Community & Business
11 November, 2026
Postal service celebration
FOUR team members at Atherton Post Office are celebrating a combined 123 years of service with Australia Post, witnessing decades of change in how Australians send and receive mail, while remaining at the heart of their local community.
Postal Leader Wendy Wyatt (41 years), Postal Delivery Officer Darryl Newman (38 years), Postal Services Officer Kathy Owens (26 years) and Senior Postal Services Officer Siegy Schmieman (18 years), have collectively spent more than a century serving Australia Post customers.
Over that time, the team has seen significant changes in Australia Post’s operations, from the final days of telegrams and money orders to the rise of eCommerce, parcel tracking, handheld devices and banking services.
Despite the transformation in how Australians send and receive items, the team says one thing has remained constant – supporting the Atherton community.
Together, the team has put $40,000 into local community groups over the past eight years through Australia Post’s People of Post grants program, helping organisations deliver projects that support the local community.
Ms Wyatt said the grants had made a meaningful difference to local organisations.
“It’s $40,000 in eight years. You’re going to give someone two grand, that’s a lot of raffle tickets or sausage sizzles they have to do to get that money,” she said.
“They’re just very pleased to get our phone call to say, ‘hey, we’d like to nominate you for an Australia Post grant’.”
The team’s commitment to customers was recognised in 2019 when the Atherton Post Office was named the inaugural Post Office of the Year.
“We’re a country town, and customer service is the thing that gets people in the door,” Ms Wyatt said.
“The nomads come through and they go, ‘this post office is one of the best we’ve been to in Australia because everybody’s so friendly’.
“No day is the same as it was yesterday or the day before. It’s not rinse and repeat. Every day has its new challenges, and it has its new successes.”
The team’s careers have spanned post offices across four states, with all four team members finding their home in Atherton.
For Mr Newman, the most rewarding moments are the simplest ones.
“It’s the happy, beaming smile you get when you hand out someone’s parcel they were hoping would arrive before the weekend,” he said.
“My advice to anyone starting out is do it, but with the right attitude and ethics. Our customers deserve the best.”
Ms Owen said getting to know the people of Atherton had been the highlight of her career.
“I’ve had many roles in my years with Australia Post and they’ve all been wonderful memories, but the most rewarding is being part of the community and township of Atherton and getting to know so many people over the years,” she said.
“I love serving the public of our little town of Atherton. To anyone thinking about a career with Australia Post, I can only say go for it, the career opportunities are endless.”
Mr Schmieman said the team was what had kept him at Australia Post for 18 years.
“The team I work with want to deliver the best service possible, and each day provides endless opportunities to learn and serve. One that stands out from a rich collection of memories is the presentation of the inaugural Post Office of the Year in 2019,” he said.
