Four years ago, the 1909 Wakefield Post Office was derelict and facing an uncertain future. At the end of this month, the village will be in celebration mode as the restored landmark opens its doors as a café and gift store with a touch of nostalgia.
The grand old building gets a new lease of life as the Wakefield Emporium on 31 October, with bunting created by local school children stretching across the street and Tasman District Mayor Tim King officially opening the building with a plaque marking the occasion.
From rejuvenating the cupola that crowns the building to replacing the sash-window counterweights, Helen and James Cooper had a major task ahead of them when they purchased the building in 2022.
“I just fell romantically in love with it,” Helen confesses. “A lot of people were put off by the amount of work they had to do, but we just loved that whole process and bringing this building back to where it used to be.”
While they wanted to honour the building’s history, they also wanted to give it a new identity, and she says they hope they have achieved that.
“I’m very excited and quietly nervous. We wanted it to be so special for the community and hopefully we live up to the expectations.
“The whole thing is to have something a bit vibey and that old mercantile feeling about it, but with a modern twist. Something that brings back nostalgia.”
In the heart of the building is the original vault, whose heavy metal door opens to offer a glimpse into the building’s history as the post office and telegraph exchange for the village.
Throughout the restoration and renovation, locals - and sometimes people from further afield – have told them stories of the building’s past. Much of its story is captured on the walls of the vault, put together by Post Memory creator Sarah Arnold and her team.
“We’ve had some lovely stories,” Helen says. “A man in his late 70s came in. He was three when he lived here and said: ‘I’m looking for my bedroom, because my father was the postmaster’.
“We’ve had a lot of people come in and say they used to bank here.”
Locals have also unearthed some of the relics that once graced the post office.
“One of the most exciting things was that the clock that was on top of the building has been located and is coming back!”
After spending much of the past two years working on the community gem, the couple are now focused on opening the front of the building as a café. While Helen has a workroom in the building where she will continue to upcycle and refurbish, James is learning the science of good coffee from their barista.
“We do have the best coffee machine in the world!”
The reopening takes place at 10am on 31 October, with part of the road closed off for locals to gather for the ceremony.
