Post Office - Manilla, NSW, Austrlia - Australian Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The Historical Marker is printed in 'portrait style', with a couple of historic photos.

"George Veness, his wife and small family, established their home, store and inn on the bank of the Namoi river in 1853. A short time later the store became a Post Office with Mr Veness as the acting Post Master. At the request of the Postal Service Veness gave the settlement its name - MANILLA - after the river that flowed into the Namoi opposite his home. Mr Veness served the public as acting postmaster until 1978, a period of twenty-five years.

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"In July 1878 it was reported in the Tamworth News that a telegraph line had been erected as far as Manilla and that the poles were laid almost to Barraba. The arrival of the telegraph line necessitated the services of a telegraph operator and a resident postal officer. Mr Edward Dane was appointed to the position on August 10th, 1878. He was Manilla's first recognised official postmaster. The Post Office was situated in Manilla Street, a timber building near Mackenzies store.

"A report dated January 1879 stated that the Postmaster General had taken steps to procure a suitable block of land in Manilla on which to build a Post Office. It was not till 1889 that the tender of T.J. Bowen for £1148 ($2296) was accepted. Additions were made in 1898 and 1908. A manual telephone exchange was added in 1923 and Manilla Street façade changed in the 1960s.

"In 1872 a mail contract was let to Wilkinson and Bowden to convey mail twice weekly by coach from Tamworth to Warialda via Manilla. Prior to 1872 the mail was conveyed on horseback. Country mail services started in September 1899 from Manilla to New Mexico and Hobden and in 1901 to Lowrey, Glendon via Halls Creek and Mundowey and to Chapman's on the upper Namoi River. Over time all country roads and by-roads were serviced by mail contractors. Wilkinson's mail coach made its last trip to Warialda on December 3, 1906. Since 1872 it had regularly passed through Manilla and Barraba on its bi-weekly trip to Warialda.

"The years went by - postmaster succeeding postmaster. Two World Wars came and went 1914 to 1918 and then 1939 to 1945 with thousands of letters to and from the troops passing through the Post Office. On July 12th 1967, Manilla was given its postcode 2346.

"Calamity struck the Mail on December 14th, 1971. At 8.40am that morning mail bags being conveyed to Manilla and Barraba Post Offices were badly burnt by fire on the mail truck on the outskirts of Manilla. Ten bags of mail were damaged in the fire - five for Manilla and five for Barraba. Contents of all bags were burnt to some degree, some becoming unrecognisable. Manilla postal staff did a wonderful job in sorting through the mail, even going back after work hours to salvage what they could.

"On July 1st, 1975 the Postmaster Generals Department was disbanded and Australia Post and Telecom Australia were raised in its place but activities at Manilla Post office continued as before. The Post Office has now been privatised and as well as its traditional mail business it now has a strong retail business."

Address: 164 Manilla Street, Manilla, NSW, 2346, Australia
Trading Hours: Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm (Sunday and Saturday - CLOSED)
Phone: (02) 6785 1723

Visited: 1333-4, Sunday, 17 March, 2019

Age/Event Date: 1853; 1872; 1878; 1898; 1908; 1923; 1967; 1971; 1975 Type of Historic Marker: Plaque only Type of Historic Marker if other: Sign with Photos Historic Resources.: Tamworth Regional Council Related Website: Not listed

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