Hamilton Post Office

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.^[1]

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.^[1]

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.^[1]

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.^[1]

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.^[1]

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.^[1]

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 c. 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.^[1]

During the 1990s, conservation works and repainting of the exterior were undertaken. In c. 1998, the former post office interior was refurbished as retail post shop and the offices to the west were reconfigured. The interior was reoriented with counters across the western end of the room, display joinery was constructed, the ceiling is relined with plasterboard and fittings are upgraded. As part of this work the public telephone booths to the north of the building are removed and the area is converted to a ramped entrance to the post shop. This involved conversion of an original ground floor window in the north elevation to a door opening with automatic sliding door.^[1]

Hamilton Post Office is at 57 Gray Street, Hamilton, comprising the whole of Lot 2 LP222082.^[1]

Hamilton Post Office is similar in size to the Castlemaine Post Office and those at Warrnambool and Echuca, and most of the current building dates from the same period. It is located at the southern edge of the main shopping precinct in Gray Street, the principal commercial street. The original building is constructed to the eastern (street) boundary of the deep rectangular site and the rear yard is largely covered by freestanding and interconnected sheds and amenities blocks. The original side driveway along the southern side of the site from Gray Street has been subsumed by a loading ramp and covered dock area; rear access is now via the adjoining site to the south which is also used for truck turning and staff carparking. The rear of the original site contains an automatic exchange building dating from the 1960s, which has since been subdivided.^[1]

As it presents to the street, the two-storeyed building is a symmetrically composed, hipped roofed Victorian palazzo form in mass, with a central recessed loggia and a four-arched entrance, flanked by two breakfront pavilions and a modern stairwell wing set back on the north side. The original roof cornice is supported by regularly spaced moulded brackets, whereas the roofs of the later additions are defined by enclosed eaves. Raised course lines for the ground and first floor divisions provide the springing points for all arches. The original basement areas are defined by coursed rock-faced bluestone walling. The loggia provides access to bays of private letter boxes and the entrance doors at each end of the loggia space have been replaced.^[1]

Added in 1890, the central four-stage tower has clock faces surmounted by pediments with a small mansard roof behind. The tower has coffered corner piers, and the clock panels are topped by pediments to all sides surmounted by ball urn finials. Below the clock, the lower tower face is bracketed by two diagonal consoles and includes a paired window with round arches and accentuated voussoirs to Gray Street. The upper tower is slightly recessed behind the first floor façade, and linked compositionally to a widening pattern consisting of four central arched windows on the first floor and a more widely spaced set of entrance arches on the ground floor.^[1]

Externally, all ground floor arches are segmental and those on the first floor are rounded Italianate. The main window elaboration is in the arch mouldings and keystones. The window reveals have two steps each but no aedicules and timber-framed double-hung sash windows. Masonry panels with vermiculated treatment under each first floor window hint at balustrading.^[1]

To the rear, the original form is partly concealed by a series of basement and ground floor alterations and additions. Above these at the centre of the complex is the original mail room area, roofed by a hipped form with central ridge lantern and weatherboard cladding to the sides.^[1]

In plan form, the post office has three main sections which relate to the original design for a post and telegraph office, land office and sub-treasury. While the loggia provides the principal formal address, the northeast side provides ramped access to the retail shop via an altered window bay and to the 1960s stairwell. The southern side of the building provides for a separate access to the building for staff and to the original stairwell, as well as a private letter box room and tea room. The central ground floor mail hall's original double-height volume with exposed trusses and ridge lantern remains intact. This remains in use as a sorting area but has been opened up to the original counter area to the east and non-original mail room and offices to the southwest and west.^[1]

It has two levels plus basement at front, one plus basement at rear; and the four level clock tower.^[1]