July 2004 - Chewton.net

CHEWTON HISTORIC POST OFFICE - "THE PEOPLE’S PO"
As most of you will know the post office is about to enter yet another phase of it’s long history – with us, the new
licensees taking over from Max and Rosalie on the 1 st of July.
We have passed the rigorous pre-sale interviews, police checks and
signed the legal contracts required by Australia Post.
Some of you will already have met Sandy who has successfully
completed basic training at Australia Post corporate headquarters in
Melbourne and Castlemaine and is now happily taking instructions
from Max and Rosalie – and from all reports having an enjoyable
time along the way.
I hope to meet you all soon.
It would be hard not to notice how vital this little post office is to the
local community – and know that many people will be wondering
how things might change –with the change of operators.
Sandy and I have lots of ideas – but not many firm plans as yet –
except to get to know all aspects of the operation. One thing we have
done is accept the lease of the residence as well as the post office – as lack of space and storage restricts the
possibilities of providing any more improvements than Max and Rosalie have already put into place. So look out for a
more spacious appearance once we get settled.
We will also recommence Saturday morning opening from 9 am-Midday on Saturday 10 th July
Since we don’t really have ‘anything to report’ we felt it might be useful to offer some early observations and reflections
on the Chewton Post office - from our perspective.
Ours was a quick decision, to invest in this business - for a number of reasons.
Australia Post has undergone many changes in its operations – and yet (according to a recent Reader’s Digest survey)
- still remains high on consumers list of ‘most trusted’ agencies next to emergency services. Sandy and I feel quite
privileged to be selected not just by Australia Post, but by the encouragement we have received from the Domain
Society and unreservedly generous support from Max and Rosalie.
Whilst it is true that not everyone likes change – being able to adapt to changing circumstances and times, is the secret
to longevity. It’s fair to say that Max and Rosalie have presided over a dynamic period when Australia Post has
reinvented itself to become more ‘commercial’, with greater demands placed on licensees in relation to business
development and corporate expectations. This has been accompanied by the loss of secure employment opportunities
as Australia Post presses ahead with further privatisation.
Some informality for smaller post offices has no doubt been lost in this change process, but this is more than compensated
for by wider services through automation. Sandy and I want to expand on services we can offer the community – and
your suggestions will always be carefully considered within the scope of our licensed contractual obligations to Australia
Post.
The introduction of computer based-operations cannot be underestimated in relation to the ongoing development of
postal services for Chewton. Australia Post has a level of transactions required before it will allow post offices to
automate. This has catch 22 elements where service & transaction levels can be greatly improved with automation –
but it’s well nigh impossible to reach that target until you get automated! Although Chewton does not yet meet the
required level of transaction, it’s thanks to efforts by Rosalie and Max and a one-off rural scheme, that the EPOS
(Electronic Point Of Sale) technology provides additional security in relation to current and future community needs,
simply by making it viable to potential operators.
For Sandy and I the Chewton Post Office held great appeal in relation to the historic aspects of its development and its
survival over time – often against overwhelming odds. This was definitely a good omen we felt!
We have always been aware that, far from us simply ‘choosing’ to buy the business – there was also a selection
process going on about which potential purchaser might ‘fit’ best into the community.
In truth, we were also drawn to the quirky idea that the Chewton Post office is probably unique in Australia. A
government agency, franchised to private operators, whose consumers also happen to be the ‘landlords’. For many
people that might sound like a recipe for disaster!
Sandy and I are much more optimistic though. We believe that, although the various parties might have different
motivations at times – the ‘bottom line’ is that we all want the
Chewton Post Office to remain vibrant and viable – showing what
can be achieved in a dynamic community.
To this end, Sandy and I intend to work really hard to increase the
value of this community asset on our “watch”.
Andrea Ross and Sandy McKay.