PLEASANT POINT SEVENTIETH YEAR

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 21001, 1 April 1938, Page 4

PLEASANT POINT SEVENTIETH YEAR

POST OFFICE OPENED IN 1868 GROWTH OF BUSINESS On April 1, 1868, seventy years ago to-day, a Post Office was established at Pleasant Point. The first Postmaster was Mr James Gammie, and his successors with the dates of their appointment, were as follows: Mr J. Strachan, January 1, 1873; Mr I. L. Morris, January 1, 1876; Mr B. Pilkington. February 3, 1876 • Mr W. Toweraker, October 1, 1878; Mr W. O. Payne, July 1, 1884; Mr H. W. Laurell, October I, 1884; Mr H. W. Watson, April 2°, 1890; Mr H. S. Smith, July 21, 1890 Mr G. H. Cottam, January 30, 1896; Mr R. G. Jamieson, January 21, 1898; Mr G. H. Cottam, July 27, 1898; Mr J. T. Quinn, October 13, 1900; Mr W. J. Veal, January 7, 1901; Mr F. Truman, August 2, 1902; Mr R. Davidson, April 22, 1905; Mr H. D. Lowry, October 7, 1907; Mr G. L. Brown May 24, 1911; Mr E. Dollimore, November 20, 1902; Mi G. W. McCarthy, December 1, 1921; Mr L. S. King, July 21, 1927. The present Postmaster, Mr H. Grocott, was appointed on May 27. 1931. Shortly after the opening of the section of the railway between Washdyke and Pleasant Point on December 24, 1875, post office business was transferred tc the railway station building, and Mr B. Pilkington was the first Stationmaster-Postmaster. In 1910, a request was made by the residents for the separation of the Post Office from the railway station, and the Department >ecided to provide a separate building. In October of that year, a section with an area of an eighth of an acre with a four-roomed building, was purchased from Mr E. Halstead. It was proposed to convert the building into a Post Office at an estimated cost of £7O. A petition signed by Messrs Robert Knox, John Crawford and others, was presented to the Rt. Hon. J. G. Ward through the Member of Parliament for the district, Mr T. Buxton, asking that the money should not be spent in converting the old building into a Post Office, but that a new building should be erected. After an inspection by an officer of the Department, approval for a new office was given. P)st Office C-pened Mr Buxton opened the new Post Office officially on December 23, 1912, but it had been open for business about a month earlier. Mr E. Dollimore was the first officer of the Department’s permanent Aaff to be appointed Postmaster at Pleasant Point. A comparison of the business transacted during 1904 with that done at the present time is interesting from ohe point cf view of the growth in traffic at Pleasant Point during the intervening 33 years. Details appear in the following table:— 1904. 1937. Letters posted 32,942 72,098 Letters deliverer .. .. 32.149 88,530 Money-orders issued .. 286 341 Money-orders paid .. 91 126 Savings-bank deposits 117 527 Savings - bank withdrawals 45 197 When the telephone exchange at Pleasant Point was ope..ed on June 14, 1913, there w’ere 17 subscribers connected. To-day, the number is 140. In 1914, the first year after .he exchange opened, 3544 outward toll calls were handled, and the value was £92/15/5. The corresponding figures for Ip st year were 25,250 outward toll calls valued at £477. There are now six officers engaged on the staff of the Pleasant Point Post Office.