History of Five Frogs
The original Post Office from 1879.
In 1838 Thomas Iceley, who had established the large homestead calledCoombing Park, requested a town to support his workers in regard to law and order and administrative services.
The town of Carcoar began about 2 years later and was the third town to be established west of the Blue Mountains. By 1850 the village of Carcoar was the second most populous town west of Blue Mountains with a population of 500 people.
The post office was built in 1879. There is evidence of some post service to Carcoar as early as 1841 with a gentleman called Shillingfleet Locker as postmaster, but the official document of approval came in 1843 with Charles Cardwell, Clerk to the Chamber of Magistrates appointed as postmaster.
The post service at this stage would appear to have been run from the postmaster’s home.
In 1848 the Government Gazzete records the acceptance of a tender for mail service between Bathurst and Carcoar three times weekly by a two horse mail cart. In addition to this William Miller accepted a tender to deliver mail at Carcoar and Canowindra once a week on horseback.
Cobb & co took over the mail service in 1862.
Bushrangers were active in the district and in 1863 the Carcoar mail was held up by a gang who ransacked the post and searched the passengers for valuables.
In 1859 the telegraph was established in Bathurst and by 1870 they extended the line to Carcoar.
By 1872 Carcoar received the mail daily, and about 532 letters were posted weekly.
It was at this stage the residents in town felt that a purpose built post and telegraph office building was needed.
Official Government approval and construction took time so it was 7 years before Carcoar achieved its combined Telegraph and Post Office.
The post office was a two storey Victorian building of face brickwork with timber framed verandahs; timber double hung windows and had a hipped slate covered roof. The internal spaces were simple with cedar joinery and lath and plaster ceilings.
The postmaster’s residence occupied the majority of the building. The downstairs front room contained the post office (as it is today) and telegraph services. The rear yard was enclosed by high brick wall and contained a stable and battery room.
Long working hours is not a new invention; in 1876 the Western Railway Line was completed to Blayney. The mail would arrive in Blayney at 7 pm where a coach was waiting for the mail going to Carcoar, arriving in town at around 9 pm. The post office was required to remain open until 9.45 pm to allow the public to collect their mail.
In 1888 the railway line was extended to Carcoar.
In the last 23 years Anna Fernley has been in charge of the post office and was living in the residence with her husband John and her 6 children. The family sold the house to John and Hilde Gerathy in 2004. John and Anna (together with their now grown up daughters) are back, managing the Guest and Tea House. Anna is still running the post office from the same place as it started in 1879.
History about Carcoar Village:
Carcoar Village Association www.carcoar.org