Volunteers take on country postal run after death of local postmaster - ABC News

The residents of a small village in rural NSW have banded together to take over the local post office after the sudden death of its much-loved local postmaster.

Key points:

• Ungarie's much-loved postmaster died suddenly 
• Local residents have turned the town hall into a makeshift post office and are using utes to deliver mail
• The Ungarie Advancement Group will meet with Australia Post this week to discuss the future of the service

Ungarie resident Kerry Keatley said, as Jeff De Rosario did not have a will, sorting out the future of the post office licence had been difficult, and had left locals unable to access the post office building itself.

Mr Keatley, president of the Advance Ungarie Group and Bland Shire councillor, said as a result volunteers had set up a temporary post office in the Ungarie Memorial Hall, 200 kilometres north-west of Wagga Wagga.

"The whole town has got behind this to try and save our post office," he said.

"People are donating money and leaving it at the motel to pay for the fuel for the people who are still delivering the mail, they're doing it all without wages at this stage."

Mr Keatley said the group was due to meet Australia Post officials this week to discuss the situation, which had been further complicated with the post office's three mail run contracts due to expire on Friday.

Bland Shire Councillor Kerry Keatley is one of the Ungarie locals fighting to keep the post office open.(

ABC Riverina: Michael Patterson

)

"We, as an advancement group, might have to try and take those contracts on, but it puts a lot of pressure on us who are running our own lives," he said.

"It's going to be with volunteer staff at this stage to try and keep it all going."

Australia Post said it was saddened by the death of Mr De Rosario and thanked the Ungarie community for its ongoing support and understanding.

A spokeswoman said interim arrangements were in place to continue deliveries and the collection of mail and parcels, and that Australia Post would keep the community informed as it worked to fully restore services. 

Mr Keatley said, despite the village's population of 500 the post office — which also provided local banking services — received a lot of post.

"It's quite a big area. The rural run goes right out to Naradhan, so it's a 300-and-something-kilometre round trip," he said.

"There's a lot of online shopping, the parcels are enormous. There are ute loads of parcels."

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Guard of honour for postman

Mr Keatley said the sudden passing of Mr De Rosario after a short illness had hit hard in the town he lived in for 20 years.

Jeff De Rosario has been remembered as a passionate Ungarie resident who was involved in many community activities.(

Supplied: Graeme Mason

)

"He was a very popular postman. I never heard a bad word against him. He was heavily into the church, he was in Rotary, a bowling club member and played. He was nearly into every group and organisation around town," Mr Keatley said.

"He usually dressed up as our Santa around town."

Mr Keatley said, due to COVID restrictions, only 10 people were allowed to attend Mr De Rosario's funeral.

"We as people around the town just stood and gave him a guard of honour as the hearse came up the street."

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Volunteers take on country postal run after death of local postmaster - ABC News
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