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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Taranaki, Hawke's Bay & Wellington Provincial Districts]

General Government Institutions

General Government Institutions.

Post Office.

The Wanganui General Post Office, at the corner of Victoria Avenue and Ridgway Street, is a handsome two-storeyed brick building with a square clock tower. The entire building is used for the accommodation of the post, telegraph, and money order and savings bank departments; the ground floor contains the postal department, and the upper floor the telegraph and telephone department. The exchange has 680 subscribers—the fifth largest in the colony—and about seventeen borough connections. The office is a first grade chief post office; there is a staff of 105 persons under the chief postmaster, and 106 sub-offices. The cable under Cook Straits, connecting the South Island at Wakapuaka, is worked from this office. The cable, though laid in the year 1877, is, owing to the sandy nature of the marine bed, as sound as when laid.

Denton, photoPost Office, Wanganui.

Denton, photo
Post Office, Wanganui.

Mr David Miller was appointed Chief Postmaster at Wanganui in the year 1902. He was born at Napier, where he was educated, and entered the service of the Post Office as a cadet in 1873. Some years later he was transferred to Christchurch, where he remained for seventeen years. He held various positions, including those of accountant, chief clerk, and subsequently inspector, before receiving his present appointment.

Police Department.

The Wanganui Police District extends from Shannon to Mokau, and from the sea coast to Lake Taupo. In 1898 Wanganui became the head-quarters of the police district, which comprises thirty-four stations. Inspector Edward Wilson, formerly of Greymouth, is in charge. The staff includes five sergeants, and sixty-three constables and detectives.

Railway Department.

The Wanganui District of New Zealand Government Railways forms part of the Wel-lington-Napier-New Plymouth section, and extends from Foxton to Woodville, from Palmerston North to New Plymouth, and to all branches, including the Main Trunk line as far as Mata-roa. The Eastown workshops at Aramoho are controlled by the Locomotive Engineer at Petone. The offices of the traffic department at Wanganui are at the railway station, Taupo Quay. Mr Walter Stringle-man is District Traffic Manager, and Mr C. H. Biss, District Engineer. 400 persons are employed in the Traffic branch; 270 in the Maintenance branch, and 175 at the Eastown Workshops.

The Railway Station is a new two-storeyed wooden building with a tiled roof. The first floor is occupied by the departmental staff, and the ground floor contains the ticket office and public lobby, ladies' and gentlemen's waiting rooms, stationmaster's office, traffic inspector's office, and luggage and porters' rooms. The office of the district engineer and his staff is in a separate building. There is also a goods department and a large wharf and shed. The station staff number forty-five permanent, and thirty casual wharf hands. Eleven trains arrive and depart daily. Mr Joseph Smith is Stationmaster-in-charge, and has served on the staff of the New Zealand Railways since the year 1875.