Community Contributed

Post Offices serving Muhunoa East

Kete Horowhenua2020-03-23T17:03:10+00:00
The first Post Office to serve the district was opened on 1st September, 1874. Mr. John Kebbel was the Postmaster and the office was at his residence which was situated at the extreme west end of Muhunoa West Road and was then called Ohau. In the days before the railway, the mail bag was taken to the beach three times a week to go to Wellington by the coach and was collected on the other three days. The coach ran from Wellington to Foxton. The journey apparently taking a full day each way. Incidentally Mr. Kebbel was the first white settler to reside at Ohau.

When the railway opened, Mr. Kebbel used to meet the train and collect the mail, open the bag and stamp the letters, and hand them to eager settlers waiting for them.

In 1901, the Post Office was shifted to the office of the sawmill of Messrs. Whiley and Rolston at the Railway Station. This office was connected by telephone with the Post Office at Otaki. When the sawmill closed down in 1893(?) the Post Office was moved to Mr. Wilson’s Bakery in the township a little north of the store and on the east side of the Main Road and continued there until the present Post Office was built and opened in 1925 [shown on the left in 2007].

The Post Office records that the office was temporarily closed from 12th February, 1875 to March 1st 1875.

A Post Office was opened at Muhunoa East on 2nd November, 1908, at the residence of Mr. A.S. Death, he being the Postmaster. The mail was delivered from the Ohau Post Office daily. This office was closed on 23rd October, 1915. For some years after a rural delivery was established, the residents contributing £1 per year for this service.

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