Morwell Buildings

Morwell Courthouse 

Morwell Court House Situated at western end of Commercial Rd. Morwell Building commenced in 1955 and officially opened on 7th March 1957 by Victorian Chief Secretary Mr. A. G. Rylah.

Construction Cost £30,000

---

Ex. Colonial / National Bank

Ex. Colonial / National Bank Situated South Side of Commercial Road, Morwell Completed in 1888, constructed of rendered brick, 14 rooms Including 4 bedrooms.

Built by Mr. J. F. Kinder of Morwell

---

Masonic Temple

Situated on the west end of Hazelwood Road, Morwell, next to the Library… Foundation stone laid by D. McKay – (Past Grand Junior Deacon) on 28th January 1927.

Temple built at a cost of approx. £2,000.

---

La Mode Factory

Church Street Morwell Cnr. Winifred and Church Street

[image src required] Aerial view of La Mode Factory and Surrounding township

---

Commercial Road Primary School No.2136

Built in 1880. This 1917 photograph shows Headteacher Mr. C. Hart and teachers Miss Ridgeway, Miss L. Peterson and Miss Kath Rintoull.

---

Bachelor Huts

These bachelor huts were built for A.P.M. workers in Hoyle Street Morwell

---

Mechanics Institute

Situated on S-W corner of George and Tarwin Street (now “Fossick and Find”)

Built 1884, Opened 1885 || Revamped 1906

Destroyed by fire 1935

Building also housed:

• Library (2000 Books)
• Lodge
• Infant Welfare Centre
• Motion Pictures Facilities

---

Morwell Town Hall

Morwell Town Hall Commercial Road, Morwell

Also Housed Shire Offices

Built 1936

---

A.J. Foster’s Blacksmith Shop

c1935

Corner of Church and Station Streets (now Princes Drive)

Site of present Post Office

---

Shire Office

The second Shire Office in Commercial Road Morwell

---

Dayble’s Blacksmith Shop

N/E Corner of Church and Station Street (Princes Drive)

---

Morwell Post Office

The original location on the corner of Commercial Road and Tarwin Street built in 1892, relocated to the present location on the corner of Princes Drive and Church Street.

---

Our Post Office at Morwell has had five different sites

Morwell Station Post Office

The first postal service was provided from the railway station soon after the arrival of the first train, 1st June, 1877. The official name for this post office was the Morwell Station Post Office. It was merely a branch of the Morwell Bridge Post office.

Mr. W. H. Mitchell, the assistant at the Morwell Station in 1877 says that he was the first post-master for Morwell. Perhaps he was also, unofficially, the first station-master, though the official records accord this honour to Mr. J. Hayes. The second station-master was J. Hyens (1878) and the third J. Holland (1879). We can assume that since the post-mistress in 1880 was Mrs. Holland, that up till then, the mail was still handled at the station.

C. O. Gilbert’s Store

The next base, 1880-1886 seems to have been an annex of C. O. Gilbert’s store in Commercial Road.

The post-mistresses in charge were:

• Mrs. Mary Holland in 1880,
• Miss M. Feely in 1881,
• Alice Neville from 1882 to 1884 and
• Miss Dean from 1884 to 1886.

Tarwin and George Street

The next move was to the north-west corner of Tarwin and George Streets. 1886-1892.

Post Mistresses were:

• 1886:- Miss Dean
• 1887-1891:- Miss Murray

Commercial Road and Tarwin Street

In 1892, a magnificent new, double story place was built on the corner of Commercial Road and Tarwin Street, where the Commonwealth Bank now stands. For the next 60 years, this was the dominant building in Morwell, the heart of the township.

Those in charge of the Post Office during this period were:

1892-1902 Eliza Vigar	1922-1926 Frank Rogerson
1903-1905 Maria King	1926-1936 George E. Hill
1905-1907 Agnes Kane	1936-1937 William J. Birch
1907-1910 Mary Pick	1937-1944 David Charles
1910-1912 Martha McDonough	1944-1949 Thomas J. Burley
1912-1918 William Pierre Gaw	1949-1952 Robert L. Larmour
1919-1922 A. McLean	1952-1955 John A. Hughes

Church Street and Princes Highway

The present Post Office at the corner of Church Street and Princes Highway was built in 1955. The Postmasters here have been:

• 1955-1967 John A. Hughes
• 1967-1974 Herbert T. Christie
• 1974-1979 Colin D. Paul