CHARLESTON
below the surface. All the material for construction, and stone for packing around the poles, had to be transported on packhorses over difficult country.
Later, lines were constructed from Greymouth to Reefton, and in 1877 a branch line was erected from Reefton to Westport by way of Inangahua Junction. This meant that Westport was served by two lines; one from Greymouth via Charleston, and the other via Reefton.
On account of the difficulty and expense of maintaining the Greymouth-Charleston-Westport circuit, the Greymouth-Charleston section of it was dismantled and only the Charleston-Westport section retained.
The two services, Telegraph and Postal, were separate departments until 31st December, 1880, when they amalgamated. The Charleston office changed from a telegraph service to a telephone service in 1889. The old Post Office building was sold, for removal, for £5, in 1936; and the present building was erected on the same site in 1937.
There was regular delivery of telegrams at Charleston but not of letters; only counter delivery of latter being made. However, the postmaster advertised from time to time the addresses of any lying undelivered. Apparently these were few; an advertisement in the Charleston Herald in 1873 showed only four.
Some examples of the volume of business at the Charleston Post Office are:—
Telegraph: Brighton-Charleston-Westport line, 1868; number of telegrams 1551; revenue £252.
P.O. Savings Bank: On 1st February, 1867, there were in the Nelson Province, Savings Banks at the five principal offices only. In April of the same year there were 39 others, of which Charleston was one. Examples of Savings Bank business at Charleston during the first twenty years are:—
Deposits: 1868—£5,702; 1870—£4,872; 1888—£938. Withdrawals: 1868—£1,618; 1870—£3,023; 1888—£656.
Postmasters and Postmistresses: 1st May, 1867—Mr. C. J. Anderson; 11th January, 1868—Mr. Andrew Alexander; 1st December, 1871—Mr. Wm. St. George Douglas; 1st December, 1877—Mr. J. Salmon; 10th August, 1878—Mr. John J.
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