In 1926 the Lugarno and District Progress Association began to campaign for a post office at Lugarno. At this time mail was delivered by a contractor from the Peakhurst Post Office three times a week on a run between Peakhurst and Menai. On days not covered by this contractor a Hurstville baker, who had authority to collect mail from Peakhurst Post Office for the Lugarno residents, delivered the mail with his bread.
Following the representations from the Progress Association it was decided to establish a telephone office and a free mail bag service with Mr. H.P. Cleveland in charge from the 1st May, 1926. Mr. Cleveland could also sell stamps, from which he would receive a commission of 2 1/2 %. The residents could now call on Mr. Cleveland to collect their mail, which would be an improvement in security, as many people lived some distance from the road where their mail boxes were located, however the service would still only come three times a week. Mr. Cleveland delivered letters, although he was informed that this was not part of his duties.
Another telephone office was established at Lugarno Ferry on the 10th September, 1926 with Mr. A.H. Peters as the Telephone Office Keeper. There were separate lines to the Lugarno Hill office (operated by Mr. Cleveland) and the Lugarno Ferry office from the Kogarah exchange, the Lugarno Ferry office having a link line to the Kogarah-Menai circuit.
The Lugarno residents were still not satisfied, and after further representations by the Progress Association and Mr. Ley, M.H.R., a further investigation suggested that 1118 letters would be posted and received annually, which justified the opening of a receiving office. Mr. Cleveland applied for the position of Receiving Office Keeper, which would allow him to be paid properly for the work he had been doing voluntarily before. He was appointed on the 15th November, 1926 with an annual allowance of œ12, which included payment for provision of premises for the non-official post office. Mail was still to be exchanged three times weekly with Peakhurst Post Office, and the Lugarno Post Office was to be open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
From the 14th February, 1927 approval was given to pay pensions at the Post Office. It was estimated that there were ten pensioners in the district.
On the 2nd April, 1928 Mr. Peters resigned. He found that the duties of a Telephone Office keeper tied him to the office, yet his annual remuneration was under œ1. There were few calls on week days, most calls were made on Sundays.
The Department sought a replacement Telephone Office Keeper, but found that there were no residents near the Ferry at Lugarno, and of the six houses south of the river only three had permanent residents, the others were used as weekenders.
Consideration was given to transferring the office to Mrs. McFarlane's proposed shop at the Lugarno Pleasure Grounds, however it was decided that the few residents of the area could be served from either Lugarno Hill or Menai Post Offices.
The Lugarno Ferry Telephone Office was closed from the 15th May, 1928, however the equipment was left in place for a year. The three miles of telephone lines and poles, and the submarine cable crossing the river had been installed at some expense, and the Lugarno Ferry Telephone Office had not generated very much revenue.
The next year, in April 1929, Mr. Cleveland indicated that he wanted to resign, but he agreed to continue until a replacement was found, however no-one was available.
In May 1931 the Postmaster-General's Department proposed to close the post office, and revert to the free bag system. Mrs. Cleveland protested through Mr. Tully, M.H.R., as the income from the post office was important to the Cleveland's during the Depression, and the free bag system required the work to be done for little pay - only 9 pence commission in the Pound on the sale of stamps. It was decided to keep the Post Office open in June 1931.
During the war petrol ration tickets were issued, and war pensions paid, in addition to old age pensions and child endowment. From the 2nd January, 1941 wireless licences were issued from the post office.
Mrs. Cleveland remembers the period when she and her husband ran the post office. Mr. Cleveland closed in part of the verandah of their house to provide premises for the Post Office. Mail came off the bus at 9.00 a.m. each day, and the outgoing mail was sent on the 4.30 p.m. bus. Residents called for their mail as there were no deliveries.
The telephone at the Post Office was the only telephone in the district for two miles around the Post Office. All calls from the Post Office had to be booked. Initially Mrs. Cleveland received five shillings per week for operating the telephone, and when she resigned in 1944 she was being paid £3 a week. Mr. Cleveland ended his time as the post office keeper when he died in September, 1944. Mrs. Cleveland continued the service until December, when Mr. Edwin McCarty took over the Post Office and operated it from his general store in Forest Road, Lugarno.
Madeline Zoeller became the Non Official Postmaster on the 1st October, 1949, and the Post Office was in her general store in Forest Road, nearly opposite Koorabel Street. She agreed to deliver telegrams on taking over the Post Office. A larger fee was paid for delivering telegrams in the hilly area with unformed roads, and with many houses some distance from the road, and a bicycle allowance was also paid. The telegram delivery service continued until the 31st March, 1962, after which telegrams were delivered from Riverwood Post Office.
Miss Zoeller became Mrs. Lenney on the 27th December, 1954, and on the 1st November, 1955 Mrs. Norma Neal took over the Post Office, and operated it from her house in Old Forest Road, opposite the school until the 4th January, 1966. From the 1st June, 1955 money orders were issued from the Post Office.
The Post Office then moved to the shops at Lime Kiln Road, and was operated by Mrs. Olga E. Gordon.
The Progress Association, through Mr. D. E. Costa, M.H.R. requested the Postmaster General to establish a second post office at Chivers Hill shopping center, and the non-official money order Post Office was opened early in 1965 in Bill MCA's Radio and Television shop, and was known as Lugarno North Post Office.
The Lugarno North Post Office closed on the 9th August, 1971, as the agent was unable to provide a relief operator while on holidays for three weeks. The Postmaster General's Department was cost cutting, and claimed that the small Post Office was uneconomic. Petitions were organized by the Lugarno and District Progress Association, and representations by Vince Martin, M.H.R. for Banks resulted in the re-opening of Lugarno North Post Office on the 15th May, 1972.
Mrs. Nina Smith was the new postmistress at the Lugarno Post Office from 3rd January, 1969, which she operated with her soft furnishings and haberdashery business at Lime Kiln Road. On the 12th April, 1972, Mrs. Hetty Williams became the Lugarno Post Office postmistress, and Nina Smith moved her shop to Chivers Hill. Mrs. Nancy Pollack took over at Lugarno Post Office on the 23rd January, 1976, and from 7th November, 1977 Lugarno North Post Office was in Col. Spencer's barbers shop. Miss Jennifer Bishop became postmistress at Lugarno Post Office from 19th October, 1979, and she became Mrs. Hassall on the 22nd November, 1980.