Almost beside the Macleay River, and what had been the major route between Sydney and Brisbane, this is a "particularly elegant red brick and rendered building with dominant Italianate tower on a busy corner."
The Commonwealth Heritage Listing has an extensive 'Summary' for this grand building, part of which follows:
"The post office is prominently sited on the corner of Smith and Lord Streets, in close proximity to the Kempsey wharf and the Macleay River. The post office was originally associated with shipping communications, together with the establishment of the telegraph system and a manual telephone exchange during the early twentieth century. The Kempsey Post Office has additionally been at the centre of postal services and communications in its immediate region for over a century, and in more recent times became one of the first regional distributing post offices in New South Wales. Typologically, Kempsey Post Office is an example of a second generation building originally incorporating post and telegraph functions with quarters. While aspects of the typology have been impacted by subsequent alterations and modifications, the building retains its overall external integrity and basic internal layout and planning, its important streetscape role and the impact of its original composition. The presentation of the building to its prominent corner siting and the wharf opposite also still reflect Barnet’s original design and conception for the building in its local context. Architecturally and stylistically Kempsey Post Office is a bold Victorian Italianate building. Important elements include its prominent corner siting across from the Kempsey wharf and the corner clock tower. While different government architects appear to each have contributed, the main plan form of the building and the overall external visual effect is that of an impressive Barnet building in an Italianate style, incorporating civic functions of street front and river side, as a meeting space, with clock tower feature to draw attention as a confident landmark. The post office is on a pivotal site and reads to travellers as a Kempsey icon. Its original clock, mechanism and bell are important elements. Kempsey Post Office is a well composed, well detailed, land mark building, sited on a prominent corner in the town opposite the wharf. The corner clock tower element emphasises the building’s landmark quality within the immediate streetscape."
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visit link)
Designed by the Colonial Architect’s Office under James Barnet, it was built by Gabriel and McMorrine. With some further extensions in 1903–4 by Hocking Brothers of Canterbury. [per website below, for Date Built.]
Date Built from: (
visit link) ; and leaflet listed below.
"The Post Office is listed on the State
Heritage, National Trust and National Estate
Registers. It is described as “a high Victorian
Classical Post Office with strongly rusticated
rendered brick on the ground floor and corner
clock tower. A well proportioned public building
which is an important element in the townscape”.
It was opened on March 23rd 1886."
[From the "Walks in History - Kempsey" leaflet: (
visit link) ]
Originally the Clock Tower had a Time Ball, which was replaced by a flag system, to announce the arrive of steamers to the nearby wharf.
Address: 3 Smith Street (corner of Belgrave Street), Kempsey, NSW, 2440
Visited: 1549-52, Sunday, 30 April, 2017