The first official postal service in Australia was established in April 1809, when the Sydney merchant Isaac Nichols was appointed as the first Postmaster in the colony of New South Wales.

The NSW colonial government constructed two lines from the General Post Office, Sydney, one to the South Head Signal Station, the other to Liverpool.

[1] The appointment of James Barnet as Acting Colonial Architect in 1862 coincided with a considerable increase in funding to the public works program.

The post offices constructed during this period featured in a variety of architectural styles, as Barnet argued that the local parliamentary representatives always preferred "different patterns".

During the same year, money orders were introduced into the NSW postal system and it was thought preferable by the Colonial Government to have official Postmasters in larger offices not connected with any other businesses in town.

Scrowcroft then became the first official full-time Postmaster in Goulburn, which in turn was the second busiest country post office in NSW, after Bathurst, issuing money orders.

By 1870 the town boasted four newspapers, and in 1871 an agency for the New South Wales Government Savings Bank opened in Goulburn Post Office.

Built by local builder F. Horn, the post office was officially opened in 1881 by the Postmaster-General Francis Bathurst Suttor and was attended by the Postmaster William Johnson, John Robertson, Colonel Hollowbrow, the mayor and other dignitaries.

Parades of mounted police, local bands and schoolchildren added to the spectacle, with a public holiday proclaimed in Goulburn to celebrate.

Lighting was provided along the colonnade to highlight the architectural features, a new loading bay and conveyor were also constructed adjacent to the mailroom to allow easier access to mail trucks.

The first floor of the building was completely refurbished and fitted out to house Australia Post's Divisional Manager, Southern Tablelands Division and staff.

The work was completed by Hexen Constructions of the Australian Capital Territory at a total cost of $870,000, of which $75,000 was used on structural repairs and stabilisation and $26,000 on the provision of a disabled access ramp.

It is an imposing, three-storey, symmetrical, rendered Victorian Italianate building featuring a dominant four and a half-storey clock tower at the centre of the front facade.

While the original first-floor front verandahs have been infilled, there is a concrete rear deck at the centre of the first floor with parapet balustrade and access to the steel fire escape.

The ground-floor is lit by pendant and fluorescent lighting and there is air-conditioning ducting installed in the suspended ceiling and walls of the centre-southern office.

They are mainly constructed of polished timber, with turned posts and balusters, sheet vinyl treads and painted carved brackets.

There are mature trees along the footpath in front of the Post Office, the path being paved with bitumen and brick pavers and the rear yard of the building is concreted.

Goulburn Post Office retains the features which make it culturally significant, including the arcaded loggia, prominent tower with classical motifs and symmetry, along with its overall grand scale, form and architectural style.

[1] Intrusive elements include the concrete ramp to the southern end of the front facade, the telephone booth structure to the north-west corner and the large face brick Telstra building to the rear.

Lighting was provided along the colonnade to highlight the architectural features, a new loading bay and conveyor were also constructed adjacent to the mailroom at the rear.

The first floor of the building was completely refurbished and fitted out to house Australia Post's Divisional Manager, Southern Tablelands Division and staff.

[1] The retail fitout to the ground floor, including display wall panelling and laminated counters in a grey colour scheme, was carried out in the mid-1990s.

The form and scale of Goulburn Post Office reflects the city's status as a thriving regional centre in the late nineteenth century.

Along with the Town Hall, former Mechanics Institute and Court House, Goulburn Post Office forms an important civic group of buildings that help define the historic character of the city.

The form and scale of Goulburn Post Office also reflects the city's status as a thriving regional centre in the late nineteenth century.

These features, along with the celebrations at the time of the official opening of the post office, also provide an insight into the way of life in Goulburn during this period.

Goulburn Post Office was designed by Colonial Architect James Barnet, a key practitioner of the Victorian Italianate style of architecture.

Goulburn Post Office is aesthetically significant because it is a distinctive example of the Victorian Italianate style, with finely scaled detailing and characteristics including the classical motifs on the tower and the bracketed eaves.

The grand scale, architectural style and location of the building, along with the prominent corner clock tower, also make it a focal point defining the character of Goulburn's main thoroughfare, endowing it with landmark qualities.

Along with the Town Hall, former Mechanics Institute and Court House, Goulburn Post Office forms an important civic group of buildings which help define the historic character of the city.