly 85 years until sold by the Commonwealth Government in c1999, after which the post office moved to the current, less prominent site at 100 Union Road. For nearly 10 years under private ownership, the building was successfully adapted for use as the base for two businesses, Gargoyles and Dragons and later the Surrey Sculpture Studio, and fortuitously the historic integrity of the building was maintained. However although renovated in the 1990's, structurally sound and of historic significance, it was not protected under local or commonwealth heritage legislation and was demolished soon after sale. This is an early image of a demolished building which should have been protected. In 1991, when the City of Camberwell conducted a heritage study, (which still informs the basis of the City of Boroondara’s heritage guidelines for this part of the municipality,) the post office was owned by the Commonwealth Government. As such, it could not be considered for heritage listing by the local authorities. Some years later, the Commonwealth and Australia Post rather belatedly recognized not only that post offices have heritage and social value, but also that the architecture of post offices as community buildings is important. A heritage management scheme was developed for the buildings they own or control under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999. Unfortunately, the Surrey Hills Post Office had been sold and demolished before this was finally enacted in 2004. Black and white image, perhaps from a post card, of Surrey Hills post office at 609 Canterbury Road. The building is flanked by a picket fence. There is a woman, a dog and a man in front of the entrance. The man is in uniform - possibly a postal employee.post offices, canterbury road, businesses, surrey hills post office, surrey sculture studio, gargoyles and dragons

This building was damaged by fire and was subsequently demolished before June 1983. From 1901-1917 it was the site of the Surrey Hills Post Office. In later years the part of the building with frontage to Windsor Crescent was used as the dental surgery of Dr David Ellis; the Union Road part of the building was occupied by a barber and tobacconist for many years. At the time of the fire the building was used by a business supplying hydroponics requirements. This moved to (?) 119 Highbury Road, Burwood.The image is significant because it documents a building which was an important community facility which no longer exists.Black and white photo of a single-storey corner building with a corrugated iron roofed veranda and a single, 4-panel timber door. There is a sign with '109' mounted on the veranda of the building. There are multiple advertising signs on the walls of the building. Two of the windows are boarded up with corrugated iron sheets.shops, barber shops, tobacconists, surrey hills post office, dentists, union road, windsor crescent, hydroponics supplies, businesses, union road shops, dr david ellis

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

Once a community's size and importance could be gauged from its post office. The post office, especially in the 19th century, reflected the growth and prosperity of its locality. The boom in post office building was from the mid-1860s to the early 1890s. Invariably a post office was built in a prime location, frequently on a street corner.This book provides a cross section of the various styles of post offices built in city, suburb and country town, and who the post offices serve around Australia. Softback book of 83 pages, with numerous black and white photos; post offices are described alphabetically by town.surrey hills post office, post offices, official buildings, architectural styles, (mr) marc fiddian

The date is approximate. Bill Willaton was a driver for C E Gray & Son, bakers of Canterbury during the 1930s. Tacey's butcher shop (dem) was located at 629 Canterbury Road. Black and white photo of a young boy on a light-coloured horse in vacant land adjacent to Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills. In the background a girl is standing in front of a new-looking paling fence behind which can be seen local landmarks. On the right is Hansen's Terrace; on the far left part of the Surrey Hall can be seen and in the middle ground the rear of McNeill's Family Hotel (Surrey Lodge), Dartnell's corner and the side of the post office.tacey's butchers, horse-driven vehicles, hansen's terrace, surrey hills post office, surrey lodge, mcneill's family hotel, surrey hall, william willaton, bill willaton, surrey hills, canterbury road

This building was adjacent to Surrey Lodge, on the corner of Canterbury and Union Roads. The store was established by George Sim in 1885 and in 1889 he set up the 1st Surrey Hills Post Office here. The business was bought by Alfred Claude Geer in 1909; the Camberwell Rate books show that from 1913 Geer remained owner but the business was occupied by Alfred Henry Crump; confirmed by electoral rolls for 1913-1918. Prior to moving to Surrey Hills, Alfred was a grocer in Dandenong. Otto Kuhn was Alfred Crump's store manager and may have taken this photo. Alfred married Hazel May Ordish in 1913 in Dandenong. The marriage notice in the Argus on 5 July indicates that the couple resided at 'Hazeldene' in Leopold Crescent. Moran and Cato had already established a business across Union Road from McNeill's Hotel and in time this business and one other grocery store opposite closed as a result.Black and white photo of A H Crump's grocery and produce store in Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills in 1913. There are 4 men and 2 horse-drawn carts in front of a timber single-storey building with a verandah with a corrugated-iron roof. At least one of the carts has "A H CRUMP" painted on the side. Three of the men are wearing long white aprons; the other, AH Crump, is in a suit. Advertising signs on the hoardings are for Huttons hams and bacon and Empire flour. Cadbury's cocoa is advertised on the shop window. The hoarding above the verandah also indicates that the business was established in 1884. There is a block-fronted single storey house with a picket fence adjacent to the shop, to the east along Canterbury Road."SURREY HILLS.13.6.2" diagonally across the bottom LH side of the photo.post offices, grocers, shops, businesses, horse drawn vehicles, alfred henry crump, alfred crump, alfred claude geer, alfred geer, otto kuhn, george sim, hazel may ordish, hazel may crump

Col. Harley Tarrant was an astute businessman and a part-time soldier. He was born at Clunes in 1860 and as a young man worked with an engineering firm in Sydney. He later joined the Board of Works in Melbourne. and later entered the early car manufacturing and retailing trade. In 1905 Harley Tarrant built the first car to be built and sold in Australia. For a time he was a surveyor and worked in Surrey Hills but motoring became his prime interest. In the early 1890s he set up a workshop in what was then Post Office Place, Melbourne. He built stationary engines which ran on kerosene and in the first years of the twentieth century, with partner W Howard Lewis, built the first petrol driven car in Australia. This photo is of his sixth car and was taken after the finish of the 1st Sydney to Melbourne Dunlop Reliability Trial, which Tarrant won. Harley Tarrant produced cars between 1901 and 1907 at the Tarrant Motor and Engineering Company in Queen's Bridge Street, South Melbourne. The first car had a rear-mounted two-horse power Benz engine. Two-cylinder models were later produced followed by 4-cylinder models. The only Tarrant car in existence in 1984 was owned by Harley Tarrant's grandsons, Kenneth and Peter Holmes of Melbourne. The 1906 Tarrant car featured on an Australia Post stamp in 1984. It was one of a series of 5 stamps featuring Australian veteran and vintage cars.Black and white photo of a car without a hood in the driver's seat of which is a man with cap, driving dust coat and goggles, identified as Harley Tarrant. Beside him is a young girl in a large frilly; she is identified as Doreen Tarrant, his daughter. Another man with cap and goggles is talking to him and a gentleman in a bowler hat looks on. There is a women and 2 children in the background in front of a large brick wall decorated in two coloured bricks. cars, inventions, dunlop reliability trial, tarrant motor and engineering company, mr harley tarrant, miss doreen tarrant, mrs doreen holmes, col harley tarrant

Born 3rd June 1922 in Surrey Hills, Norman documents his life as it revolved around Surrey Hills and Box Hill. He went to Surrey Hills State School and later, after the war he became a postman at Box Hill Post Office. Some notes have been documents by specific years. The Addendum documents the common lifestyles of the day.Born 3rd June 1922 in Surrey Hills, Norman documents his life as it revolved around Surrey Hills and Box Hill. He went to Surrey Hills State School and later, after the war he became a postman at Box Hill Post Office. Some notes have been documents by specific years. The Addendum documents the common lifestyles of the day.shepherd street, presbyterian church, (mr) - woolford, surrey hills, schools, (mr) - fury, webb's dairy, surrey hills state school, (mr) - pola, (mr) - bevan, verona street, postmasters, (mrs) - webb, box hill south, box hill post office, churches, world war, 1939-1945, (mr) norman bruce kerr

A collection of papers presented to the Box Hill Historical Society as talks, covering medical care, the clay industry, memories of Surrey Hills, the Brewer family, Box Hill Post Office, the sim family, tennis clubs, Girl Guides, Shire of Nunawading, Iris Roderick and the Bovill's of Balwyn. Deepdene crescent outer circle railway A collection of papers presented to the Box Hill Historical Society as talks, covering medical care, the clay industry, memories of Surry Hills, the Brewer family, Box Hill Post Office, the sim family, tennis clubs, Girl Guides, Shire of Nunawading, Iris Roderick and the Bovill's of Balwyn.box hill city historical society, (ms) iris roderick, bovills of balwyn, box hill, girl guides, tennis clubs, sport, surrey hills rose society, (mr) james henry simpson, beatrice avenue, (mr) james allan, (mr) thomas hogg, box hill post office, brewer family, surrey hills, clay industry, health services, (mr) john k blogg, (miss) kitty mcewan, empire day, festivals and celebrations, albany crescent, fires, 1935, box hill medical centre, (dr) (mr)john de la roche bragge, vaughan, alfred purdue (dr) (mr), (dr) (mr) walter joseph craig, fairbank hospital, (dr) b.n. gandevia

A collection of papers presented to the Box Hill Historical Society as talks, covering medical care, the clay industry, memories of Surry Hills, the Brewer family, Box Hill Post Office, the Sim family, tennis clubs, Girl Guides, Shire of Nunawading, Iris Roderick and the Bovill's of Balwyn.A collection of papers presented to the Box Hill Historical Society as talks, covering medical care, the clay industry, memories of Surry Hills, the Brewer family, Box Hill Post Office, the Sim family, tennis clubs, Girl Guides, Shire of Nunawading, Iris Roderick and the Bovill's of Balwyn.Title page: Alan Holtbox hill city historical society, (ms) iris roderick, bovills of balwyn, box hill, girl guides, tennis clubs, sport, surrey hills rose society, (mr) james henry simpson, beatrice avenue, (mr) james allan, (mr) thomas hogg, box hill post office, brewer family, surrey hills, clay industry, health services, (mr) john k blogg, (miss)kitty mcewan, empire day, festivals and celebrations, albany crescent, fires, 1935, box hill medical centre, (dr) (mr) john de la roche bragge, (dr) (mr) alfred purdue vaughan, (dr) (mr) walter joseph craig, fairbank hospital, (dr) b n gandevia, windsor crescent, deepdene outer circle railway

The photo is of the Rechabite Hall (dem) in Canterbury Road. It was in the vicinity of the Post Office in 1920s. It was used for many public functions.A black and white photograph of a large building (hall) with a noticeboard at the front.rechabite hall, canterbury road, surrey hills, ioor, independent order of rechabites, 1925

J A Geer's grocery store operated from 1909-1912 on the site established by George Sim in 1884. He bought a house and added a shop where, in 1889, he established the first post office in the area. Prior to this residents had to go the Box Hill to collect mail. Date is approximate.This records one of the earliest businesses in Surrey Hills. To begin with, businesses developed along Canterbury Road rather than Union Road, in part because of the muddy nature of the land north of the railway line.Black and white photo taken from a postcard of Canterbury Road, near the corner of Union Road, looking west in 1906 or 1907. Two children play on the LHS of the street and there is a man on a horse and carriage, and a cart, on the RHS. Buildings on the RHS are the Surrey Family Hotel and J A Geer's grocery store; on the LHS is a row of double-storey terraces including Hansen's Terrace on Canterbury Road to the west of Union Road.On LHS within the original image is 'Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills'; on the rear in top LH corner in blue biro in Jocelyn Hall's handwriting "J H / spare"canterbury road, geer's grocery store, surrey family hotel, businesses, horse drawn vehicle, hansen's terrace, post card, mr j a geer

Foreword by Councillor A. D. Renton. A photocopy of a few pages of the Canterbury Courier. A series of reminiscences, stories and pictures from the Canterbury Courier.A series of reminiscences, stories and pictures from the Canterbury Courier.(mr) david staig, canterbury, surrey hills, southern cloud, first football club, first librarian, first pictures, first post office, canterbury football club, (mr) james bennett, 1934, empire day, surrey hills station, 1884, 1906, 1883, kenneally's farm, (mr) george robinson, sanitation