Provided by the Morrinsville Heritage Centre, published in Morrinsville News, 26 March 2015.
On 1 March 1876 the first Post Office was opened in the Jolly Cripple Hotel and Mowbray was appointed Postmaster a month later.
The Post Office was originally called Waitoa but changed to Morrinsville on 1 August 1878.
Successions of storekeepers were appointed Postmaster until 1 April 1883 when Mr. J. Clifford was the last storekeeper to be appointed in the original Post Office building.
On 1 September 1884, the Post Office was transferred to the Railway Station and the Stationmaster also became the Postmaster.
Locals wanted a new Post Office in the centre of Morrinsville.
Twenty years later on 19 July 1909, a new wooden Post Office opened for business on Thames Street.
The Post Office was built by Mr R.C. Humphrey’s building firm.
Cost of the building was £1270 / 16 / - This building was enlarged by adding to the eastern side of the main building.
Fifty three years later on 10 October 1962, the next Post Office was built west along Thames Street on the corner of Lorne Street.
This corner is now occupied by the Wallace Art Gallery.
It was built by D.C. Street Construction Co. Ltd at a cost of £153,000/0/0 excluding the cost of equipment.
With the cost of the equipment the price rose to £350,000/0/0.
A feature of the building was an exposed internal that could be viewed through a glass window from the main banking area.
In April 1997 as the State Enterprise Organization, the New Zealand Post Ltd, moved from this location westward to 141 Thames Street (where the Tool Shed now is).
Since then the Post Office agency has been franchised and moved to its current location at Paper Plus.
