Unearthing layers of history at the old Post Office

For three days in August, the grounds of the Old Guildford Post Office became an archaeological dig site as more than 100 people helped search for evidence of a much earlier chapter in the property’s history.

The Bilgoman Property team, owners and custodians of the heritage-listed Post Office, partnered with the Swan Guildford Historical Society and University of Notre Dame Australia for the excavation.

The question was simple: what evidence remains beneath the ground from before the Post Office was built in 1897?

Before the Post Office

While the building we know today dates to 1897, the site’s history stretches back much further.

From May 1854, a building on the property served as the infirmary for Guildford’s convict depot and later became the town’s hospital. Historical records tell us it was there. The dig was a chance to see whether physical evidence had survived beneath more than 170 years of change.

Across three days, archaeologists, Notre Dame students and members of the public worked through stubborn Guildford clay, despite freezing winds, rain and hail.

Among the discoveries was a large pit containing the remains of a jarrah fence post. Historical records show a six-foot-high fence once divided the Post Office’s working and private areas, a reminder that the building was not only a place for mail and telecommunications, but also home to the Postmaster and their family.

Smaller finds included electrical components associated with the Post Office and a clay smoking-pipe stem with characteristics dating to around the 1830s or 1840s.

An archaeological mystery

One of the most intriguing finds was a circular cement object carrying the inscription:

“17 V 59”.

Initially interpreted as 17 May 1959, historical evidence has raised another possibility: could it instead date to 17 May 1859, almost four decades before the Post Office was built?

More research is needed to understand its age and purpose, but it adds another intriguing piece to the site’s story.

Then, in true Time Team fashion, one of the dig’s most promising discoveries came with just 35 minutes remaining.

About 300mm below the current ground level, the team reached an undisturbed rammed-earth feature resembling a floor. Too little could be exposed to draw a firm conclusion, but it raises an exciting question: could this be part of the 1854 infirmary or hospital?

A future excavation may help provide the answer.

Uncovering Guildford’s story

For the Bilgoman Property team, owning the Old Guildford Post Office means more than restoring an important building. It also means understanding, protecting and sharing the layers of history that come with it.

We’d like to thank the Swan Guildford Historical Society, particularly Liesl for coordinating the three-day event; the University of Notre Dame Australia, its archaeology students and Dr Shane Burke; and the more than 100 members of the community who braved the weather and Guildford clay to take part.

We knew when we purchased the Post Office that we were taking responsibility for an important piece of Guildford’s heritage. What we’re continuing to discover is just how much of its story extends beyond the walls of the 1897 building.

Some of that history lives in archives, maps and photographs.

And some of it is still beneath our feet.