Story: Mail and couriers

Kaitāia post office (2nd of 3)

Kaitāia post office

The important job of running a small country post office was often held by a woman. Here Miss Sophie Matthews, postmistress at Kaitāia in the Far North, stands at the door of her post office in about 1915. The sign overhead says ‘Money Order Office, Post Office Savings Bank’. A post office like this was often the only financial institution in a small community.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Northwood Collection (PA-Group-00027)
Reference: 1/1-026523; G
Photograph by Arthur James Northwood

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Tim Shoebridge, 'Mail and couriers - Mail in the steam era, 1850s–1890s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/23051/kaitaia-post-office (accessed 9 May 2024)

Story by Tim Shoebridge, published 11 Mar 2010