POSTMASTER RETIRES

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30943, 27 December 1965, Page 10

POSTMASTER RETIRES

Family Link

Broken

A family link with postal services in the South Island dating back more than half a century was broken on Christmas Eve with the retirement !of the Riccarton Postmaster (Mr M. Sewell) on the completion of 42 years' service with the Post Office. Mr Sewell started as a messenger boy at Mayfield, near Ashburton, in 1924. From 1905 until 1922 his parents. Mr and Mrs D. Sewell. had conducted postal business from a room in their house. His brother, Mr J. Sewell, became a messenger boy when an official post office building was opened at Mayfield in 1922.

Before becoming postmaster at Riccarton. Mr Sewell held similar positions in Central Otago, and at Leeston, Pleasant Point, Little River, and Sydenham.

The Riccarton Post Office in 1952, Mr Sewell recalled, was the den of droves of rats which fought pitched battles with as many cats. The smell of the place was cause for public complaint, but the staff were so used to it they were immune, he said.

Riccarton had since expanded and had a post office to match. Business had trebled, and streamlined methods of handling it had been introduced.

Neither of Mr Sewell’s two sons intends joining the postal service. Mr Sewell himself intends to continue working.