Hamilton Post Office is a heritage-listed post office at 57 Gray Street, Hamilton, Victoria, Australia. It was designed by C. H. E. Blackman of the colonial Public Works Department under the aegis of William Wardell, built in 1876, and occupied in 1878. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 8 November 2011.
History
A postal service was established in Hamilton (formerly the 'Grange') in 1844, and the first formal post office was constructed in 1861. This timber structure was replaced in 1864 by a two-storey bluestone building, which fell quickly into disrepair.
By 1875 the Department of Public Works had prepared plans for a new building which was to house a lands office and treasury as well as the post and telegraph offices. It was designed by C. H. E. Blackman under the aegis of William Wardell. Construction of the new building was finished in 1876, and formal occupation of the post office occurred in 1878. A clock tower was added in 1890.
A new entry arch and counter were added to the original postal hall in 1907. The district officer was accommodated in the building between 1914 and 1919, probably requiring changes to internal planning. The entry was originally through an open, recessed loggia, though these openings appear to have been glassed in at an early date. The post office exterior had been repainted by the early 1920s with a contrasting, darker colour to ground floor areas.
In 1933–35, unspecified repairs and repainting took place, probably internal works, as historic photographs of the rear of building taken in 1941 indicate that the building still largely maintained its Victorian form and footprint at the time. By 1941 the rear yard also contained at least one other weatherboard shed or store buildings constructed on a long rectangular plan and a small amenities block. A small timber-framed porch had also been constructed over a rear access door to the wing at the northwest corner of the building.
Unspecified repairs and renovations again took place in 1948. It would appear that the extension of the mail room at the southwest corner of the building may have occurred at this time, which included opening up the southwest corner of the original mail room and installation of supporting steel beams. Around this time bays of private letter boxes were installed within the arched former window openings of the front loggia; this work may have included re-paving of the loggia with terrazzo.
Extensive works in the 1960s included a large side stair block with a flat roof and window-wall facing Gray Street, backed by an L-shaped brick wall, and to the rear, the ablutions block and a fire escape. The area to the north of the original building bounded by the northern boundary and the new stair wing was concrete paved and six public telephone booths and a seat are installed; this work includes demolition of the original front fence. Further bays of private letter boxes are added to front loggia. An original single door opening at the northeast corner of the original post office was infilled and signage installed above the first floor window arches. By this time a first floor window opening in the south elevation was altered to a doorway and a steel gantry is installed, cutting into the original roof alignment above. The roofscape was further altered by the removal of the chimneys. Internal alterations included refurbishment of fixtures and finishes, replacement of original counter joinery, construction of timber-framed partition walls at first floor level, refurbishment of kitchenettes and amenities. The first floor rooms at the southern end of the building were fully refurbished with acoustic treatment for telegraph exchange.
By 1980, posting slips had been installed in the entrance doorway from the southern end of the loggia. The central section of the first floor had been repartitioned for use as a district office. In 1985, the former postmen's room (battery room) at the southeast corner of the building was converted to accommodate additional private letter boxes. This involved construction of a timber-framed partition wall throughout the space. Around this time a roofed loading dock and mail handling area was constructed between the southwest corner of the mail room and the relocatable building used for the API recreation room. The adjoining basement areas was converted to contractor's rooms and an earlier mail conveyor area was enclosed. The rec room was later converted to a contractor's parcel area. The first floor manual exchange was converted to a conference and training centre.