The ONLY- - historic Post Box of its kind in Sydney. The Rocks, Sydney, NSW. Australia.
S 33° 51.280 E 151° 12.495
56H E 334244 N 6252513
A unique old official post box in the historic Rocks area of Sydney, dating around 1880's-1890, and still in use.
This postbox is the only one of its kind in the Sydney area and featured in a 1980 Stamp Issue.
Waymark Code: WM8XJ0
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Date Posted: 05/26/2010
Views: 41
The ONLY historic post box of this type in Sydney can be found on the western side of Hickson Road in The Rocks. The manufacturer placed a plaque "Bubb and Son, Victoria Foundry, Sydney".
This post box is a Bell type letter receiver made by Bubb and Sons Victoria Foundry and is dated to the 1880's-1890's. The first street posting boxes were cast in bronze by the Bubb & Sons foundry at Pyrmont in 1856. Robert Bubb, born 23 Jun 1805 in Avening, Gloucestershire, England, migrated to Australia and established a foundry in Sydney.
Victoria Iron Foundry was located at 10 Victoria Place, Sydney (the firm is listed in the Sands Directory until 1880).
These boxes were designed by T. W. Levinge of the New South Wales Postmaster General’s Department and initially manufactured by Robert Bubb and Son of Pyrmont. The boxes were circular with a Crown mounted upon the dome. The Crown was supported by “leaves”.
In Nation Stamp Week 1980, a 22c Postage Stamp featured the one and only letter box operating in the Sydney Area. A feature in the Sun Herald July 2000, described the letter receiver as located in the Rocks Area, and still being used.
The Rocks is the foundation place of Sydney and Australia, and of enormous historical signifiance. It is often described as "Sydney's outdoors museum".
The Rocks is the oldest area of Sydney and was the area of the first European settlement in 1788. Before the 1820's it was full of convicts and prostitutes, although this has changed from slums to three-story houses.
It was later overtaken by warehouses and the maritime industry, later again demolished due to the plague and then the Harbour Bridge Construction. Since the 1970's it has developed into a tourist area, full of cobbled streets and interesting old buildings.
Thanks to 3l diesel for assistance in starting off this waymarked Post Box. Unfortunately it missed out on the Victorian Mailbox category but is now successfully recorded as a waymark in two other categories, Superlatives and Philatelic Photographs.