1862

Regular Mail Arrives in Johns River

Photo of Rose Little at Post Office, next to School From Brian Fletcher’s collection

1930’s  Recollections from Brian Fletcher:

William Little took up land south of the Stewarts River – just to the north west of the now Bulley Road and Pacific Highway intersection (opposite Wharf Rd). Little was a wheelwright by trade and opened up the first blacksmiths shop in the village.

From about 1862 and probably for some years previously, mail including letters, parcels, telegrams and newspapers were delivered by vessel to Birds Wharf and then taken to ‘Little’s Place’ for distribution and collection. After that the mail came by coach.

When I was a young boy the post box was on a big Blackbutt stump in front of his house which became known as the Post Office.

The stump had a beech box attached about 8 foot high to enable the coach driver to place the mail without leaving his seat. The box, stump and building where there in the 1970s when the title changed hands and unfortunately was demolished.

Owen Convery and Arthur Single were the mail coach drivers and they would arrive at Little's by 1 pm travelling south and again at midnight on the return trip to Port Macquarie. The driver would change horses at Moorland and again at Camden Haven (now Ross  Glen). The horses were watered at ‘Mountain Lodge’ and at Littles.’

Photo of mail coach at Kew· (Unknown person with Owen Convery driving)

Miss Rose Little, William’s daughter, took over the Post Office from her parents and subsequently moved it to the corner near the School (today Koolyangarra Way and Station Street).

Miss Little was followed by Mr Gracey who moved the Post Office down to opposite the General Store. It was at this site that the Wilson family took over in 1947 until it closed in the early 1990s (currently the Williams residence).

Compiled by Daintry Gerrand from material compiled for the 1987 Johns River Hall 50^th Birthday celebrations and ‘Recollections from Brian Fletcher’.

Photos courtesy of Ken Tiedman, Brian Fletcher.   

From Ken Tiedman’s collection