Pine Creek Post Office and Repeater Station

The building, now referred to as the ‘repeater station’, was originally erected at Burrundie as the Chief Mining Warden’s quarters. Completed in 1889, it served as accommodation and office space for the Burrundie Mining Warden until 1905 when the position was transferred to Pine Creek. The building at Burrundie was then used by the Assistant Warden, Mines Department. In 1913 it was dismantled and transferred to Pine Creek as the quarters for Chief Mining Warden E.C. Playford. Several buildings were transported to Pine Creek from other locations as the mining economy shifted. When the position of Chief Mining Warden was transferred to Darwin the building reverted to Assistant Mining Warden, John Niemann who was also the local Chemist. Over time, the building has been a Doctor’s residence, clinic, staff quarters for the Pine Creek half-caste home, hospital, military communications centre, and Post Office during World War II. After the war, the building remained in use as a Post Office and residence and in the 1970s an automatic telephone exchange was installed. The building has had a number of local identities associated with it, including Edward Copley Playford, Dr Clyde Fenton and John Niemann.