The former Kingston Post Office has strong connections to the community. Photo: ACT Heritage Council.
The former Kingston Post Office building’s prominent role in the post-World War II development of Canberra has resulted in it being provisionally registered on the ACT Heritage Register.
But the ACT Heritage Council has knocked back another notable ACT building, the former Commonwealth Bank at 187 London Circuit in the city.
The former Kingston Post Office building was considered for heritage listing last year, followed by a consultation period. The ACT Heritage Council has taken almost a year to decide whether it is worth preserving, and the public can now comment on its decision and assessment.
The council says the brick and concrete building is the oldest surviving post office designed for the federal capital.
“The former Kingston Post Office was integral to the continuing success of businesses in the precinct during the period of growth following WWII, as it was needed to process a predicted increase in business transactions, as well as being an effective drawcard service to attract people to the area,” it says.
An earlier post office existed in Kingston from the 1920s, but with increasing demand for its services after World War II, the government planned and built the current building in 1947 on the other side of Jardine Street.
The banking and commercial services buildings that emerged in the expanding precinct referenced the new post office in their design.
The council says its high-quality design reflects the commitment of resources and faith by the post master general in the establishment of significant services in the post-war growth of Canberra.
The former Commonwealth Bank building in Canberra’s CBD: not rare or uncommon. Photo: ACT Government.
It was the first official post office constructed in Canberra after the war and the most important post office outlet for business and residents of south Canberra during the post-WWII period of the capital’s urban development, not closing until 1989.
“The choice of architectural style and the materials used are significant, not just as evidence of the post-war recovery and investment in the region, but also for its enduring effect on the surrounding architecture that has continued to this day with nearby modern developments referencing the original post office following community consultation,” the council says.
Kingston Barton Residents Group president Richard Johnston said the former PO was a focal point in the Kingston Shopping Centre.
“It is quite a finely detailed design, by architect David Edward Limburg who was appointed Assistant Director of Works in 1947,” he said.
“The local community regards it as an essential element in Kingston Shops that has ‘always’ been there and it has been recently occupied and well restored by local real estate firm, Purnell, who are very keen to see it retained.”
The former Commonwealth Bank building on the corner of Ainslie Place and London Circuit was developed in the 1960s under the influence of the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC). But the ACT Heritage Council does not think it represents a unique facet of the urban planning framework. It opened in 1967.
“The FCBB [Former Commonwealth Bank Building] does not appear to be an uncommon or rare post-war bank building in Canberra,” the council says.
The artworks included in the project have been substantially modified, have little merit and the artist and architects do not have any special connection to the community, it says.
The bank closed in 2020 with little comment, the council adds.
Consultation on the former Kingston Post Office runs until 14 September.
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