This is the Cambridge post office around 1925. Its tower was damaged in the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake and removed – the clock was re-housed in a new tower in Jubilee Gardens. In 2004 the post office moved out of the building and it became a restaurant.

The post office was often the most visited public building in towns and cities. People regularly went there to post mail, receive packages, send telegrams and do their banking. Post offices’ importance was reflected in their size and prominence. Many had imposing clock towers, with bells that rang out the time. After the closure of many post offices in the 1980s, most of the buildings were converted to other uses.