Post Office team's front row seat to change

Forbes Post Office has celebrated 145 years since the historic building opened, with postal manager Monica Morrison reflecting on the changes she has seen while working at the post office. Ms Morrison has worked at Forbes Post Office since 2005 before becoming the postal manager this year and said the role of the post office has changed a lot over the last two decades. Forbes Post Office's previous postal manager, Ruth Howarth, spent 46 years working with the post office and started working with telegrams and witnessed the introduction of computers into the industry. "Since I've been here, I've seen the massive swing from the days of hand written letters to the online world," Ms Morrison said. "Gone are the days that everyone used to write each other letters and now everyone shops online." Historically, the post office staff used to have some of their busiest times for letters around Christmas with the increase of Christmas cards and hand written letters over the festive season. Ms Morrison said they would spend hours sorting those letters and they now see a third of the number of letters coming through. However, this time of the year is still quite busy, with the staff spending most of their time sorting parcels in the Christmas period. While technology has changed and evolved over the years since the Forbes Post Office was built, Ms Morrison said the role of postal manager hasn't changed, they just have to keep up with the rate of change. Ms Morrison said despite the changing technology, many people still visit the post office and they get to meet and form relationships with many people around town. “The post office has been an important part of the local area for generations, helping residents and businesses stay connected as their needs have evolved," she said. "We are grateful for the community's ongoing support and look forward to continuing to serve Forbes with the same care and commitment for many years to come."