This office was opened on 31 January 1983 and closed on 4 September 1987. It temporally closed from the first week of December through to late January each year when the Central Institute of Technology (CIT) staff and students went on vacation.

In the early 1980’s the Trentham Camp Post Office was found to be in the way of the rapidly developing CIT complex. Local residents were advised that the post office would be closed on 28 January 1983 and a new office called Heretaunga South would be opened three days later in a disused classroom at the back of the CIT complex adjacent to Pinehill Crescent.

The Postmistress at Trentham Camp, Miss Rita Rust and her assistant Mrs Dorothy Troy were transferred to the new office¹.

Correspondence on the post office file² indicates that by November 1986 transactions had rapidly fallen due to the location of the office and the lack of public access, and closure was recommended as relieving staff were managing the office and there was difficulty in getting a permanent appointment as Postmistress. Students and staff at the CIT complex protested against the closure with the Students Union quoting³ that some 1700 students were at CIT, plus 200 staff as well the post office also used by staff at the Amy camp and nearby Wi-Tako prison. The Upper Hutt Post Office area manager Ces Beazley is quoted as saying that the Post Office closed because it was not economic to maintain and has been under review for at least 12 months. The closure was not as a result of Corporatisation.

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1 Source – Archives NZ – NZPO Heretaunga PO History File – https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en/web/arena/search#/?q= R21726651

² Source – Upper Hutt Leader 8 September 1983 Page 1.

³ Source – Upper Hutt Leader 5 February 1983 Page 11.

A “thank you” to Andrew McNiven for sending this article to The Upper Hutt Connection.

15/12/25