Postal services for Waimea East began with twice-weekly communications between Nelson and the small settlement, operating on Wednesdays and Saturdays. By the 1860s the service had increased to a daily run.
It was not until May 1872 that the Nelson Provincial Council put plans in motion to build a telegraphic and post office building in Richmond. The search began for a half-acre section, with advertisements placed in the newspaper calling for landowners willing to sell. William Harkness offered a site on the corner of Queen Street and what is now McIndoe Place. Tenders were invited in August, and the building was completed and ready for use by the end of that year.
In early 1876 the new railway station at Richmond opened, and the Post and Telegraph office was moved there under the control of James Petrie. The original building was purchased by Waimea Roads Board and went through a number of owners until it was eventually bought by the Richmond Returned Services Association.
By the early 1900s there were growing complaints about the postal service. The stationmaster’s workload had increased as rail and goods traffic expanded, and with only one assistant he was often unable to promptly manage postal or telegraph duties. Delays in sending and receiving telegrams affected local businesses, reinforcing the need for a purpose-built Post Office. Petrie retired in 1903 after 31 years as Richmond’s postmaster.
The Government had purchased a site on Queen Street, roughly opposite Noel Leeming, in the early 1900s, but progress stalled for years. In July 1908, John Graham, MP, requested that the Postmaster General make provisions for constructing a Post Office, noting the site was already available. Plans were eventually drawn up by the Resident Engineer and tenders invited. W. E. Wilkes Ltd submitted the lowest tender of £743 16 shillings, which was accepted.
The new Post Office, which included a residence for the postmaster, opened for business on 9 August 1909, although without an official opening after organisers failed to secure any Government ministers or officials to attend.
This building stood for 61 years before being demolished in 1970, when a new New Zealand Post Office was built in Sundial Square. The service later shifted into Paper Plus at Richmond Mall and has recently moved back to Queen Street.
