Post Office

Tomerong Post Office in 1951.

Following the establishment of a Post Office at Wandandian, petitions were raised to have one established at Tomerong in 1860. The petitions stated that Tomerong had more farms and residents than Wandandian, plus it was the place for polling at elections and was closer to the St George Lighthouse. Prior to this, locals used a mail bag that was located at the Hotel. James McLeod Robertson was appointed as Postmaster to the first Post Office at Tomerong on 1 March 1862. Robertson also became the teacher at the School but took a fall from his horse in October and died early the following year. The local publican John James PARNELL became the Postmaster, with assistance from his daughters, and established the Office next to the Hotel.

When Matthew Craig became the new teacher he also became the Postmaster and moved the PO to the School grounds. Perhaps due to ill health, Craig's performance as a Teacher and Postmaster attracted complaints and may have led to the decision to close Tomerong and move the PO to Huskisson in 1875. However, due to objections, this decision was reversed two months later and 20 year old John Henry PARNELL (the Publican's son) was appointed. The office was run from a detached building, 20 yards from and to the north of Parnell’s Hotel. Sister Sarah PARNELL was appointed as assistant to the Postmaster. When John resigned in 1881, due to the workload, Sarah became Tomerong's first Postmistress. Sarah resigned after five months in the job and was replaced by brother James with assistance from other Parnell family members.

The local Store keepers Daniel Watts and Sons acquired the licence in 1885 and the PO was moved to the Store with Frederick Morris WATTS as Postmaster. He also became the first telephone operator when the technology came to the village in 1886. Frederick sold the business to his niece, Matilda Jane MILLER, who became the Postmistress in 1899, the same year that she married William George LACKERSTEEN. The telephone line was extended to Jervis Bay in 1902.

In 1906 Matilda Lackersteen was relieved of her duties as Postmistress, following irregularities which had occurred when operating as an agent for the Government Savings Bank. Although Matilda was appointed Postmistress, her husband William, officially only an assistant, acted in the capacity of Postmaster as well as storekeeper. He failed to report bank deposits for three amounts, which totalled £79. Bill Lackersteen repaid the money and it was found that Matilda had no knowledge of the incident. Bill Lackersteen would become the Clyde Shire Clerk. Arthur Robert BUCKLAND, the school teacher, was appointed as the Postmaster in May and the Office was moved back to the School grounds. Buckland was appointed as a Teacher at Dubbo six months later and Florence Annie WOOD, the daughter of a prominent Huskisson shipbuilder, was the new Postmistress. She had assisted her sister, Elizabeth, at the Huskisson PO.

Florence had premises erected for the Tomerong PO, adjoining the northern boundary of the School in 1906 (its current location in 2024) as she stated "as the present PO is on the school premises and I am only here on sufferance, will you let me know as early as possible if my appointment will be permanent, as I wish should I be permanently appointed, to have a building erected at once, on my own property, adjoining the school premises". Like her sister Elizabeth, she would never marry, but would run the Tomerong Post Office with her sister for almost the next two decades. Mail services using motor vehicles came to the village in 1909 and telephone communication with St Georges Basin arrived in 1914.

From 1925, Postmasters/mistresses have included Arthur Jacques, William Meale, Hannah Florence Aspinall, William Costello, William BENNETT-CATEN, Francis Xavier McMahon, Douglas Greneger, Howard Germein, Annie Taylor, Terence Fowler, Herman De Leeuw, Lurleen Newman, Monica Harrison, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Gail Dawson and Lesley Kerslake (1999). In July 1992 the Post Office was relocated to the Tomerong General Store on the north-western side of the crossroads. This was a combined business incorporating petrol sales, small goods and stock feed. The Post Office was relocated once again in August 1996 to the old Post Office premises, north of the school.

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Back to Institutions of Tomerong

Images

• 1951 Photo TP2764
• Buckland's Acceptance TP4589/4590
• Exchange Hours TP4601
• 1990s Image TP3433
• 1958 Map No.10 see adjacent images. TP4638
• Village Map TP4221
• Postmasters TP4585
• Location TP5940

Links

1. Tomerong Local History Web Page- tomeronghistory.com
2. Tomerong Past Facebook Album- Tomerong Past Facebook This site may provide more information relative to this institution, business or location. Check the appropriate album; e.g. School, Village, Clyde Shire etcetera.
3. Tomerong History- From Bullocks to Bypass