Long wait for new P.O.

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33110, 28 December 1972, Page 8

Long wait for new P.O.

The Mount Somers Post Office, which will have its hundredth birthday on New Year’s Day, came into existence on January 1. 1873, as Upper Ashburton. For 80 years, the office was in the railway’ station of the now-ciosed branch line to Ashburton, 26 miles to the east, and was only moved after years of agitation byresidents.

According to notes prepared by Mr R. G. Buchanan, of the Chief Post Office, Christchurch, Mount Somers had an earlier post office, opened on December 1, 1870, but on a site about about two miles from the present township.

The first postmaster was C. P. Cox. a brother-in-law of C. G. Tripp, from whom he bought the Mount Somers run. Tripp got this property when he and J. B. A. Acland dissolved their Mount Peel partnership in 1861. Cox had. apparently, been running an unofficial post office at the station homestead.

The original Mount Somers office was closed when the name of the Upper Ashburton office was changed to Mount Somers on December 13, 1876. At Upper Ashburton, the first postmaster was Richard Morgan, who ran the Cheapside store, about a mile east of the present township.

He was succeeded, about the time of the name change, by R. M. Spurr. When W. H. Puddicombe was postmaster in 1883, his store was destroyed by fire. The railway line from Ashburton was completed to Mount Somers in 1886, but it was not until 1892 that the first of a long succession of railwaymen, Mr J. H. Hawkes became postmaster, and telegrams were worked by the railway Morse instead of by telephone.

In 1897, T. Hix ran aj thrice-weekly’ mail service; from Mount'Somers up the; Ashburton Gorge on horse-, back, for £36 a year. He had been postmaster in 1883.

With the opening of the; railway, the Ashburton: County Council built a tram-1 way, which ran 10 miles from 1 Mount Somers to the lignite' coal mines, building stone and silica sand quarries west-' I wards of the township, and'

these ventures were operated with varying success. Tripp had opened the first coal mine in 1863, and the opening of the railway’ and the connecting tramway (operated by lessees) gave the products of the district a much wider distribution. The post office had its ups and downs, with complaints

about non-attendance by the railways staff, the non-deliv-ery of telegrams and general inefficiency. Residents’ complaints led to transfers and reorganisations. The introduction in 1933 of a thrice-weekly goods train, instead of the daily trains. led to more trouble, and in 1936, when Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P., asked for a separate post office, it was pointed out that the annual revenue was only £162 15s 6d.

Although alterations were made and effected some im-

provement. residents continued to agitate. In '1950. when the Railways Department asked the Post Office to take over, it was suggested that the office could be run in some suitable premises.

Although arrangements were made for Mrs M. L. Collinson to have the office at her home, in the township, what Mr Buchanan describes as pressure from residents

led her to withdrawal, and the demand for a permanent office was repeated—and refused. Eventually, part of the station was leased and partitioned off, Mrs I. Corkran becoming postmistress from September 14, 1956. The station was unstaffed from mid-1958.

A year later, the Mount Somers District Citizens’ Association was formed, its main job to get a permanent office at the township. A site was found alongside the store, bought for £5O, and on July 13, 1962, the new office was opened at a cost of £3028 10s. Mrs Collinson had succeeded Mrs Corkran as postmistress in 1960 and carried on in the new office until she resigned in 1966.

The tramway had closed in 1943, and the railway fol-1

lowed it in 1968. The present, postmistress is Mrs J. M. Thorndycroft. who was appointed on March 26, 1970. j She had had previous posti office experience in England J Business at the office has!

been declining but the opening of a new district auto-j matic telephone exchange ati Springbum is expected to bring more business for the: Mount Somers post office. i