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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Post Office

Post Office.

The Dunedin Post Office is a large two storey brick building, fronting Princes Street. During the year ending 1902 the number of money orders issued at the office was 16,113, amounting to £56,245, and the number of money orders paid was 31,931, amounting to £128,332. There were 4009 new accounts opened at the Savings Bank, and the total number of deposits numbered 38,057, and amounted to £527,875. The number of accounts closed was 3980, and there were 33,347 withdrawals, totalling £552,622. The work in the postal department also increased during 1902. There were 8,424,689 letters posted in Dunedin district, 138,567 lettercards, 210,431 post cards, 3,604,687 books, 2,480,400 newspapers, and 39,600 parcels. There were 539,293 letters, 10,705 postcards, 374,887 books, 948,658 newspapers, and 5982 parcels received from other places. In telegraph money orders, there were 3677 orders to the value of £12 012. The number of subscriptions in the Telephone Exchange increase from 1291 in 1902 to 1420 in 1903.

Mr. J. W. Wilkin , formely Chief Post master at Auckland, succeeded Mr. Edmund Cook as chief postmaster at Dunedin, in October, 1903.

Mr. George Bruce Dall , Chief Clerk of the General Post Office, Dunedin, was born in the Tokomairiro district, and in 1875 entered the service of the Government as cadet in the Post Office at Milton. Two years later he was transferred to Dunedin, and shortly afterwards to Invercargill, where he remained three years. In 1880 Mr. Dall was transferred again to Dunedin, as clerk in the mail branch, and was afterwards promoted to the charge of the Money Order Office and Savings Bank; a position which he held for nine years. Mr. Dall was appointed to his present position in April, 1901.

Mr. Edmund Cook , formerly Chief Postmaster at Dunedin General Post Office, was born in in Greenwich, England, in 1837. He landed in Wellington with his father, the late Mr. John Cook, in May, 1842, in the ship “Clifford,” and after attending school, entered the service of Messrs Jacob Joseph and Co., in 1853, After four years' service, he was offered a position as clerk in the Wellington General Post Office, in which he afterwards rose to the position of Chief Clerk. In 1873, Mr. Cook was made Chief Postmaster at the thames, where he remained four years; he was then transferred successively to Hokitika in 1877, to Timaru, in 1881, and to Dunedin, in January, 1893. In his early days in Wellington Mr. Cook took a great amount of interest in boating, and was one of the promoters of the Star Boating Club. He takes a keen interest in bowling and is perfectly at home on the green, and is a director of the Kaltuna Bowling and Tennis Club (Ltd.), in Dunedin. In February, 1861. Mr. Cook married a daughter of the late Mr. Charles Brown of Wellington, and has four daughters and two sons. Three of his daughtes are married, one to Mr. A. D. Bennett, of Coolgardie, West Australia; one to Mr. H. E. Le Cren, of Dunedin, and one to Mr. J. W. Wood, of Christchurch. Both the sons have adopted the medical profession, the elder being Dr. P. R. Cook, of Amberley, Canterbury, and the younger Dr. S. J. Cook, of Fairlie. Mr. Cook retired in September, 1903, after forty-six years of service.

Mr. E. Cook.

Mr. E. Cook.