| BACK HOME MENINDEE POST OFFICE Edward Wicker, storekeeper, was the first postmaster, his salary being 12 pounds per annum plus a small commission on the sale of postage stamps. At that time the town was called Perry. Wicker sold his business to Patrick Green and the latter became postmaster on April 1, 1862. Green found that the post office interfered too much with his business time so he resigned and Mrs Isabella Newman, wife of R. F. Newman, a mounted policeman who was in charge of Perry Police Station, became postmistress on May 1, 1863. It was not known where she conducted the office. On March 28, 1866, Mr J. J. Phelp, MP, wrote to the department complaining that the post office at the township of Menindie was still called Perry. The name was changed to Menindie as from June 1, 1866. Mrs Newman resigned and on March 15, 1867, Patrick Green, storekeeper, became postmaster again. Mrs Green (who was receiving a salary of 37 pounds per annum) resigned, and was succeeded by Trangott Young, at a salary of 50 pounds. It is not known where he kept the office as he was not the storekeeper who succeeded Green. For 1877, the whole revenue of the office was only 129 pounds. Money order facilities were given on January 1, 1878. Young resigned in that year on account of the low salary. Efforts were made to have the telegraph master, A. E. E. Knight, take over the post office, which was in a room adjoining the telegraph office. Knight was also a line repairer. In those days, post offices and telegraph offices were conducted as separate departments. It is believed that the telegraph line reached Menindee about November 1877. Knight was appointed as postmaster also on July 11, 1878. The money order office closed when Young resigned but it was reopened on December 2, 1878. When Knight was appointed, Trangott Young became his assistance at 20/- a week (Young was also now the local poundkeeper). H. H. P. Lublin was appointed telegraph master and postmaster from February 13, 1879. The name was spelled Menindie all this time and it was not until 1918 that it was changed to Menindee. J. R. Holding succeeded H. H. P. Lublin as postmaster and telegraph master from July 2, 1880. In later years he was the Broken Hill postmaster. Harry Mortimer was appointed as telegraph probationer without salary in May 1880. In the report of an inspector, dated September 13, 1879, he stated: "There is not much progress at Menindie as with other towns on the Darling. There are four public houses, two stores and a court house. The hospital is empty and going to decay as it is not supported by residents." For some time the postmaster's wife, Mrs Holding, acted as assistant, but another permanent officer was appointed later. The postmaster had a difficult task as mail was arriving and leaving at all hours between 4am and 11pm. It was a week of six days, and even on Sundays he had various duties to perform as the post office was open for business for one hour so that country people going to church could collect their mail. On August 11, 1885, the postmaster J. R. Holding was appointed by the Department of Justice as Registrar of the District Court at Menindee, with P. T. Whealy was appointed to take charge of Menindee when Holding was promoted to Wilcannia on September 15, 1887. A branch of the Government Savings Bank was opened in October 1889. The District Court at Menindie was abolished as from October 3, 1894 so the postmaster then lost his 40 pounds per annum for acting as Registrar. Thomas Barclay, post and telegraph master at Pooncarie, was transferred to Menindie and took up duty on December 5, 1898 and W. C. Street from the GPO went there as operator. J. B. Guillier from Tilpa succeeded T. Barclay as postmaster on June 16, 1902. A telephone exchange was opened on May 10, 1911, and at the end of the year there were five subscribers. CONTINUE NEXT PAGE |