Post Office Tree, Mossel Bay, Ancient milkwood tree landmark in Mossel Bay, South Africa.
The Post Office Tree is an ancient milkwood in Mossel Bay's Bartholomeu Dias Museum complex, standing about 11 meters tall with a spreading crown. A boot-shaped post box sits beneath its branches and remains in active use for mail delivery.
A Portuguese sea captain left a message about his lost fleet in a boot beneath this tree in 1501, establishing it as a maritime communication point. It then became a regular stopping place for ships traveling along the African coast.
The tree served as a communication hub between European sailors and local people along the South African coast during the age of exploration. This exchange of messages between cultures continues today when visitors use the boot-shaped post box beneath its branches.
The tree sits within a museum complex and can be visited during operating hours. You can stand beneath its branches and post letters in the boot-shaped box, which receive special stamps from the nearby museum shop.
This milkwood is roughly 600 years old and still operates as a working postal point, making it one of the oldest continuously used mail stations anywhere. For centuries travelers have left messages beneath its branches, a tradition that continues with modern visitors.
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