The Post Office at Grass Valley, Western Australia
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340437)
Rockingham, Australia
August 9, 2023 4:17am CST
We are house-sitting on a farm near the tiny town of Grass Valley. There isn’t a grocery store in the town and the tavern has recently opened up again. There is also a post office and it is the smallest one I’ve ever seen. There is no ‘office’ as such, just the post boxes that you can see in the photo.
Behind the post boxes is a small shed where parcels are left. Because of increased incidences of theft, the shed has a padlock with a code. The code is written on the parcel notification. Once you key in the code you can get into the shed to retrieve your parcel.
26 people like this
26 responses
@Juliaacv (51056)
• Canada
9 Aug 23
We have neighbourhood postal boxes similar to this in some areas.
A number of years ago Canada Post attempted to have fewer postal carriers in cities and towns and put those boxes up so that their work would be done much quicker, but those boxes have been known to have issues with vandalism. Our son has a box in such a stand of little boxes.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (160720)
• United States
9 Aug 23
Recently an array of boxes in our town got egged. Kids just do not have enough to do in the summer.
3 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47377)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
9 Aug 23
I hate those 'super boxes'. And ours don't have that nice roof to keep the rain off when opening your box. Luckily, I have door to door mail delivery where I live in St Catharines.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (51056)
• Canada
10 Aug 23
@GardenGerty Here they do more than egg them, they attempt to break in and damage the locks or set something nearby on fire. Dangerous things to do, and I do not understand the reasoning behind it.
2 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16762)
• China
9 Aug 23
It seems to be a post office without staff.It is great the tavern opens up at the time when you house-sit there !
3 people like this
@JudyEv (340437)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Aug 23
We haven't been to the tavern but they are now doing meals once or twice a week so perhaps we'll have a meal there one day.
Although the PO has no staff, at least the community can still get their mail and parcels without travelling a long way.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137261)
• United States
9 Aug 23
I hope that keeps stuff from being stolen there. In the US, any parcels delivered to a home are left on the front porch and could be prey to porch pirates.
We have a thumbnail camera on the front porch so we can see if someone takes any packages delivered here.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137261)
• United States
10 Aug 23
@JudyEv On the farm way back when, the post office sent a note to the mailboxes letting us know to pick up packages in the post office itself. I don't remember when home delivery started.
Thanks. The cameras are actually to watch for people being destructive around our house but it works well for the packages, too. (My son once set fire to our house when he was mad at us so we got the cameras after that.)
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340437)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 23
@DaddyEvil We had the same system when I was young re picking up packages.
I hope your son wasn't successful in burning the house down! 
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (89977)
• Arvada, Colorado
10 Aug 23
Oh this brought back memories for me Judy the old post office boxes like that in Ireland as I recall.
1 person likes this
@jobelbojel (35650)
• Philippines
9 Aug 23
I hope the padlocks are secured enough.
1 person likes this
@jobelbojel (35650)
• Philippines
10 Aug 23
@JudyEv Good to know that the parcels are safe.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82816)
• United States
9 Aug 23
That certainly is a quaint little post office. Sounds like you're house sitting in a very rural area. Do you have to travel far to shop at the supermarket?
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82816)
• United States
10 Aug 23
@JudyEv once a week trip sounds like it would be enough. How long are you house sitting for?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340437)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 23
@Marilynda1225 We are here another fortnight. We're off to a horse ride shortly but it's close by so we're just going to take the car and leave the caravan here.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Aug 23
So the town is not big enough to have a staffed post office, but it has a tavern. Sounds about right to me. Haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Aug 23
@JudyEv And that’s what I love about Australia!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340437)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 23
@Ronrybs Some small farms down Donnybrook way had roadside stalls with an honour box which eventually they had to padlock to a post or whatever but now thieves come equipped with battery-operated bolt-cutters and still steal any cash. Such a pain and just spoils it for everyone.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178964)
• United States
9 Aug 23
Very cool. I will be posting a pic in the next couple of days of the smallest post office in the US. It's in the Everglades and is one of the next stops on my pictorial trip that I've been doing. Enjoy your day.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178964)
• United States
10 Aug 23
@JudyEv It's in today's post. Your post office may be smaller.
1 person likes this
@sharonelton (28942)
• Lichfield, England
10 Aug 23
Wow! That is a tiny post office! I've never seen one that small.
1 person likes this
@sharonelton (28942)
• Lichfield, England
12 Aug 23
@JudyEv How much smaller can it be? I'd like to see that one!
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160720)
• United States
9 Aug 23
Oh, so tiny. I suppose if someone needs further services, like to buy postage or weigh a package they have to go elsewhere.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340437)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Aug 23
Yes, if they need any other services at all, then they have to travel to the regional centre. But at least they can collect their letters.
@snowy22315 (180971)
• United States
9 Aug 23
That doesn't look like it would stand up too well in heavy weather.
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (46976)
• India
6 Sep 23
Quite an interesting Post Office.
I read that a new post office in India is "3D Printed".
I will perhaps share in a future post.
I wonder why people steal others' Letters?
May be they are searching for some treasures there?
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (79997)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
9 Aug 23
My question is How do people get their groceries? Do they order online?
1 person likes this
