Legendary Tailem Bend postie Alan Burt shares his tale
Tailem Bend Historians have welcomed guest speaker “Burtie” Burt, a local employee of Australia Post for his whole working life.
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Guests and members at Tailem Bend Historians’ August meeting have been captivated by the tales of Alan “Burtie” Burt, the town’s legendary postie, with more than 50 years of dedicated service under his belt.
After launching his postal journey in January 1974, Mr Burt began as an assistant postal officer or, more humbly, a telegram boy, performing general duties in the southern division of the Postmaster-General.
One of his first roles involved working as the telephone night boy, managing the Tailem Bend manual exchange.
This was a fascinating experience for Mr Burt, whose family had never owned a phone, marking his introduction to the marvels of modern communication.
Taking over from Harold Robinson, a World War II veteran, Mr Burt embarked on his first mail run, which included a hefty 20 kilograms of mail on a push bike, taking four hours to complete.
The volume of mail was staggering, with around 1000 letters daily during the Christmas period in the 1970s and 80s.
Today, the workload has shifted to parcels; he delivers up to 170 parcels a day in busy times.
Mr Burt delivered mail for 24 years on his trusty push bike and recalled the changes over the decades.
Stamps, which were 10 cents in 1974, now cost $1.50.
The telephone exchange, manual until 1981, had five switchboards and 15 staff before it went automatic.
In 1998, the post office was sold to Maxine and Nigel Kiddie, and Mr Burt was contracted to continue his regular duties with the new owners.
Beyond his regular mail deliveries, he was sometimes commandeered to help residents with a few odd tasks: rolling a rusted tar drum for an old gentleman, changing a light globe for an elderly woman, pulling down blinds in the middle of summer, even delivering groceries for someone who was housebound.
Over the years, his postal deliveries have included everything from tractor radiators and ladders to rotary clotheslines and gaming chairs and, now, numerous boxes of wine.
Listening along are John and Leanne McLean, Helen Bowering and Elizabeth Nichols, Kathleen and Harry Kromwyk, Maxine Kiddie and Sandra Douglas, Rayleen Freeth and Rhonda Mik, and Brenton Qualman. Photos: Glenn Power.
Regardless of the weather, mail in Tailem Bend is delivered five days a week to approximately 720 houses.
For Mr Burt, the best part of being a postie was the deep connection with the community, knowing everyone and being a vital part of their lives.
He is now delivering to the grandchildren and even the great-grandchildren of his original customers.
He recounted a memorable incident where a lady, who always knitted on her front porch and waved to him daily, was frantically waving to him on one particular day.
Busy and with no mail for her, “Burtie” sped past on his motorbike.
The next day, she called him over and revealed that she had had a four-foot brown snake under her chair and needed his help!
The members of the Tailem Bend Historians were enthralled by Mr Burt’s stories, which provided a vivid snapshot of how much had changed at the local post office and within the community over the years.
The group eagerly anticipates their next mystery speaker.
For more details about Tailem Bend Historians, contact Kathleen Kromwyk on 0428 233 100.
