Old Toowong Post Office, High Street, circa 1905

Post Office at Toowong, Brisbane, ca. 1905. The chimneys, brick facade and verandahs of the two-storey building are prominent. This photo was taken by a 15 year old Ernest J. Melville whose father, James, lived in "Yaralla" on Musgrave street occupying a large area of land. James was a well known state surveyor. Ernest would have been attending the Normal School at around that time. Ernest's grandfather, William, arrived along with his James, his father, in 1849 on Petrie's "Fortitude" from Inverness, Scotland, along with the rest of the family. Oddly, William died in 1882, aged 78, in the "Cemetery Cottage" at Toowong Cemetery where he lived with one of his other sons, John, and was buried there. John was the first curator of Toowong Cemetery, a position taken over in later years by his own son J.L.Melville. Ernest, the photographer here, went on to run the State Govt. Insurance business in Toowoomba but died young at 45 years in 1935.