General Post Office, Hobart
| Hobart General Post Office | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Edwardian Baroque |
| Address | 9 Elizabeth St |
| Town or city | Hobart |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 42°52′57″S 147°19′48″E / 42.8824°S 147.3301°ECoordinates: 42°52′57″S 147°19′48″E / 42.8824°S 147.3301°E |
| Groundbreaking | 1901 |
| Opened | 1905 |
| Cost | £30,000-£35,000[1] |
| Owner | Australia Post |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Alan Cameron Walker |
Hobart General Post Office (Hobart GPO) is a landmark building located on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Macquarie Street in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It stands next to the former Mercury Building and has served as the headquarters of the Tasmanian Postal system since its construction in 1905, though mail processing has now been moved to Glenorchy.
It has been listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List since 2004.[2]
History
The GPO was constructed in 1905, designed by prominent local architect Alan Cameron Walker in Edwardian Baroque style[2] at a cost of £30,000-£35,000.[1] Its foundation stone had been laid in 1901 by HRH the Duke of Cornwall and York, the future King George V. The Commonwealth government however refused to fund the post office tower and bells, the federal government criticising the state for the building of the post office, calling it 'enormous and unnecessary'.[1] ₤1,465 was raised by public subscription to build them; it was named the Queen Victoria Clock Tower and opened on 22 June 1906, a year after the rest of the building.[2]
In 1912 Roald Amundsen posted his telegram to the King of Norway from Hobart GPO to announce the first successful trip to the South Pole.[3]
In June 2015 while the GPO was undergoing restoration, vandals climbed scaffolding on the tower and graffitied and damaged the GPO clock. Repair was possible however.[4]
References
- 1 2 3 "THE HOBART POST OFFICE.". The North Western Advocate and the Emu Bay Times (Tas. : 1899 - 1919). Tas.: National Library of Australia. 9 March 1905. p. 2. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Hobart General Post Office, 9 Elizabeth St, Hobart, TAS, Australia". environment.gov.au. Department of Environment, Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- ↑ "Roald Amundsen in Hobart" (PDF). stategrowth.tas.gov.au. Department of State Growth, State of Tasmania. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- ↑ "Vandals attack GPO clock". Themercury.com. 18 June 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2015.