Old  Post Office B & B

The Old Post Office Building in Louth was built in 1888 to service the thriving river town of Louth.

History

In 1865 Thomas Andrew Mathews took up an 80 acre section of land on the banks of the Darling River and called it Louth . The town was named after Louth County in Ireland where he was born .

 The Louth Post office began operation in 1869 from  a room in the Dan O'Connell Hotel owned by  Mathews.   In 1877 , Mathews offered to donate a block of land for  erection of a Post Office building . However , building was delayed  for various reasons eleven years until finally on the 7th of  May 1888 the building was declared operational by the District Postal Inspector .  

 "Understand our new premises are completed and the postmaster's removal into the quarters may be shortly expected ".

In the 1880's  approximately  500 people lived  in Louth .   The mail which was sorted and collected each week amounted to 400 Sydney papers, 350 letters and 30-40 articles of registered mail .  By 1896 , Louth had grown considerably. There were 3 hotels , a Police station , 3 churches, a school, a Chinese garden, a race track, a cordial factory, 2 butcher shops, a chemist, 3 bakers, a blacksmith , a general store, a saddler, a newsagent , 2 wool scours , a post office and a cemetery. Louth also printed its own paper, the 'Louth Liberal'.

Located on the banks of the Darling River , the town was the staging place for copper ore bound for the smelters in Burra in South Australia. The ore was brought overland from Cobar on bullock drays and transported down river on barges . Goods were back loaded from Louth to Cobar and in dry  times even water was carted inland to Cobar.

Louth today is a small town community of  30 people, with a surrounding farming community of  100 people  .  It is the centre of a vast sheep growing area on the Darling River and a regular meeting place for local farmers and graziers. The town hosts the annual Louth races in August  and is one of the biggest racing clubs in the western racing association.

The town has several historic landmarks that date back to the days of Thomas Mathews. The old Post Office building still stands today as a monument to the town's busy past.  Its solid brick and cedar  construction has lasted well over a hundred years. It has recently been restored to its original form and welcomes guests as a Bed and Breakfast.