Port Pirie Post Office

The post office, as one of an important group of commercial and public buildings in Port Pirie, helps demonstrate the economic development of the region.

Major alterations early in the building's history reflect the significantly increased volume and status of the place, and enhanced the primary concept of public frontal components with duality relating to post and telegraphic functions.

The town of Port Pirie then underwent new development after the opening of a lead smelter by BHP in 1889; this was later further expanded until, by 1934, it was the largest single-unit lead-smelting works in the world.

(Warmington and Ward; SA State Heritage Register assessment) In the 1950s Port Pirie was proclaimed as South Australia's first provincial city.

This had stucco quoins, boxed eaves with intermittent paired brackets, round-arched windows with heavy stone sills, a cast-iron verandah and a central pediment, broken on the underside to allow a clock installation.

The south side elevation of Woods’ design remained visible from an oblique angle from Ellen street until the construction of an enlarged mail room in 1966; for purposes of the ‘original’ building, though, the 1899-1905 alterations have been in place for over 100 years.

[2] As viewed from Ellen Street, the Port Pirie Post Office is a double-storey, symmetrical composition of rendered brick construction with a central pediment break front.

The northern porch provides the main entrance to the present post shop, a conversion of the former mail room, which is defined by a roof lantern.

The north side elevation steps down from two floor levels at the front, to single storey at the rear, the latter relating to the lantern-roofed mail room.

[2] Internally, a succession of alterations associated with changes to the program and general refurbishment have greatly diminished the building's ability to demonstrate the original planning and function, particularly at ground floor level.

[2] Internally and externally, the building appears to be in relatively sound structural condition with the exception of some wall cracking and water ingress at first floor level.

The post office, as one of an important group of commercial and public buildings in Port Pirie, helps demonstrate the economic development of the region.

Major alterations early in the building's history reflect the significantly increased volume and status of the place, and enhanced the primary concept of public frontal components with duality relating to post and telegraphic functions.

More generally, the post office maintains its expressive qualities and a harmonious relationship with its surroundings and is a powerful component of the main Port Pirie commercial and civic precinct, together with the nearby docks and neighbouring former police station and customs house.