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Australia Post – Post Office Film (1942)

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clip GPO street scenes

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Clip description

This unedited mute, black-and-white footage shows street scenes around the Sydney GPO, during removal of the clock tower in 1942.

Curator’s notes

by Adrienne Parr

This footage was shot in the streets surrounding the Sydney GPO while the clock tower was being removed. It shows cars and pedestrian traffic in the three streets bordering the building: Martin Place (which was converted to a pedestrian plaza in 1969), George Street and Pitt Street. The post office building is enclosed by timber barricading. The presence of service men and women, the 1940s fashions and motor vehicles, and the signs advertising ‘National Savings Bonds’, are firm indications that the Second World War is in progress.

At this time the Sydney GPO was the pride of the Postmaster-General’s Department. Eventually, with technological change and the restructuring of post and telecommunications services, most of the building’s functions were relocated or became obsolete. In 1995 Australia Post instituted a tendering process for the comprehensive redevelopment of the site. Today a 26-level office tower and a 31-level hotel rise behind the retained heritage elements of the old building – the external sandstone façades, sandstone walkways and, of course, the clock tower.

Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer GPO street scenes from the sponsored film Australia Post – Post Office Film as a high quality video download.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

All other rights reserved.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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