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Story: Mail and couriers

Contents

  1. Story summary

  2. Beginning of the postal system, 1810s–1850s

  3. Mail in the steam era, 1850s–1890s

  4. Mail in the 20th century

  5. Technology and change, 1980s–2000s

  6. Couriers

  7. External links and sources

All images and media

From page 1 - Beginning of the postal system, 1810s–1850s

Letter from Thomas Buddle, 1845

Letter from Thomas Buddle, 1845

First New Zealand post office

First New Zealand post office

‘The post hasn’t arrived!’

‘The post hasn’t arrived!’

Wellington-to-Auckland mail run

Wellington-to-Auckland mail run

First postage stamp

First postage stamp

From page 2 - Mail in the steam era, 1850s–1890s

The White Swan

The White Swan

Mail coach

Mail coach

Number of letters carried, 1844–2005

Number of letters carried, 1844–2005

Mail by rail

Mail by rail

Unusual letterboxes

Unusual letterboxes

Masterton post office

Masterton post office (1st of 3)

Kaitāia post office

Kaitāia post office (2nd of 3)

Central Auckland post office

Central Auckland post office (3rd of 3)

From page 3 - Mail in the 20th century

Mail by truck

Mail by truck

Rural delivery mail

Rural delivery mail

Reading the airmail

Reading the airmail

Sorting mail in a railway carriage, 1930s

Sorting mail in a railway carriage, 1930s (1st of 4)

Sorting mail by hand, 1970s

Sorting mail by hand, 1970s (2nd of 4)

Mechanised mail sorting, 1980s

Mechanised mail sorting, 1980s (3rd of 4)

Mail-sorting machine

Mail-sorting machine (4th of 4)

New Zealand posties over time

New Zealand posties over time

From page 4 - Technology and change, 1980s–2000s

Breaking up the Post Office

Breaking up the Post Office

Closing Waipū

Closing Waipū

PostShop interior

PostShop interior

Pete’s Post first day cover

Pete’s Post first day cover

From page 5 - Couriers

Couriers in the 1960s

Couriers in the 1960s

Cycle couriers

Cycle couriers

Track-and-trace courier service

Track-and-trace courier service

How to cite this page:

Tim Shoebridge, 'All images and media', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/mail-and-couriers/media (accessed 11 June 2023)

Story by Tim Shoebridge, published 11 Mar 2010

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