Melbourne's GPO

The General Post Office in Melbourne occupies a prominent corner at Bourke and Elizabeth streets, defined by a tiered clock tower and a facade of weathered, honey-colored sandstone. It opened in stages starting in eighteen fifty-nine to manage the influx of mail during the gold rush. Architect A. K. Smith once found himself locked in a fierce dispute with the government over the tower design, leading to his resignation. The tower eventually rose high enough to anchor the city’s busy central intersection.