About
In March 1886 the new post & telegraph office building opened in the prosperous township of Walhalla. It stood grandly amid a cluster of prominent buildings such as the Empire Hotel, the Roman Catholic Church, the Bank of Australasia, the Bank of Victoria and the Mechanics Institute. The addition of a veranda and then a public lobby soon followed to meet public demand. The post and telegraph business had grown to be the third largest in Gippsland handling nearly 50,000 items of mail a year.
In 1988 the building was acquired by the Victorian Government in association with the then Narracan Shire. It is now listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and the National Register. It is the only original public building remaining in the town. The wallpapers in particular have been classified as highly significant. It remained closed to the public for many years and was only reopened in 2011 by the Board of Management using Volunteers.
The collection includes a variety of items depicting life as it was during the height of the Walhalla gold rush. As well as this, the life of post mistress Doreen Hannan has been preserved. The Walhalla Old Post and Telegraph Museum, through its preserved rooms, furnishings, postal equipment, and personal artifacts, provides an intimate, immersive experience that connects visitors to the history and culture of Walhalla.