This weatherboard house was built around 1889 by the Wallarah Coal-mining Company to house its mineworkers.
From at least the late 1930s until 1993 this building served as the Post Office.
Foreman family were the first remembered tenants and then
Mr and Mrs Hornidge and their son Bill occupied this house. Frank Collins worked at the Post Office and married Gladys Boekenstein.
Joe Fox was the postmaster after he returned from World War One, badly wounded. He was accused of arson after a fire started in the Post Office. His brother-in-law James Gillon and father-in-law Sandy Gillon spoke in his defence.
May and Bill Gordon were the next tenants followed by Mr Baker snr.
In 1964 the Coal Company ‘Coal & Allied’ subdivided some of its land. It was determined that this house and land be purchased for 500 pounds by Mr F C Baker. There are virtually two blocks of land with one fronting Lindsley Street and the other facing Hale Street.
Gordon Baker lived in the house in the mid 50’s after his father. His daughter Jeanette and son Ley were enrolled in the Bay school October 1956. Gordon then sold to Barry King and his wife Noeline who continued to run the Post Office, from 1968 until 1993. They were forced to close the business due to rationalisation by Australia Post.
The house was bought in the mid-nineties by Gabrielle Hurtando and her husband Michael. He was a champion Polo player and a very handsome man. Gabrielle, still in her twenties, was a talented renovator. Together they restored the old Post Office, added a large extension out the back and made a four-bedroom residence.
The old Post Office had distinctive ochre and terracotta striped roof and the house was painted in colours to match.
Gabrielle’s husband Michael became ill with a rare form of Leukaemia and passed away leaving Gabrielle pregnant with their son Jordan.
In April 1997, after recruiting her parents and in-laws to finish off the renovations Gabrielle sold the house to John Greenstone and Annie Mehra and their respective partners.
The house has been sold and renovated in 2018.