Newcastle Post Office, Heritage post office in Newcastle, Australia

Newcastle Post Office is a sandstone building featuring a prominent dome and symmetrical facade that runs along Hunter Street in the city center. The structure displays classical academic elements with decorative details that define its overall appearance and proportions.

The building was constructed between 1900 and 1903 under architect Walter Liberty Vernon's design. It replaced the original post office from 1828 and represented a major shift in Newcastle's infrastructure development.

The building showcases early Federation-era design principles through its balanced proportions and decorative stonework visible on the exterior. Visitors can observe how these architectural choices reflect the craftsmanship and public service ideals of the period in which it was constructed.

The former post office stands at 96 Hunter Street, in Newcastle's civic centre near other public buildings. It is no longer an operating post office, so there are no counter services or business hours to plan around; visitors see the exterior from the street. The building was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 December 2000.

The first Newcastle post office opened on 1 March 1828 in the "Sessions House" at Watt and Church Streets, with Duncan Forbes Mackay, Superintendent of Convicts, as postmaster. Mail came once a week from Sydney aboard the 71-ton cutter Lord Liverpool. In July 1851 the premises burned down, though all post office property was saved.