LOOKING BACK: Western Bay of Plenty historic snapshot

Myra Tylee with her bike, Daisy Wright looks on. Photo / Western Bay Community Archives

Myra Tylee with her trusty bicycle stands in front of Katikati Post Office around 1919.

She was employed as a messenger to deliver telegrams for the post office. Standing at the window is Miss Daisy Wright who was the Post Mistress.

The first post office was built in 1885 next to the courthouse and police station.

The townsfolk of Katikati were keen to communicate, as by 1894 more than 300,000 letters, telegrams and packages were handled in the town’s post office.

On September 28, 1934, Katikati Post Office was the target of burglars who attempted to blow up the safe.

They were unsuccessful, and the police caught up with the villains soon after the robbery.

Then in 1940, the building caught fire in the middle of the night on October 11. By 1.30am, all that was left was the chimney.

A new post office was built and opened in July 1941 by Mr Claude Hume of Tauranga County Council and Mr FW Doidge, MP.

Postal services were moved to Jensen’s Stationery and Toys in 1997.