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Post and Telegraph Department; commissioner; 1960s - 1980s; New Zealand
Overview
This men’s postal uniform suit was worn by both posties and postal workers across New Zealand between the mid-1960s and early 1980s. Introduced by the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department, this grey uniform style follows on from earlier green, battle-dress influenced uniform set that had been worn by posties from the 1950s.
Necessary Change
In a New Zealand Post Office Magazine article from 1964, this uniform was introduced to the community by announcing that a change of new uniform was necessary as the old uniform was becoming out of date:
It’s about time Post Office people had new uniforms. Fashions change; new materials are available. Our present uniform, influenced in its design by the battle dress of the war years, is getting out of date.
Uniformed staff in the Post Office cover a wide age group, from teenagers who are growing rapidly and who like to feel they are right fashion-wise, to elderly men who prefer a more conservative outfit. Then, too, the uniform must be designed to suit the type of work which these people do (1).
Reference:
(1) New Zealand Post Office (1964). New Uniforms. New Zealand Post Office Magazine. Vol. 4, No. 3.