Congratulations to Australia Post which is celebrating 200 years of postal services in Australia on 25 April 2009 . Our post office, now Australia Post, is the nation’s oldest institution – after the Australian Crown.
To commemorate this, Australia Post has established a fascinating site, https://200years.auspost.com.au/, which is well worth a visit.
Newspapers are carrying supplements on this, but among the particularly interesting features are the story of the Post Office, the great stamp issues (including one on the Coronation), a feature on those many wonderful Post Office buildings which are found all over our nation and a fascinating “Letters of a Nation” collection.
These letters rinclude a favourable response to an application by one Sym Choon returning from China for an exemption from the dictation test under the Immigration Act.
Another is from a merchant, one Khuda Bukhsh, signed by his son Jair Mohammed, which is addressed to the Governor-General, Lord Tennyson. It was sent with a petition to The King- Emperor, Edward VII to allow the import of 200 camels and 20 cameleers into Western Australia, then prohibited under a proclamation under the Stock Diseases Act. It was rejected on the advice of our first Prime Minister Sir Edmund Barton.
There are other features too many to list here. A visit to the site will demonstrate this.
Mr Graeme John, Managing Director and his colleagues at Australia Post are to be congratulated on this wonderful testament to this significant part of our national history.