WRITING BUREAU INKWELL

This writing bureau was used in the original Forrestdale Post Office, which was attached to the Skeet family property on Forrest Road (today Armadale Road), Forrestdale, from 1929 to 1943 approx. The post office was primarily run by Lillian and her daughters Margery, Laura and Ursula., which was also used as the polling place for Local, State and Federal elections.
The Skeet home was located near north shore of Forrestdale Lake. The Skeet family played a key role in the development of the Forrestdale region, establishing a farm in the area in 1885 and playing a role in the establishment and maintenance of many local community organisations and institutions.
The bureau and its contents tell the story of how some government services, like the postal service, were franchised out to local families when it was not economical to establish a stand alone post office. The bureau also tells the story of the role women played in the daily running of the post office in the wider region. From the mid 1800s the post office was deemed a socially acceptable place for a woman to work. In 1835 Sarah Lyttelton was the first woman appointed to the position of Post Mistress in Albany. In 1900 the first post office was built in Armadale with Miss Elsie Turner was appointed as Post Mistress.