Historical information

The first post office in Emerald was opened on December 1899, most likely under the control of David Andrews, the postmaster. Prior to the opening of this post office, mail was reportedly carried by horseback to and from Gembrook to Packenham, where it was then collected by foot every second day. Emerald Post Office found its home in Main Street in 1906, where it remained until the mid 1980s. There, they handled in excess of 15,000 mail items a year.

By the 1980s, Emerald had become a popular residential area with a population of more than 4000 people. With this growth, and its services to the surrounding communities of Avonsleigh, Clematis, and Macclesfield, it was considered appropriate to open a new post office building. The brick building, standing on Kilvington Drive, was built by Sandel Construction Pty Ltd, costing approximately $420,000.

In the mid 1980s, the post office occupied the entire building. However, it now shares the structure with a local business.

Significance

This photograph demonstrates the rapid growth of Emerald through the late 1900s. Since the post office stands within the same building today, it also provides an effective measure of how much the surrounding streetscape and business has grown and changed over this time.

Physical description

A black and white photograph of a large brick building. A flagpole stands empty outside the entrance of the building and a small tree grows from the nature strip. A car is parked on the otherwise empty road, while several cars are parked in a small carpark located to the left of the building.

Inscriptions & markings

In photograph, above entrance: "Emerald / 3782"
Reverse, handwritten in ink: "Emerald Post Office"