By Peter Douglas
More than one century of history in Ferny Creek ended abruptly last month, as Australia Post shut down the historic Ferny Creek Post Office.
In what is likely to cause disruptions, customers of the post office, which has been in operation since 1904, will now need to conduct their business elsewhere.
In a statement to the ‘Mail’, Australia Post confirmed there were no plans to re-open.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Ferny Creek Post Office was required to close at short notice on Monday 23 January,” the statement read.
“All PO Box mail, counter mail and carded parcels are now available for collection at the Sassafras Gully Post Office (approximately 2.9km away).”
Australia Post said they would continue to work with customers, in an effort to alleviate any disruption.
“We are working closely with our PO Box and counter mail customers to ensure their services are redirected to a location that is the most convenient for them,” the statement read.
“The red street posting box located outside the Ferny Creek Post Office site will remain in place.
“If customers have any inquiries about their mail delivery, we encourage them to call our Customer Contact Centre on 13 POST.”
Post offices do exist in neighbour hills townships, including at Upwey, Kallista, Upper Ferntree Gully and Olinda.
However, some in the community believe the move to Sassafras will cause further issues.
Sassafras resident Tim van Heems said the town didn’t have the capacity to cater for a further 500 postal customers.
“Sassafras is already overloaded, particularly on the weekend with many tourists in the town,” he said.
“There is not enough parking to cover for so many people.
“This move will be hard for Ferny Creek’s elderly population, too, because there are many who often walk to the post office to get their mail.”
In reply, Australia Post has noted customers with PO Boxes and Counter Mail services don’t have to use the Sassafras Gully Post Office.
A representative said they were working with customers to have their mail redirected to another, more convenient post office.
