Familiar: An impression of what the replica might look like on the Welsford St corner.
Shepparton Heritage Centre has submitted a planning permit for the recreation of the old Shepparton Post Office building to house a new museum on the current Welsford St site.
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The much loved building on Wyndham St was torn down in 1973 and Shepparton Heritage Centre secretary Geoff Allemand said construction of the replica would hopefully commence next year during the 50th anniversary of the demolition.
“The full plans to build the building with the clock tower are in, the project is real,” Mr Allemand said.
“It will look like the post office on the outside and on the inside it will be all new galleries, and a basement level below ground for the archives.”
Mr Allemand said realising the project would elevate the attraction to sit alongside Shepparton Art Museum and Museum of Vehicle Evolution, making Shepparton a major destination for cultural tourism.
The facility will also allow for the display of an ever-growing collection of regional history.
Standing tall: The original 1882 Shepparton Post Office.
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“We are finding many organisations when they close are depositing their archives with us,” Mr Allemand said.
“Every week we have people bring in little bits and pieces, and then there are bigger donations.”
The basement level will also accommodate a growing legacy of historical archives for preservation and research.
The project is expected to cost around $8 million, and having the planning in place will set the foundation for funding applications.
The Shepparton Heritage Centre has already started a public appeal that includes the sale of numbered post office boxes, which can be used as time capsules.
The original post office was built in 1882 but was demolished following a decision by the Postmaster-General's Department.
Its loss has long been a talking point in Shepparton, and Mr Allemand said the Heritage Centre was committed to a faithful reproduction, and already had many of the original bricks and slate tiles, as well as many of the fittings.
“We will build it as authentically as we can,” he said.
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