Convenience for customers

Press, 23 July 1986, Page 44

Convenience for customers

East Linwood’s Post Office moved to Linwood City Mall last Monday to provide a more convenient service for customers. The new Post Office has been established at the south end of the mall, near the main entrance, at a cost of more than $120,000. The Post Office property manager, Mr Gavin Innes, said the new office was designed to present a more up-market image and provide service that customers need. The old Post Office had become too small for the present needs and there was no room available to enlarge the building,” Mr Innes said. There are six counter positions and three computer terminals installed in the new Post Office to make sure that customers are not kept waiting. Mr Innes said the new site in the mall would attract more business for the Post Office and additional staffing had been provided to cater for an expected increase in transactions. This has been reflected in the design, which allows for a much larger customer area and high

standard of interior finish. More space also means more private boxes for East Linwood residents. The Post Office has had a long association with people in the East Linwood area. Linwood’s first office was established in Mr J.A. Hansmann’s general store in 1893. It was able to provide a telephone, postal services and a savings bank. The Post Office later bought this building from Mr Hansmann and it continued to serve the area until 1938, when the building was replaced with a two-storey concrete building. A post-war building boom bought a large number of people to the area and it was decided to set up the first Post Office in East Linwood. The office was part of a grocer’s shop in Buckleys Road, and was manned by a staff of three. In 1960, this building was replaced by a Post Office on what was then a busy corner of Buckleys Road and Linwood Avenue. The contract price was £9525 and the builder had difficulties with the construction because the site was already surrounded on three sides by other buildings. With the move to the mall, the Post Office will no longer be using the old building.