Victorian Post Offices - Key Historical Milestones
1837 (April 13): The first official post office was established in Melbourne, utilizing a modest hut.
1842: The first permanent government postal building was opened at the intersection of Elizabeth and Bourke Streets.
1851: The colonial administration separated from New South Wales, and the Postmaster General's Department took over.
1854: The introduction of the telegraph drastically accelerated communication across Victoria.
1858–1867: A massive public works boom occurred due to gold rush wealth. New, permanent post offices were constructed in regional hubs like Beechworth (1858).
1867 (July 1): The iconic Melbourne General Post Office (GPO) opened at the Bourke and Elizabeth Street intersection.
1887–1890: The Melbourne GPO was expanded to include a third floor and its famous clock tower, which provided time signals for all of Australia.
1901: The Commonwealth assumed control of all state-based post, telegraph, and telephone services under the newly formed Postmaster General's Department
Local Post Offices - Key Historical Milestones
1873 (January 1): The initial Ferntree Gully Post Office opened in the area.
2 May 1887: Menzies Creek post office officially opened to serve the local community .
1889: The railway station opened, serving as the terminus for the Melbourne suburban broad gauge line, which drove local population and postal development.
1890: The Upper Ferntree Gully office officially opened, reflecting the expansion of the township up into the Dandenong Ranges.
22 December 1899: The official Emerald Post Office opened, supporting the limited local settlement and the arrival of the narrow-gauge railway .
1900: The narrow-gauge (2'6") train line opened from Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook, altering mail delivery routes.
1 November 1901: The Post Office opened with the arrival of the railway and was originally named Cockatoo Creek Post Office.
1904: The Belgrave post office and railway store opened after the station's renaming in December 1904
c. 1907: Paradise Valley local post office officially opened
1911: The Upwey Post Office and Store opened, initially operated by H.C. Fisher on the main street (Hughes Street).
1 August 1913: The Selby Post Office officially opened to serve the growing Dandenong Ranges township.
1921: Following a public meeting in September, the locality's name was changed from "Paradise" to "Clematis" to reduce confusion with other locations. The post office followed suit, becoming the Clematis Post Office.
1924 (December 1): The Tecoma Railway Station opened, taking its name from the local shrub growing near the timber mill.
1929 (January 7): The Tecoma Post Office officially opened.