Two Senior P.O.S.B. Officials To Retire

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31000, 4 March 1966, Page 17

Two Senior P.O.S.B. Officials To Retire

Two senior officers of the Christchurch Post Office Savings Bank are about to retire after 40 years’ service. They are the manager (Mr R. C. Burr), who goes on annual leave today before retirement, and the assistant manager (Mr J. T. Williamson), whose last day of service will be next Thursday. Mr Burr has been manager of the savings bank in Christchurch for the last five years. He joined the post office at Thames in 1926 and has been with the savings branch for 30 years. He was first appointed manager of the savings bank at Blenheim, where he stayed for three years, and later went to Hamilton. He has also worked in Auckland, Wellington and Wanganui. Mr Burr noted important changes in the savings bank arrangements in Christchurch during the last five years. These included a switch to the more convenient ledger teller system, extensions to the premises in Hereford street and the opening of interview rooms for clients adjacent to the manager’s office. “I leave Christchurch with a certain amount of pride in the development that has occurred here.” he said. Mr Burr will retire to Hamilton, his home town. Only Two House# Mr Williamson joined the: post office as a message boy • at Akaroa in September, 1925.: and was transferred to I Christchurch in 1928 and became a postman. “In those days my route i took me out to Wharenui I road, where there were only! two houses and nothing beyond,” he said. In 1929 he went to Dunsandel for two years, then to! Hawarden, Rangiora jmd Han-i mer. Mr Williamson transferred to the savings branch in 1935, and, except for three years’ war service in the Middle East and Italy, was stationed in Christchurch until 1953. He was then posted to Whangarei as supervisor for six years, went to Hamilton in 1959, Wellington in 1969

for five months and then to Invercargill. He spent two years and a half at Dunedin before returning to Christchurch as assistant manager in 1964. Mr Williamson has the distinction of serving at both the southernmost and northernmost chief post offices in New Zealand.