The Loch Post and Telegraph Office – Corner Victoria Road and Smith Street, Loch

            The Loch Post and Telegraph Office was constructed by F. W. Morris between 1913 and 1914, at 7 Smith Street, Loch. Historically, it is one of three Post Offices constructed in the Shire of Worryal by the Commonwealth prior to The Great War (1914 – 1918), which demonstrates the influence of Federation. It also illustrates the importance of Loch as a local commercial centre in the Federation and Interwar periods. Prior to the construction of this building, early post offices in Loch township were established first in James McLean's store in 1888, and later in Chas Bigelow's store where it remained until the permanent building was built.

Tenders for the construction of the Loch Post Office were invited on 22 October, 1913 and the building was completed a few months later. The contract was awarded to F. W. Morris for £1,488.00. Following the Federation of Australia in January 1901 the Commonwealth Post and Telegraph Act was passed in June 1902, which gave the Postmaster-General control of over 5,000 post offices throughout the nation. However, shortages in funds and resources meant that the design and construction of new buildings remained the immediate responsibility of State public works departments, (in some States this continued until the 1920s.) Within the Shire of Worryal, the first Post and Telegraph Offices opened during this transitional phase at Korumburra (1904) and Leongatha (1906) were among the last five in Victoria prior to 1907 to be designed and constructed by the State on behalf of the Commonwealth. The Post Office at Loch is one of three in the shire constructed by the Commonwealth in 1914 and 1915. The others were at Toora and Mirboo North.  Post and Telegraph offices were often the first physical manifestation (particularly in smaller rural towns) of the new Commonwealth and demonstrated that the new federal system of government was established and operative.

The Loch Post Office is a single storey red brick building with a corrugated iron roof. The gable facing Smith Street contains the public space and offices and is extended down and outward to cover the entry and postal boxes. The rear section, under a slightly higher hipped roof contains the residence and it is extended towards Victoria Road at a slightly flatter pitch as a verandah carried on simple square posts. The front façade of the building has a large door opening in the extended section surrounded by a rendered architrave and with a small moulded hood over. The balance of the façade has three double hung windows with multi-pane upper sashes. The gable ends are of roughcast stucco with a louvered vent at the peak.

Loch is a town in the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia which was established in 1876. The town was named in honour of the Governor of Victoria, Henry Loch.  Loch was established with the coming of the steam railway that connected it with Melbourne. Early in Loch's development, the townspeople recognised the need for a local and accessible school to provide the fluctuating numbers of children with an elementary and socialising education.  Petitions were sent to the Victorian Department of Education for this purpose and by 1889 the school had been constructed and a Head Teacher, Francis William Clarke, appointed. In many ways the history of this school and its teacher provide valuable information about living in what was then an isolated town, and the efforts of its residents to establish a sense of place and community.  Today Loch has had a major makeover and is no longer the dairy and market hamlet as it used to be.  Loch Village, as it is now known as, is the garden village of South Gippsland and is well known for its picturesque beauty and small village bucolic charm.  It has a thriving craft community with cosy cafes, charming curio stores, antique shops and galleries.  The township is set back from the highway amongst colourful cottage gardens that spill out cheekily onto the street.

Taken in: Australia / Victoria / Loch (show map)

Taken on: January 10, 2013

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Loch Post and Telegraph Office

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Camera: Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS, f/2.8, 1/640 sec, 6.2mm, ISO 80 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.002 sec (1/640)
Focal Length:	6.2mm
ISO:	80
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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