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Much has changed since John Seamons joined the Postmaster General's Department (PMG) 40 years ago but one thing remains the same _ he still loves his work. ``It's been fantastic,'' John said.
``I wouldn't change it for quids. It hasn't been boring for one minute.''
John was 17 years and eight months old when he joined what was then known as the PMG.
He started as an assistant postal officer at Creswick on June 30, 1970, on an annual income of $1650 and worked his way up through at least 25 post offices around Victoria before being appointed manager at Echuca Post Office 15 years ago.
John's first position often saw him sleeping on the job _ with bed and bedding provided.
``Each alternate week I did night telephone duty at the exchange and the next week I delivered telegrams, mail and parcels,'' he remembered.
During night duty, from 10pm to 7am, John slept on a fold-out bed in the exchange. When a call came through he had to leap up, pull on the light, flick up the relevant shutter on the switchboard and plug in a cord.
If the procedure was not followed quickly, an alarm triggered and the postmaster would be at the door.
``You had to do things in a sequence,'' he said.
``The worst was thunderstorms when a lot of shutters would flip down.''
John loved night shift because there were not many calls and by 7am he was rested, with the day ahead free to do as he liked.
The highlight of his seven months at Creswick came on August 13 when he had to deliver a 20th birthday congratulatory telegram to Michelle Littooy, who worked in the chemist shop.
``There was a lot of prompting from the people in the office. There was a bit of chiacking that went on,'' he said.
``Eventually I worked up the courage to ask her out when she came up to post the mail.''
That was the start of a love story which continues today. John and Michelle were married on August 10, 1974, and became the parents of three children, Ben, Josh and Rachel (Lees).
John left Creswick to spend six months training as a postal clerk in the PMG training centre in Bourke St, Melbourne, before starting his new role at Moonee Ponds. He worked at North Essendon and as a reliever in metropolitan Melbourne before shifting to Maryborough for nine years in 1974.
John was promoted to postmaster at Dunolly, where a highlight of his time was researching and taking part in the post office's centenary in 1991.
He spent three years at Numurkah before a further opportunity for promotion arose and he took up the position of postal manager grade two at Echuca on June 30, 1995.
During the past four decades John has seen many significant structural and technological changes, including his organisation's name change from PMG to Australian Post in 1975.
Telephone exchanges became automated and then part of a different organisation.
Telegrams gave way to faxes, posties exchanged their push bikes for motorcycles, people no longer needed to visit their post office to buy a licence for their radio or television, but from 1992 were able to buy goods from Australia Post's retail shops.
John's job title changed at the same time, from postmaster to postal manager and 10 years ago he oversaw the move from the large stone building on the corner of Hare and Anstruther streets to today's more streamlined shop in Pakenham St.
John still enjoys working at the counter, helping some of about 800 customers who pass through the post office each day.
``I like meeting people,'' he said.
``The other thing I enjoy about the job is the variety. You come in of a morning and think `What's on the agenda today?' You aren't just doing one thing.''
This morning, John will be guest of honour at a workplace breakfast attended by more than 30 people.
They include Australia Post's area manager Brendan Storer and state retail manager Glenn O'Bryan, as well as the 12 other Echuca Post Office staff.
_ Christine Chudley
