Post Office Circulars were first introduced in 1859 and were published weekly. They were used as a way of guiding staff in their duties and informing them (and through them, the public) of new postal services and operational changes.

Circulars can be a valuable source of information for local postal historians as the date of the opening and/or closure of a post office would have been reported in the Circulars. Crimes and incidents at post offices were also reported along with appointments of senior postal staff. As a result, the Circulars are also a valuable source of information for family historians.

Circulars for the years 1898-1968 are available on open shelves in our Archive Search Room. They are a good source of information for local history, providing information such as senior appointments and vacancies, incidents at post offices and changes to mail services. Other Circulars are held in archive class POST 68.

Examples from our Collection

Here are some examples of circulars in our collection: