Created in the rural settlement of Matakohe in 1908, Post Office (Former) is a well-preserved example of an early-twentieth-century post office design, created under John Campbell (1857-1942), Government Architect, during a nationwide boom of post office construction. The kauri timber, villa-style building reflects the importance of communications in rural New Zealand in both its creation and near century of use as a centre of the local community. Following its closure, the building’s preservation and relocation illustrate attitudes to timber structures as a form of portable architecture in the mid-late twentieth century, as well as the popularity of ‘pioneer museums’ as an expression of local identity. It remains significant for its ongoing educational use and is located close to other related historic buildings, including Matakohe Pioneer Church and Matakohe School (Former).

Matakohe is located in Kaipara near the mouth of the Arapaoa River system. The area is within a complex landscape with overlapping footprints of multiple iwi and hapū including Ngāti Whātua, Te Roroa, Te Uri o Hau, and Ngāpuhi. The Arapaoa River, upper reaches of the Kaipara Harbour, and finger peninsulas were significant resource gathering areas and travel routes, and have many archaeological sites, wāhi tapu, and wāhi tūpuna located around them. The future site of Post Office (Former) lay along the eastern edge of the 68,000-acre Matakohe Block, which the Crown purchased from Te Uri o Hau for £2000 in 1858. The area was densely forested with some agricultural land near the river, and was not anticipated to be occupied by settlers for some time. In 1862 the Albertland special settlement, one of the last such settlements to take place in Northland, was established on 20,000 acres of Matakohe and neighbouring land blocks. Matakohe developed as a gum and timber settlement from the mid-1860s, with a number of gum stores. In the late nineteenth century it was considered to be a main centre of Otamatea County, and by 1902 the population consisted of approximately 548 people mostly employed in cattle farming, gum digging, or bush-felling. With few roads and limited rail access, early transport remained heavily reliant on the waterways, including for mail delivery. A post office, initially housed in a private home and later a local store, began operating in 1864. During 1900-14 there was a nationwide governmental post office building boom. At Matakohe, due to low revenues at the existing post office, the government required the settlers seeking a purpose-built building to also provide the land. In March 1908 a tender was advertised and a contract issued to Auckland builders Radcliffe and Burton for £749, with construction of the new building underway by June the same year.

Constructed from local kauri, the post office was described as being of the most up-to-date style, and is an example of a small combined post office and residence design created during the tenure of John Campbell, the government’s head Public Works Department architect. It had the appearance of a bay villa with rusticated weatherboards, a prominent gable with simple timber fretwork, an externally accessed post box, and timber detailing around the windows, as well as a ‘POST OFFICE’ sign. The front of the building was accessed by a covered porch beside the bay, which led to the public room and mail room, separated by a spacious counter, and a telegraph exchange room. The rear of the building, with separate external access, provided accommodation for the postmaster with two bedrooms, a parlour, kitchen, bathroom and outbuildings. Until local road improvements later in the century, mail continued to be delivered to the wharf and conveyed by horse to the post office. In addition to offering mail and telephone services for eight decades, Post Office (Former) was a centre for the Matakohe community and was used for additional government functions, such as post office banking and issuing marriage licences, and was also a polling booth at times.

In 1988, Post Office (Former) was one of 432 small post offices closed by New Zealand Post – a move which was widely opposed by many rural communities. Two decades earlier, after the loss of several important local buildings to fires, the Matakohe community created a local museum, presently known as the Kauri Museum, on reserve land to preserve their history including Matakohe School (Former), List No. 470, Category 1 historic place. With the support of the local community, the closed post office was purchased by the museum and re-sited to the reserve in July 1992. A small number of changes have been made, such as the removal of the internal fireplace and repairs and maintenance, and a small art gallery occupies the former accommodation rooms. The place remains significant for its ongoing educational use for over 35 years, with displays –including original equipment – related to its historic function and local history for museum visitors.