Phillip Smith came into Boomi from Kunopia and built a home at the western end of Duff Street. He added a room to the house and became the Postmaster in 1907 and the Post Office as such was moved from Bishop Street.
After repeated representation by local residents, the Post Office was made semi-official in October, 1907, and the telephone exchange was installed in the office on 27 June, 1911. Ethel Smith conducted the exchange at Kunopia in 1912, the year it closed, and came on into the Boomi exchange. Phillip Smith was the Postmaster at Boomi for twenty- two years.
In 1929 the office was reduced in status to an Allowance Office, for which the Postmaster received a salary calculated on a scale rate for the business transacted, but as from 1 July, 1942 approval was given to restore the office to a full-time service, providing full postal and saving bank facilities
By 1942 the old premises were inadequate and tenders were called to provide an office at the Postmaster General's specification. Jack Adams, Guildford, had the present office and residence built on his land in Bishop Street. The Department rented the office and the Postmaster rented the residence. The old office closed and transferred the services to the new premises, which offered full office and banking facilities as well as the telephone exchange.
There are now one hundred subscribers and seven trunk lines operated by a manual exchange and works are under way to have the exchange fully automatic by 1988.
BOOMI POSTMASTERS and POSTMISTRESSES:
William Jakins 17. 8. 1900 Kenneth Coe 1. 1. 1948 Phillip Smith 1. 3.1907 Harold Craig 6. 2. 1963 Gerald Brindley 8. 3. 1929 James Armitage 1. 7. 1979 Lillian Brindley 14. 8. 1933 Peter Blake 27. 2. 1981 John Collins 2. 6. 1939 Jan Alien 6. 1. 1983 Waiter Hilder 1. 9. 1939 Joy Hobbs 20. 8. 1986 Arthur Coe 11. 9. 1946All historical information and B & W Pictures contained in this site are from the book UP ON THE BORDER BOOMI by Ellen Allen, published in 1988, and used with permission.
Kunopia - The Township | Village of Boomi | The Artesian Bore | Boomi Post Office |
Royal Hotel | Pioneer Hotel | Police Station | Boomi Public School |