Early Mail Days

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 154, 27 March 1937, Page III (Supplement)

Early Mail Days

The first record of an official mail in the Colony is in the year 1831, when a Mr. Powditch claimed that he was commissioned by the Postmaster-Gen-eral of New South Wales to receive and make up mails at the Bay of Islands. How long he held the job and under what conditions is not known. In 1840 we find a Mr. Mair acting as an unofficial postmaster at Kororakeka. Upon his arrival as Governor, Captain Hobson initnediately get up an official post office. Because of the heavy charges and certain doubtful, if not dishonest, transactions, this department met with scant favour by the residents. Shortly after, offices were opened at Port Nicholson. Coromandel, Auckland, Hokiariga and Waimate (Bay Of Islands). We find a record to the effect that Mr. G. Cooper, of Auckland, established an overland mail service between Auckland and New Plymouth, via Kawbia in 1843. A service bad in 1841 been established between Wellington and Petre-. ’ Although these- services were carried on by the help of the natives, they are much earlier than that recorded by your correspondent of last week. With rekpebt to the WellingtoriWanganul service, I have the following record. In November, 1844, the Wellington postmaster received authority from Captain Hobson to pay the mail man £1 for each journey. The journey took five days, and a strong protest was lodged by some five Wanganui J.P.’s on the score that the sum allowed barely was sufficient to supply the needful provisions.- -H. D. Million, New Plymouth.