Paddington Post Office

Item details


Name of item:	Paddington Post Office
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Postal and Telecommunications
Category:	Post Office
Location:	Lat: -33.8847672958 Long: 151.2263640470
Primary address:	246 Oxford Street, Paddington, NSW 2021
Local govt. area:	Woollahra
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	La Perouse

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	2		DP	616261

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
246 Oxford Street	Paddington	Woollahra			Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
Australia Post	Federal Government

Statement of significance:


	Paddington Post Office is significant at a State level for its historical associations, strong aesthetic qualities and social value. Paddington Post Office is associated with the early development of the area, as it is linked with the original postal services established in 1851. Paddington Post Office is historically significant because it is associated with the development of communications services in the Paddington area during the late nineteenth century, as the rapidly growing population required improved services. Paddington Post Office reflects the building boom of the late Victorian period in Paddington. The building is also associated with the pattern of subdivision and development of the Paddington area. Paddington Post Office is also historically significant because it is associated with the NSW Colonial Architect’s Office under James Barnet, which designed and maintained a number of post offices across NSW between 1865 and 1890. The building is part of an important group of works by James Barnet’s Office in the Victorian Italianate Style, of which Barnet was a key practitioner. Paddington Post Office is aesthetically significant because it is a distinctive example of the Victorian Italianate style, with strong visual appeal. It is located on a prominent corner site and makes a significant contribution to the streetscape of the Paddington civic precinct, and, along with the Town Hall, defines Paddington as a Victorian period suburb. Paddington Post Office is also considered to be significant to the community of Paddington’s sense of place.
	Date significance updated: 03 Aug 00
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	New South Wales Colonial Architect’s Office under James Barnet; W.L. Vernon (alterations)
Builder/Maker:	Original building by William Farley
Physical description:	Paddington Post Office is a predominantly two-storey ashlar and smooth rendered brick building in the Victorian Italianate Style, with a three-storey stair tower and upper floor to the western end of the southern facade. It has a series of stepped skillion, modern sheet steel roofs that sit behind a stepped parapet wall that runs around the Oxford and Ormond Street facades. There are no chimneys visible on the roof. Several additions appear to have been made to the original building, including the early two-storey former residence section, possibly original, fronting Ormond Street, and the c1979 single-storey extension to the north at the centre, housing the current loading dock and delivery area/mail room. Changes appear to have been extensive to the interior of the building, particularly to the first-floor mail sorting room, which is currently open plan showing evidence of wall fabric removal and infill of openings. There is a ground floor colonnade to the southern facade with brown glazed tiled floor, cream painted original mini-orb iron soffit, ovolo cornice, exposed beams and heavy masonry elements including attached fluted columns and a rendered balustrade to the eastern of the three open bays. There is a brown tiled recessed side porch containing the post boxes enclosed by a lockable, grey painted wrought iron palisade fence and gate. The colour scheme of the exterior is currently apricot painted render with cream painted opening surrounds, columns and pilasters. There is a large British Coat of Arms located to the centre of the Oxford Street facade parapet, resting upon a continuous dentilled entablature with dark trims. A separate, plain entablature with dark trim highlights the parapet of the two-storey Ormond Street addition. A continuous entablature with dark trim is also located at the first floor level to the southern original section of the building. The ashlar rendered ground floor facade features classical detailing with a heavy rendered masonry base. The addition to Ormond Street is smooth rendered, with little decoration. Fenestration of Paddington Post Office is uniform and largely symmetrical to the southern facade. It has square four-pane windows to the first floor, a single upper and lower pane sash window to the second-floor tower and first-floor curved corner, and arched, single upper and lower pane sash windows to the ground-floor front section. Openings to the Ormond Street addition are symmetrical about the centre ground-floor doors, comprising single upper and lower pane squared windows to the first floor with projecting rendered sills, and squared windows and porch openings to the ground floor. The ground-floor interior comprises three main areas, including the large retail area to the southern side, mail room/delivery area behind to the north and staff facilities, consisting of individual offices to the north and west and a tiled modern bathroom to the northeastern corner. Ceilings to the ground floor include plasterboard with a coved cornice to the mail room and offices and plaster to the stairwell and retail area, with moulded plaster cornices and an arch and ceiling rose to the stairwell entry. Air conditioning vents are located to the ceiling of the retail area, there is exposed ducting to the mail room and there are attached and suspended banks of fluorescent lights to the ground floor spaces. Flooring consists of carpeted and sheet vinyl. Skirting is simple and largely non-original to this level, whereas some original architrave fabric is retained to the early doorways. The majority of internal doors to the ground floor have been removed, with two original four panel doors retained to the Postal Manager’s office to the north and adjacent to the storage beneath the stair. The remaining doors are modern flush and modern security doors to the exterior. The entry from Ormond Street is recessed and has a fanlight and sidelights surrounding the door. Walls to the ground floor are a combination of grey painted rendered brick and recent, c1980s–90s fibre cement sheet partition walls enclosing the retail area. Fireplaces have been bricked in, and what appears to have been a former fireplace to the southern wall of the post boxes area has been infilled by post boxes. The ground-floor stair hall to the eastern side has sheet vinyl flooring and treads with black edge strips. There is grey painted early timber panelling below the stair and the stair itself comprises a polished curved timber rail surmounting turned balusters and a turned bottom post. The first floor of Paddington Post Office contains the mail sorting and contractors spaces, lunchroom and staff facilities. The flooring is mainly sheet vinyl, however some carpeting is present in the large southern mail room and there is tiling to the modern bathrooms. The first-floor ceilings are mainly mini-orb, painted cream, with large circular perforated vents and an ovolo mould cornice. This is excepting the plasterboard ceilings with a coved cornice to the modern bathrooms and hall, flush plaster to the main stairwell and the small areas of pressed metal to the two small eastern storerooms with narrow coved cornices. Air conditioning ducting and vents are exposed to the first-floor ceilings, with some vents in walls. Lighting comprises single and banks of fluorescent lights. Architraves appear to be largely original to original openings, especially to the southern section of the building. Skirting is plain, with some quad mould strip used and original remnants to the small store rooms, hall and main stairwell. There are some internal doors missing to the first floor, with modern doors to other openings. Later windows are to the rear facade and there is an original window retained to the internal western wall of the mail sorting and delivery space. Walls are grey painted rendered brick and asbestos cement or fibre cement sheet wall additions to the eastern side and hallway. Some original wall fabric has been removed, particularly from the western wall of the southern mail sorting and delivery space and from the western mail delivery/transfer room. The lunch room appears to retain the only evidence of a possible fireplace to the first floor. There is a second stairwell to the southwestern corner tower section of the building, accessing the second floor. It has white painted square timber posts with turned tops, square balusters and straight rail. Treads are timber with some vinyl flooring and edge strips. Walls to this space have peeling paint and minor cracking and this area is currently used as a small office. The second-floor level comprises three rooms, and is currently used for storage. It has cream painted mini-orb ceilings with a coved cornice. There is no air conditioning ducting to this level and it is lit by single fluorescent tubes and a pendant light to the stair well. Architraves to the second floor are simple and appear early and the skirting is plain. Some doors have been removed and fanlights retained, with one four-panel door remaining at the top of the stair. The two northern end windows have been boarded over, as is the northernmost window of the middle store room and the upper sash of the top window to the stair well. Walls to the second floor have large amounts of peeling paint and some cracking evident and there is a section of vertical timber boarding to the eastern wall of the southernmost room, below some multi-pane internal windows. Signage to Paddington Post Office incorporates the ‘Post and Telegraph Office’ lettering to the Oxford Street facade below the first-floor level entablature and ‘1885’ to the curved corner section at the same level. Below the date, attached to the blind arched window, is a large, standard Australia Post sign. Paddington Post Office makes a valuable contribution to the civic presence of Oxford Street, complemented by and in harmony with the elaborate Town Hall to the south and Juniper Hall to the east. It is situated within a predominantly two to three-storey busy commercial/retail streetscape and dominates the adjoining early shopfronts to the west. The only outbuilding to Paddington Post Office is the c1979 detached cycle shed located to the northwestern corner of the site in the concreted rear yard, and there is a projecting brick dock to the western boundary. Vegetation is limited to shared trees of the northern adjacent terrace house and yard, none actually being located within the site boundaries. There is also a small park opposite the building on Oxford Street, and the front gardens of Juniper Hall opposite on Ormond Street. There are standard street signs located at the front and sides of the building, along with modern street light pole and telephone pole to the eastern side.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Paddington Post Office appears to be in generally good condition. There is some archaeological potential for the site.
	Date condition updated:03 Aug 00
Modifications and dates:	The original building was completed in 1885 as a post and telegraph office, possibly comprising only the southern section of the building, with the Ormond Street section probably an early addition, if not original. Repairs were undertaken during 1890–91. It is not clear exactly what these entailed. The 1909 plans show that the ‘Switch Room’ is located on the first floor. It is presumed that this room accommodated the Telephone Exchange when it was installed c1911–13. After this time, it appears that many different changes occurred, including the removal of a first-floor balcony to the Ormond Street addition and the relocation of the posting boxes from the centre arched porch window to the eastern porch end. Further additions were made in 1979, which comprised the single-storey ground-floor mail room infill of part of the courtyard with mail ‘chute’ to the first floor, the addition of the first-floor modern staff amenities and the rear cycle shed. By this time it is evident that the residence in the Ormond Street section had been converted to use by the Post Office and the northernmost addition of a kitchen, laundry and servants room had been demolished to create the current laneway. Rear stairs and walkways servicing all levels have been removed and the post boxes’ recessed porch created with the removal of windows. The southwestern corner stair was also extensively modified, currently only servicing the first to second floors. There is a c1990s standard Australia Post fitout to the retail area and grey colour scheme.
Further information:	Some notable features of the building include the classically designed arch over the base of the ground floor main stair, and the original or early timber and etched glass entry doors to the retail area in very good condition. There is an original or early clock located over the centre window of the southern facade porch and a later mail ‘chute’, now disused, retained in the ceiling of the ground-floor mail room. An intrusive element to Paddington Post Office is the exposed air conditioning ducting to some ground and first-floor interior spaces. Evidence of earlier uses of the site, particularly within the open concreted space to the north of the building.Paddington Post Office appears to be in generally good condition, excepting the poor condition of some interior finishes, including peeling paint and minor cracking to the first and second floor, and general wear and tear to all floors. There is some archaeological potential of the site regarding former structures and evidence of earlier uses of the site, particularly within the open concreted space to the north of the building.


Current use:	Post Office
Former use:	Aboriginal land, town lot, Telephone Exchange

History

Historical notes:

Aboriginal Sydney:
When Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet landed, first in Botany Bay and then in Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), in January 1788, he was met by people who had lived on this land for many thousands of years. At least 1,500 people lived in the area between Botany Bay and Broken Bay and the intermediate coast (Attenbrow, n.d.)

There were two main languages spoken in the Sydney region - Darug and Tharawal. The Darug language had two main dialects - one spoken along the coast and the other in the hinterland (west of present-day Parramatta). Tharawal was spoken to the south of Botany Bay and as far west as the Georges River and possibly Camden (ibid, n.d.)

People belonged to small groups (territorial clans) through which they were spiritually related to specific tracts of land - these clans included the Gadigal, Wanngal, Gamaragal, Wallumedegal and Boromedegal. The suffix 'gal' denotes 'people of', thus, for example, the Gadigal were the people of Gadi (also spelled Cadigal and Cadi respectively) (ibid, n.d.).

The 'district of Gadi' was reported to have stretched from South Head west to 'the cove adjoining this settlement' (Darling Harbour) - an area that would have included Centennial, Moore and Queens Parks. Watkin Tench referred to the Gadigal as 'those who reside in the bay of Cadi'. The 'bay of Cadi' is probably Kutti, the Aboriginal place name recorded for present-day Watsons Bay, and the present name of a small beach in the bay (ibid, n.d.).

The Centennial Parklands Conservation Management Plan contains the following report that provides in depth detail of the pre-colonial history of the lands that are present day Centennial Parklands, which is where the text on this page comes from: Pre-colonial Aboriginal land and resource use in Centennial, Moore and Queens Parks - assessment of historical and archaeological evidence for Centennial Parklands Conservation Management Plan (ibid, n.d.).

Paddington:
This suburb, which took its name from the London borough, lies in what were once paddocks adjacent to Victoria Barracks. It was the first of the early Sydney suburbs that was not self-sufficient - its inhabitants, unlike those of Balmain or Newtown, where work was available in local industries, had to go away each day to their places of employment. Development of the Eastern Suburbs (Edgecliff, Double Bay, Point Piper and Woollahra) surrounded this area with wealthy people's homes so this small hilly suburb lost all hope of harbour views.

The area developed after a road was constructed to link up with a pilot station that was to be built at Watson's Bay (South Head Road). John Palmer, the settlement's commissary, refused to allow people to cross his land grant ('Woolloomooloo'), so the road had to follow a roundabout way through Paddington to bypass his 100 acres.

...only a handful of workers lived in the area, and it was not until 1838, when it was decided to build a new military barracks in Paddington, that life came to the area.

From 1848 when Victoria Barracks had been opened (designed by Lt.-Col.George Barney) and homes for the soldiers and their families had been erected, Paddington began to assume a real identity...The (barracks site) land was sandy - in fact a huge sandhill was located on the western side of the Greens Road area, and the foundation trenches had to be dug very deep, to locate firm stone for the foundations. Stone was mostly quarried in the area: the stone masons were free settlers who had worked on erection of the Customs House at what was then Semi-Circular Quay.

...Once the solderis and their families moved here, shopkeepers followed. Builders moved into the area and put up 3,800 houses between 1860 and 1890. These terraces give today's Paddington its air of individuality...The first school in the area was opened in the Presbyterian manse in Oxford Street, built in 1845.

...It is hard to imagine that in 1822 the mansion Juniper Hall (the opposite southern corner of Oxford Street from the Reservoir site) stood alone, without the many neighbours it has today. Set in a flagged garden, it had attic windows that gave panoramic views to Rushcutters Bay and Botany Bay. Juniper Hall was built for Robert Cooper, distiller and emancipist merchant, who with partners James Underwood and Francis Ewen Forbes, had recieved 100 acres from Governor Brisbane in c.1818, covering the whole of north Paddington, and they agreed to erect 3 mansions and a distillery there. A distillery was built at the foot of Cascade Street near Taylor Square and Cooper bought out his partners, and only Juniper Hall was erected...The Coopers were part of the social scene of their day and entertained many notables of that time. After they left the house it was renamed Ormond House to dissociate itself from the gin image and passed through many hands, gradually becoming smothered by the building of small shops in front of the house. Latterly it has been restored by the National Trust and has had a variety of uses.

Today few of the area's original working class residents remain, as the suburb's proximity to the city has made it popular with business and professional people who prefer inner-city living in this historic area. The shopping centre, concentrated on the north side of Oxford Street, has also changed from one serving local needs to one of cafes, speciality shops and boutiques...Much of this is related to the changing population and the Village Bazaar, or Paddington Markets. The bazaar, which has operated since the mid 1970s, draws visitors from all over the city and has contributed to Paddington's development as one of Sydney's favourite tourist spots, along with Bondi Beach and The Rocks (Pollen, 1988, 195-7).

Postal Services
The first official postal service in Australia was established in April 1809, when Sydney merchant Isaac Nichols was appointed as the first Postmaster in the colony of NSW. Prior to this, mail had been distributed directly by the captain of the ship on which the mail arrived; however, this system was neither reliable nor secure.

In 1825 the colonial administration was empowered to establish a Postmaster General's Department, which had previously been administered from Britain.

In 1828 the first post offices outside of Sydney were established, with offices in Bathurst, Campbelltown, Parramatta, Liverpool, Newcastle, Penrith and Windsor. By 1839 there were forty post offices in the colony, with more opening as settlement spread. The advance of postal services was further increased as the railway network began to be established throughout NSW from the 1860s. Also, in 1863, the Postmaster General WH Christie noted that accommodation facilities for postmasters in some post offices was quite limited, and stated that it was a matter of importance that 'post masters should reside and sleep under the same roof as the office'.

The appointment of James Barnet as Acting Colonial Architect in 1862 coincided with a considerable increase in funding to the public works program. Between 1865 and 1890 the Colonial Architects Office was responsible for the building and maintenance of 169 post offices and telegraph offices in NSW. The post offices constructed during this period were designed in a variety of architectural styles, as Barnet argued that the local parliamentary representatives always preferred 'different patterns'.

James Johnstone Barnet (1827-1904) was made acting Colonial Architect in 1862 and appointed Colonial Architect from 1865-90. He was born in Scotland and studied in London under Charles Richardson, RIBA and William Dyce, Professor of Fine Arts at King's College, London. He was strongly influenced by Charles Robert Cockerell, leading classical theorist at the time and by the fine arts, particularly works of painters Claude Lorrain and JRM Turner. He arrived in Sydney in 1854 and worked as a self-employed builder. He served as Edmund Blacket's clerk of works on the foundations of the Randwick (Destitute Childrens') Asylum. Blacket then appointed Barnet as clerk-of-works on the Great Hall at Sydney University. By 1859 he was appointed second clerk of works at the Colonial Architect's Office and in 1861 was Acting Colonial Architect. Thus began a long career. He dominated public architecture in NSW, as the longest-serving Colonial Architect in Australian history. Until he resigned in 1890 his office undertook some 12,000 works, Barnet himself designing almost 1000. They included those edifices so vital to promoting communication, the law and safe sea arrivals in colonial Australia. Altogether there were 169 post and telegraph offices, 130 courthouses, 155 police buildings, 110 lockups and 20 lighthouses, including the present Macquarie Lighthouse on South Head, which replaced the earlier one designed by Francis Greenway. Barnet's vision for Sydney is most clearly seen in the Customs House at Circular Quay, the General Post Office in Martin Place and the Lands Department and Colonial Secretary's Office in Bridge Street. There he applied the classicism he had absorbed in London, with a theatricality which came from his knowledge of art (Le Sueur, 2016, 6).

The construction of new post offices continued throughout the Depression years under the leadership of Walter Liberty Vernon, who retained office from 1890 to 1911. While twenty-seven post offices were built between 1892 and 1895, funding to the Government Architect's Office was cut from 1893 to 1895, causing Vernon to postpone a number of projects.

Walter Liberty Vernon (1846-1914) was both architect and soldier. Born in England, he ran successful practices in Hastings and London and had estimable connections in artistic and architectural circles. In 1883 he had a recurrence of bronchitic asthma and was advised to leave the damp of England. He and his wife sailed to New South Wales. Before leaving, he gained a commission to build new premises for Messrs David Jones and Co., in Sydney's George Street. In 1890 he was appointed Government Architect - the first to hold that title - in the newly reorganised branch of the Public Works Department. He saw his role as building 'monuments to art'. His major buildings, such as the Art Gallery of New South Wales (1904-6) are large in scale, finely wrought in sandstone, and maintaining the classical tradition. Among others are the Mitchell Wing of the State Library, Fisher Library at the University of Sydney and Central Railway Station. He also added to a number of buildings designed by his predecessors, including Customs House, the GPO and Chief Secretary's Building - with changes which did not meet with the approval of his immediate predecessor, James Barnet who, nine years after his resignation, denounced Vernon's additions in an essay and documentation of his own works. In England, Vernon had delighted his clients with buildings in the fashionable Queen Anne style. In NSW, a number of British trained architects who were proponents of the Arts and Crafts style joined his office and under their influence, Vernon changed his approach to suburban projects. Buildings such as the Darlinghurst First Station (Federation Free style, 1910) took on the scale and character of their surroundings. Under Vernon's leadership, an impressive array of buildings was produced which were distinguished by interesting brickwork and careful climatic considerations, by shady verandahs, sheltered courtyards and provision for cross-flow ventilation. Examples are courthouses in Parkes (1904), Wellington (1912) and Bourke, Lands Offices in Dubbo (1897) and Orange (1904) and the Post Office in Wellington (1904)(Le Sueur, 2016, 7).

Following Federation in 1901, the Commonwealth Government took over responsibility for post, telegraph and telephone offices, with the Department of Home Affairs Works Division being made responsible for post office construction. In 1916 construction was transferred to the Department of Works and Railways, with the Department of the Interior responsible during World War II.

On 22 December 1975 the Postmaster General's Department was abolished and replaced by the Post and Telecommunications Department, with Telecom and Australia Post being created. In 1989, the Australian Postal Corporation Act established Australia Post as a self-funding entity, which heralded a new direction in property management, including a move towards smaller, shop-front style post offices away from the larger more traditional buildings.

For much of its history, the post office has been responsible for a wide variety of community services including mail distribution, as agencies for the Commonwealth Savings Bank, electoral enrolments, and the provision of telegraph and telephone services. The town post office served as a focal point for the community, most often built in a prominent position in the center of town close to other public buildings, creating a nucleus of civic buildings and community pride.

Paddington Post Office

In 1804 Thomas West, an emancipated convict, received the first land grant in what was to become Paddington. West's land was considered to be on the outskirts of the town, with only a rough track to the signal station at South Head linking the area to the town. The next grant in the area was not posted until 1817 when Governor Macquarie granted 100 acres to three partners to build a distillery. James Underwood, one of three partners, eventually bought his partners out in the 1820s and named his new holdings Paddington Estate.

The start of any concentrated development in Paddington began after 1840 when the military barracks was transferred from York Street, Sydney to Old South Head Road (Oxford Street). The first subdivisions in Paddington were in direct response to the barracks development. Artisans and tradespeople moved into the area while they worked on the barracks, as did officers, soldiers and their families of the 11th North Devonshire Regiment, who were to occupy the Barracks upon its completion.

Throughout the 1840s Paddington continued to develop as a village, with stores, hotels and other services establishing themselves. The first Post Office was established on 1 July 1851, while the first recorded postmaster, Richard Westaway, was appointed on 22 July 1857. In 1859 a letter carrier was appointed, with deliveries being made from the GPO on horseback each morning.

During the same year, the residents of Paddington petitioned the government for incorporation as a municipality under the 1858 Incorporation Act, which was achieved on 17 April 1860. Paddington had 3,000 residents in 1860 with the population rising by 68% in the following ten years.

During this period the Post and Telegraph Office were operating out of rented premises in Paddington. The Post and Telegraph Departments shared the (Pounds)66 per annum rent that was being paid to Mr R. H. Adams. However, with the rapidly expanding population, it was recognised that a purpose-built Post Office was required. In 1879 a site was purchased with frontage of 38 feet to Old South Head Road from Mr H. W. Nixon for (Pounds)750. This land was not suitable for the office and was sold on to Mr Thomas Garrett MP for (Pounds)20 a foot in 1881.

On 2 December 1881 Messrs Cass, Kirby and Company offered some allotments facing Old South Head Road to the Department, including allotments 16,17 and 18 on the corner of Old South Head Road and Begg Street (Ormond Street) at a rate of between (Pounds)25 and (Pounds)30 per foot. The offer was accepted on 27 February 1882.

Plans were drawn up by the Colonial Architect's Office under the direction of James Barnet and submitted in January 1884, with an estimated cost of (Pounds)2,500. The tender was awarded to William Farley in May 1884 for the erection of the Post Office and residence at (Pounds)2,235, and to be completed in five months.

In November, a second tender for an outside clock was also approved for (Pounds)40. The building was opened for business on 26 December 1885. There were repairs made to the building in 1890-91, while a telephone exchange was added in c1911-13.

In 1979, with the centenary of the Paddington Office approaching, a major renovation was undertaken. The contract for the work, including additions, was given to McKenzie Building Co. Pty Ltd of Brookvale for $140,000. Work included the extension of the post office counter, new lighting in the style of c1880s gas lamps and new floor coverings.

The ground-floor mail room was extended, with part of a rear courtyard being closed in for the purpose. On the first floor, modern staff amenities were added, while a bike shed was erected and a former addition to the rear of the building was demolished to allow for a new gate and driveway to provide access for mail vehicles.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Changing the environment-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Communication-Activities relating to the creation and conveyance of information	Postal and telecommunication services-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Communication-Activities relating to the creation and conveyance of information	communication by signals-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Communication-Activities relating to the creation and conveyance of information	Communicating by telegraph-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Communication-Activities relating to the creation and conveyance of information	Post Office-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Developing local, regional and national economies-National Theme 3
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Landscapes of urban amenity-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Events-Activities and processes that mark the consequences of natural and cultural occurences	Developing local landmarks-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Technology-Activities and processes associated with the knowledge or use of mechanical arts and applied sciences	Technologies of telecommunication-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Building settlements, towns and cities-National Theme 4
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	1820s-1850s land grants-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Townships-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Changing land uses - from suburban to urban-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Administering and alienating Crown lands-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Changing land uses - from rural to suburban-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Resuming private lands for public purposes-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	(none)-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Subdivision of rural estates-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	19th century suburban developments-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	20th century Suburban Developments-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Early Sydney Street-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	19th Century Infrastructure-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Creating landmark structures and places in suburban settings-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Beautifying towns and villages-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Working in offices-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Working on public infrastructure projects-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Working in the public service-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	State government-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - administration of land-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - conserving cultural and natural heritage-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - providing community facilities-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - facilitating telecommunications-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - providing postal services-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - building and operating public infrastructure-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with James Barnet, Colonial (Government) Architect 1862-90-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Walter Liberty Vernon, Government Architect 1890-1911, private architect-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with the NSW Government Architect's Office-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Paddington Post Office is associated with the early development of the area, as it is linked with the original postal services established in 1851. Paddington Post Office is historically significant because it is associated with the development of communications services in the Paddington area during the late nineteenth century, as the growing population required improved services. Paddington Post Office also reflects the building boom of the late Victorian period in Paddington. The building is also associated with the pattern of subdivision and development of the Paddington area. Paddington Post Office provides evidence of the changing nature of postal and telecommunications practices in NSW. Paddington Post Office also provides information on the changing requirements and standards in working conditions in NSW. Paddington Post Office is historically significant because it is associated with the Colonial Architect’s Office under James Barnet, which designed and maintained a large number of post offices across NSW between 1865 and 1890. The building is part of an important group of works by James Barnet’s Office in the Victorian Italianate Style, of which Barnet was a key practitioner.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	Paddington Post Office is aesthetically significant because it is a fine example of the Victorian Italianate Style, designed by Barnet, with strong visual appeal, complementing the adjacent Town Hall and the predominantly late nineteenth-century to early twentieth-century commercial and retail streetscape. Along with the Town Hall, Paddington Post Office defines Paddington as a Victorian period suburb. Paddington Post Office is an architecturally distinct building of Victorian Italianate style, with such characteristics as fluted columns, pilasters, classically detailed arched windows, and parapeted roof.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	As a prominent civic building, Paddington Post Office is considered to be significant to the community of Paddington’s sense of place.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	The site has some potential to contain archaeological information which may provide information relating to the previous use of the site and the evolution of the building and out-buildings associated with the use by the Post Office.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	The design of Paddington Post Office is considered unusual for its curved corner and central pediment. Along with the Town Hall, Paddington Post Office makes an important contribution as defining Paddington as a clearly Victorian period suburb of Sydney. These streetscape qualities of the civic precinct are considered to be uncommon in the greater Sydney area.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	Paddington Post Office is a clear example the Victorian Italianate style of architecture. It is part of the group of nineteenth-century post offices in NSW designed by the Colonial Architect’s Office under James Barnet.
Integrity/Intactness:	While there have been a series of additions and alterations to Paddington Post Office, and the original form of the building is still apparent in remnant fabric, much of the remaining original interior fabric on the ground floor has been altered. The exterior is in very good condition and appears intact. The Post Office retains the features which make it culturally significant, including architectural details such as the classical front porch with fluted columns, central pediment, and parapeted roof, and its overall form, corner position and style.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:


	Preparation of a Conservation Management Plan which includes the outbuildings and a curtilage assessment.

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Recommended Management	Produce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)
Recommended Management	Prepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines
Recommended Management	Carry out interpretation, promotion and/or education

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) OF THE HERITAGE ACT 1977 Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977. I, the Hon James Griffin MP, Minister for Environment and Heritage, pursuant to subsection 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales do by this Order, effective at the time of publication in the New South Wales Government Gazette: 1. revoke the order made on 9 November 2020 and published in the Government Gazette Number 318 of 13 November 2020; and 2. grant the exemptions from subsection 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977 that are described in the attached Schedule. The Hon James Griffin MP Minister for Environment and Heritage Signed this 2nd day of June 2022. To view the standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977 click on the link below.	Jun 17 2022

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		01418	22 Dec 00	168	13875

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Australia Post - Assessment of 24 Post Office	2000		Godden Mackay Logan Pty Ltd	Jennifer Armstrong	Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	Andrew Ward & Associates and Clive Lucas Stapleton and Associates	1992	Australia Post Survey of Historic Properties in New South Wales
Written	Apperly, Irving and Reynolds	1989	A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture
Written	Attenbrow, Val		A pre-colonial history	View detail
Written	Bridges and McDonald	1988	James Barnet Colonial Architect
Written	Le Sueur, Angela	2016	Colonial Architects - part 2
Written	National Trust of Australia (NSW)	1990	National Trust of Australia (NSW) Classification Listing Paddington Post Office
Written	Pollen, Frances (author & editor)	1988	Paddington, in "The Book of Sydney Suburbs"
Written	Postmaster, Paddington	1979	Paddington Post Office
Written	Young, Greg (ed.) et al	2018	Paddington - a History	View detail

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5051289
File number:	H00/00153

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