HERETAUNGA POST OFFICE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 182, 22 April 1918, Page 6

HERETAUNGA POST OFFICE

NEW BUILDING OPENED.

The new post office at Heretautiga was opened on Saturday by the PostmasterGeneral (Sir Joseph Ward . The buildiiW which is" in charge ol a, poltmistes (Miss L. CMoir) contains a public office, a eephone bureau room, a letter-box vestibule, a telephone exchange room, and other accommodation. It is .to serve as a central office for the district Ihe M™" 1""* post office is to be cosed, and at fientham only a forwarding office, for telecrams and bureau communications will be retained. The letter-carriers delivery will now extend from Hereiaunga as far north as the road leading o Trentham Camp, and as far south astlio last householder on the- road to Stokes Valley Sir Joseph Ward performed the opening ceremony in the presenco of a considerable number of residents. He said that the name Heretaunga was stated to mean "the ground in the dip, or m tho more poetical sense, "The homo of rest He was informed by Mr. John Baiton, of Trenthnm, that the name in an oil record was spelled "Eretaunga. Iha same record stated that the Hntt River was navigable for eighty miles froin the sea. TluWandm the vicinity of Heretaunga originally belonged to some gentlemen in England, and for years waa looked upon us absentee land, several people built whaves on it. After some years the New Zealand Land' Company secured the bind, and several selectors came from England and took up sections but could not get titles. Dr. Evans and Mr.&udlnm were more fortunate; they got titles to their land, but they did not persevere with the development. ino section on which the Horotamiga oflico stands was owned by Mr. Ludlani,. afterwards bv Dr. Evans and then by Mr. M'Culloiigh, who had some property at the back, to which he wanted a nglit-ot-way. This properly, now the site of the Trentham Military Camp, was purchased bv the Defence Department from Mr. M'Culloiigh. The right-of-way was used'by people' travelling to and from Whitcman's Valley. Mr. Bartons fa her owned a largo block of laud on the other side of the road, which ,he obtained from the New Zealand Land Company. Ho occupied it for several years, until it became the property of Mr. John Barton, juiir., who some years later (in 1906) sola 174 acres of it to the Wellington Golf Club, which in turn sold that part known as "The Terrace," on sections on which residences have sinco been erect-

ed. The Minister referred to the rapid growth of the Herctaunga district, and congratulated the residents on tho improved facilities that the Post and telegraph Department wns now able to plnca at their disposal. The postal and telegraph business of the district had grown greatly in recent years,'and he had no doubt'that the increase would continue. To show the increase of the department's business, which indicates tho progress of tho district, he quoted somo figures showing the combined business ot the Trenlham and Silverslreani offices for the years 11)07, ML', and 1017. Iho figures for 1917 are affected by the establishing of the Trentham military camp. The number of articles posted at the two offices in 1907 was 1-1,780, in 1912 2G,2,0, and in 1917 2S,oflfl; articles delivered numbered 29,860. -W.SriO, and 57.350; postago revenue, m, .£132, £250; telegrams forwarded and received numbered in 1907 11,270, and in 1917 15.280. Tho telegraph revenue increased in the ten years from .£76 to .£163. After Sir Joseph Ward had turned tho key of the public door of tho post offico he declared the building "well and truly opened." Mr. Tolhurst, in a brief speech of thanks, called for three cheers for the Postmaster-General, which wcrs given with a will, and all present then inspected the new office. The parly were afterwards entertained al .lunch at the golf houso by Mr. G. E. Tolhurst.