[1] An unofficial post office was established at Rockhampton in 1858 at a store in Little Quay Street and in 1861 was relocated to a chemist shop.

In December 1862, Postmaster General Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior recommended the establishment of an official post office in Rockhampton.

The delivery room of the new Post Office introduced an innovation in customer service by installing a counter in order to hand correspondence to the public instead of the usual method of serving through a small window.

[1] In the three decades leading to the establishment of the 1892 post office, Rockhampton had proved itself a thriving commercial centre due to its position as an official port of entry servicing a vast area of central Queensland.

The immense financial boost from the Mount Morgan gold rush in the 1880s further established Rockhampton as a wealthy commercial centre.

The grand structure of the Rockhampton Post Office symbolised the prominence of the city during this period and the confidence which was held for its future.

Many buildings of similar architectural and aesthetic calibre which were constructed in Rockhampton during this period (e.g. Quay Street) were a manifestation of the city's economic wealth.

With Federation looming, the establishment of the Rockhampton Post Office was held as a great boon to the advancement of the Central Queensland separationist movement which had long supported a political rivalry with the capital of Brisbane.

While the grand, stone exterior of the post office has remained largely intact, the interior of the building has been altered a number of times to accommodate the changing needs of the postal and telegraph services.

A separate space for parcels was created at the rear of the building with a new public counter accessible through the Denham Street arcade.

Rockhampton was one of the seven original telegraph traffic centres to be equipped in 1947 with an Auxiliary radio channel for use during periods of land line failure.

[1] The post office was originally constructed as separate postal and telegraph buildings linked together by means of a clock tower and an arcaded sandstone facade to both street frontages.

[1] The arcaded sandstone facade is punctuated by projecting balconies which are supported by columns at each corner flanking entrance steps.

The ground floor arcade comprises arches, with expressed keystones, separated by pilasters and surmounted by a deep entablature with triglyphs.

Steps are located below the projecting balconies and at the corner of East and Denham Streets, and the ceiling is finished with fibrous cement sheeting.

[1] The first floor arcade comprises columns supporting an entablature with dentils, surmounted by a sandstone parapet balustrade to the roof.

The arcade has arched sections with expressed keystones located behind the projecting balconies, flanking the clock tower, and at the end corners of both street elevations.

[1] The base of the clock tower has a central entrance at the ground level surmounted by sandstone corbelling supporting a projecting balcony above.

The clock tower has a square plan with corner pilasters supporting a deep entablature with dentils surmounted by a sandstone parapet balustrade to the roof.

The tower is crowned by a cast iron cupola, which consists of a central dome, surmounted by a spire, with pediments supported by columns to four sides.

A tall masonry wall abuts this elevation, adjoining the adjacent building to the northwest, forming a vehicular entrance to the rear service court.

The southeast end contains mail sorting facilities, with partitioned office areas including the original strongroom, adjacent to the central entry.

[1] The central section of the first floor has a fibrous cement panelled ceiling with a partitioned office which fronts the arcade with a large sash window in a rendered masonry wall.

The post office, through its scale, detailing and prominent clock tower, is recognised as a local landmark and makes an important contribution to the Rockhampton streetscape and townscape.

The building is an important component of the civic centre of Rockhampton, and the detailing of its materials and finishes demonstrate a fine quality of workmanship.

Its landmark position and its role as a meeting place for the local community has established the post office building as a symbol of Rockhampton.