Whakaangiangi Post Office

The Whakaangiangi Valley is situated 8 miles south west of Te Araroa at the top East Cape. The tiny Post Office which was located in the valley was recorded as being the smallest in New Zealand — if not the world.

In the early days mail was carried by coach and horses by the stable owner in Te Araroa. There was a settlers’ box at the turn-off to the valley but only one person had a private mail bag left there. The other settlers preferred to collect their mail from the Te Araroa Post Office.

Later, the Whakaangiangi Valley school teacher provided a room in the schoolhouse and his housekeeper’s husband collected the mail from the main road. The mail was left there by service car. The children would collect their family mail after school. Settlers paid 15/- each towards materials to build a small Post Office and one of the settlers who had previously been a carpenter, built it as his contribution. 

The Post Office opened on 1 April 1931 in the school grounds where it had been built. A daughter of the builder carried the mail in from the main road three days a week and out on the other three days and was paid £1.3.0. The Post Office was open ‘for one hour each afternoon. When she handed her duties over on31 March 1932 the time was cut down to 3 days a week and the mail was brought in and out on the same days.

On the main road corner a new strong weatherproof mail box was mounted on four totara blocks. Both the Post Office attendant and the mail car driver had keys for the padlock. The driver was affectionately known as “Polly De Lux” as he was always smartly dressed in plus fours, shirt and tie. The service car was a De Lux model.

In later years the position of Postmaster attendant rotated amongst the Whakaangiangi settlers and the Post Office  was towed to the on-duty farmer’s roadside gate. From here the 8 private boxes could be cleared at any time.

The Whakaangiangi Post Office closed in January 1978 when the postal service was changed to Rural Delivery. The Post Office was given to the Tauranga Historic Village and was moved here in March 1978.