office. With an increase in the population of the area throughout the 1870s and 1880s, local residents began to petition for a new Post and Telegraph Office for Pyrmont. Pyrmont did not have a telegraph office as all telegraphs were delivered via the GPO in Sydney. By the early 1880s approximately 1000 telegrams per week were being delivered to the Pyrmont/Ultimo area, underlining the need for a telegraph office. A temporary post office existed for some years in Harris Street before the local Member of the Legislative Assembly, Francis Abigail, requested a more substantial facility in 1882. Premises were rented from Francis Buckle in Union Street and Frederick Lassre was appointed postmaster, a position he held until his death in 1905. In July 1882 the Post Master General advertised for tenders to lease a new building in Pyrmont for use as a Post and Telegraph Office. Following the advertisement, a number of sites along the peninsula were reviewed with the majority being based around Harris and Union Streets. Of the applicants, seven were eventually shortlisted, with an eight-room shop/residence in Union Street close to the junction of Harris Street being leased from Mr F Buckler for £100pa. In contrast to post offices in other districts, Pyrmont Post Office had two long-term postal officers in its founding years. The first Postmistress, Elizabeth Fleming, served in Pyrmont from 1853 until 1881, after which her son Charles Fleming continued as Postmaster from 1881 until 1896. It was common during this period for postmistresses or postmasters to leave the job due to its poor pay and demanding nature, particularly when an office was still a sub-branch or unofficial office. Many had other jobs, running the postal business from a store or inn that they may also have operated. Pressure to build an official office was again placed on the Post Master General by Pyrmont residents during the 1890s, and by 1899 a site for a new office had been secured. The new office was designed by New South Wales Government Architect Walter Liberty Vernon and built by day labour at a cost of . The Minister for Public Works, Edward William O'Sullivan, officially opened it on 19 January 1901. The office was built using surplus Pyrmont sandstone from the construction of the General Post Office (GPO) and Customs House buildings. The office was two storeys with a basement. The basement originally held the kitchen,