Tuesday, 8 May 2018

Underground Post office, Coober Pedy, Australia










COOBER PEDY OPAL MINE, UNDERGROUND POST OFFICE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

At the bottom of the cover dated 1934, on the Left hand side, the post master has printed From Coober Pedy - The Only Underground Dug Out Post Office In The World A.P. North, Postmaster .

A printed insert is found which had a message that was the same as the manuscript on the front of the cover 

Also included in the pictures above is what Martin Walker’s book ‘ Post, Telegraph and Telephone Offices of South Australia and the Northern Territory’ 2004, page 86, says.

Lastly a picture of the now defunct Post office, replaced by a mannequin of the post master.




A post office was first established at Stuart’s Range Opal Fields on 18 th September 1920. The Post Office was located underground as protection from the heat but was shifted to a store above the ground in November 1953.

As per a  letter from the State Philatelic Officer, Australia Post, Adelaide  which was dated 16 August 1985, this cover "is not an ‘official’ envelope used by Australia Post . Rather it was a souvenir envelope developed by the Coober Pedy postmaster to satisfy 1000s of collectors.



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