Post Offices of South Africa

#1 · February 12, 2026, 9:22 pm

Quote from Steve on February 12, 2026, 9:22 pm
Johannesburg POs - Commissioner Street, Hollard Street, City & Suburban, Fox Street and EXCOM.

I have meant to start a 'Post Offices' topic for some time as it is a subject of great interest to SA postal historians. I did not do so because the South African Collectors' Society magazine, The Springbok, has always had a good and regular contribution on the subject from Lyn and Rob Lester. I am not now trying to steal their impressive thunder, rather I am simply plugging a yawning gap in this forum.

1921. Registered Cover. Commissioner Street, Johannesburg PO '21 DEC 21' to Canada.
The Commissioner Street, Johannesburg PO was opened in 1920.
In 1923 the Post Office Circular announced its name change to 'Hollard Street'.

1925. Bilingual Certificate of Posting. Hollard Street, Johannesburg PO '17 APR 25'.

I was motivated to do this now because I have some good material on the subject, little as good as a spevialists. The following items recently popped out of a drawer to surprise me. I thought on seeing it again, "yes, this is a good place to kick-start a Post Offices' thread". I hope that my enthusiam for this material will be enjoyed by you. As ever please add your comments, covers and criticisms.

1924. Registered Letter. City & Suburban Johannesburg PO '17 DEC 24' to Germany.
The City & Suburban PO was opened in 1923.
In late 1938 the PO closed down and the property it had occupied was let.
It was replaced by a new post office called Commissioner Street on 3rd January 1939.

1939. Registered letter. Commissioner Street, Johannesburg PO '21 1 39' to Port Elizabeth.
The cover shows the new Commissioner Street PO using the old City & Suburban Registered cachet.
This cover shows that "Commissioner Street and City and Suburban were housed in one and the same office".

This article is based on 'The Wanderstempel' of Johannesburg' by George van den Hurk which appeared in the SA Philatelist (November 1985). It in turn drew on an article by Derek Olmesdahl in Postel (July 1983). Olmesdahl's article had inspired van den Hurk to compare postmarks and covers in his collection to the supplied details of the opening of various central Johannesburg post offices.

It turned out that the some of the details that the Post Office Museum had on its card-index of post offices were incorrect. The long and the short of it was that the opening of the City and Suburban post office in Commissioner Street was more complicated than appears at first sight. The covers that van der Hurk used to illustrate his article are now in my possession. I show them here again. They have not seen the light of day since they came up for sale in a Kenny Napier Auction (Contact) where I purchased them a few years ago.

1933. Registered Letter. Fox Street, Johannesburg PO '20 NOV 33' to Nourse Mines, Johanessburg.
Hollard Street was renamed Fox Street in 1931.

1951. Registered Letter. Fox Street, Johannesburg, '25 NOV 51' to Germany.
During the 1950s Fox Street PO was located on the corner of Maclaren Street in the west of Johannesburg,

According to a photocopy of the original SAP arrticle supplied with the lot, the Commissioner Street PO (post office) was opened in 1920 and the City and Suburban in 1923. According to Post Office circular No. 249 the name of Commissioner Street PO was changed to Hollard Street in 1923. In 1931 Hollard Street was renamed Fox Street.

1936. The City & Suburban postmarks in use at the time of JIPEX.

It follows that there was no Commissioner Street PO for the period 1923 to 1938 when the City and Suburban post office was renamed Commissioner Street. This new post office, Commissioner Street, was opened on 3rd January 1939 aand the old vacated City and Suburban premises were let.

Two newspaper or magazine cuttings from this time provide some interest. I use cars to date things - but I am no car buff!

Late 1938. Photo. Staff outside the Entrance to the 'Non-European' section of the City & Suburban PO.
The window left has a 'To Let' sign, suggesting that this was taken just before it closed in late 1938.

1939. Photo. Commissioner Street PO.
The make and model of car provides a clue to the date.
City and Suburban PO was renamed Commissioner Street on 3rd January 1939.
This car is of late pre-WW2 vintage.

At the JIPEX (Johannesburg International Philatelic Exhibition) of 1936, the postmaster of Johannesburg provided a display "showing eery type of postmark in use in the city at the present (1936) timer". (Exhibition Brochure.) It shows no postamrks for Commissioner Street PO which would not open until 1939. However, it does show five postmarks for Fox Street PO. And two for City and Suburban. See PDF file.

1936. The five Fox Street postmarks in use at the time of JIPEX.

My thanks and appreciation to George van den Hurk who wrote the article that appeared in the SAP in 1985, also to Derek Olmesdahl who got this thread going in way back 1983. The SAP photocopy is attached here as a PDF for you to view. Click here to see it. It serves as a useful and more detailed piece of advice than my hurried percolation of the facts. Finally, below is a cover that was certainly posted to the acclaimed Union postal historian, Jack Hagger, one possibly created by him at the time.

1935, Registered Letter. City & Suburban, Johannesburg PO '2 May 35' to S. J. (Jack) Hagger, Johannesburg.
Lightly canclled, presumably at the request of Jack Hagger.

"Forty years" after "Commissioner Street and City and Suburban were housed in one and the same office in 1939", (George van den Hurk), presumably on the corner of Nuggest and Fox Street, it put up a 'To Let' sign when it was "moved to the corner of Mooi and School Streets and renamed 'EXCOM'; this is illustrated by a Registered Letter dated 10 November 1978 with the old registration label of 'Commissioner St. / Str.', however, now over-stamped in red, 'EXCOM', and soon afterwards replaced by 'EXCOM' registration labels." Sadly, the cover described was not included in George's article and was sold separately by Kenny Napier. This overprinted EXCOM registration label sold for a record fee for such an item. Due to its perceived value it was recently featured in a philatelic publication. When I track it down I will post it here. Watch this spot but don't hold your breath. It is currently elusive.

NOTE:
There is constant ongoing research into the history of South African Post Offices and their postmarks. Little is known and often what is surmised is later debunked. I often rush to judgement only to get egg on my face. This happened with the Commissioner Street East TSO (Town Sub-Office) datestamp. Anyone wanting to learn about TSOs can start by linking to this website's TSO Post here. This post began because an important dealer with a big contributing influence in SA postal history asked "what is a TSO?"

Johannesburg POs - Commissioner Street, Hollard Street, City & Suburban, Fox Street and EXCOM.

I have meant to start a 'Post Offices' topic for some time as it is a subject of great interest to SA postal historians. I did not do so because the South African Collectors' Society magazine, The Springbok, has always had a good and regular contribution on the subject from Lyn and Rob Lester. I am not now trying to steal their impressive thunder, rather I am simply plugging a yawning gap in this forum.

1921. Registered Cover. Commissioner Street, Johannesburg PO '21 DEC 21' to Canada.
The Commissioner Street, Johannesburg PO was opened in 1920.
In 1923 the Post Office Circular announced its name change to 'Hollard Street'.

1925. Bilingual Certificate of Posting. Hollard Street, Johannesburg PO '17 APR 25'.

I was motivated to do this now because I have some good material on the subject, little as good as a spevialists. The following items recently popped out of a drawer to surprise me. I thought on seeing it again, "yes, this is a good place to kick-start a Post Offices' thread". I hope that my enthusiam for this material will be enjoyed by you. As ever please add your comments, covers and criticisms.

1924. Registered Letter. City & Suburban Johannesburg PO '17 DEC 24' to Germany.
The City & Suburban PO was opened in 1923.
In late 1938 the PO closed down and the property it had occupied was let.
It was replaced by a new post office called Commissioner Street on 3rd January 1939.

1939. Registered letter. Commissioner Street, Johannesburg PO '21 1 39' to Port Elizabeth.
The cover shows the new Commissioner Street PO using the old City & Suburban Registered cachet.
This cover shows that "Commissioner Street and City and Suburban were housed in one and the same office".

This article is based on 'The Wanderstempel' of Johannesburg' by George van den Hurk which appeared in the SA Philatelist (November 1985). It in turn drew on an article by Derek Olmesdahl in Postel (July 1983). Olmesdahl's article had inspired van den Hurk to compare postmarks and covers in his collection to the supplied details of the opening of various central Johannesburg post offices.

It turned out that the some of the details that the Post Office Museum had on its card-index of post offices were incorrect. The long and the short of it was that the opening of the City and Suburban post office in Commissioner Street was more complicated than appears at first sight. The covers that van der Hurk used to illustrate his article are now in my possession. I show them here again. They have not seen the light of day since they came up for sale in a Kenny Napier Auction (Contact) where I purchased them a few years ago.

1933. Registered Letter. Fox Street, Johannesburg PO '20 NOV 33' to Nourse Mines, Johanessburg.
Hollard Street was renamed Fox Street in 1931.

1951. Registered Letter. Fox Street, Johannesburg, '25 NOV 51' to Germany.
During the 1950s Fox Street PO was located on the corner of Maclaren Street in the west of Johannesburg,

According to a photocopy of the original SAP arrticle supplied with the lot, the Commissioner Street PO (post office) was opened in 1920 and the City and Suburban in 1923. According to Post Office circular No. 249 the name of Commissioner Street PO was changed to Hollard Street in 1923. In 1931 Hollard Street was renamed Fox Street.

1936. The City & Suburban postmarks in use at the time of JIPEX.

It follows that there was no Commissioner Street PO for the period 1923 to 1938 when the City and Suburban post office was renamed Commissioner Street. This new post office, Commissioner Street, was opened on 3rd January 1939 aand the old vacated City and Suburban premises were let.

Two newspaper or magazine cuttings from this time provide some interest. I use cars to date things - but I am no car buff!

Late 1938. Photo. Staff outside the Entrance to the 'Non-European' section of the City & Suburban PO.
The window left has a 'To Let' sign, suggesting that this was taken just before it closed in late 1938.

1939. Photo. Commissioner Street PO.
The make and model of car provides a clue to the date.
City and Suburban PO was renamed Commissioner Street on 3rd January 1939.
This car is of late pre-WW2 vintage.

At the JIPEX (Johannesburg International Philatelic Exhibition) of 1936, the postmaster of Johannesburg provided a display "showing eery type of postmark in use in the city at the present (1936) timer". (Exhibition Brochure.) It shows no postamrks for Commissioner Street PO which would not open until 1939. However, it does show five postmarks for Fox Street PO. And two for City and Suburban. See PDF file.

1936. The five Fox Street postmarks in use at the time of JIPEX.

My thanks and appreciation to George van den Hurk who wrote the article that appeared in the SAP in 1985, also to Derek Olmesdahl who got this thread going in way back 1983. The SAP photocopy is attached here as a PDF for you to view. Click here to see it. It serves as a useful and more detailed piece of advice than my hurried percolation of the facts. Finally, below is a cover that was certainly posted to the acclaimed Union postal historian, Jack Hagger, one possibly created by him at the time.

1935, Registered Letter. City & Suburban, Johannesburg PO '2 May 35' to S. J. (Jack) Hagger, Johannesburg.
Lightly canclled, presumably at the request of Jack Hagger.

"Forty years" after "Commissioner Street and City and Suburban were housed in one and the same office in 1939", (George van den Hurk), presumably on the corner of Nuggest and Fox Street, it put up a 'To Let' sign when it was "moved to the corner of Mooi and School Streets and renamed 'EXCOM'; this is illustrated by a Registered Letter dated 10 November 1978 with the old registration label of 'Commissioner St. / Str.', however, now over-stamped in red, 'EXCOM', and soon afterwards replaced by 'EXCOM' registration labels." Sadly, the cover described was not included in George's article and was sold separately by Kenny Napier. This overprinted EXCOM registration label sold for a record fee for such an item. Due to its perceived value it was recently featured in a philatelic publication. When I track it down I will post it here. Watch this spot but don't hold your breath. It is currently elusive.

NOTE:
There is constant ongoing research into the history of South African Post Offices and their postmarks. Little is known and often what is surmised is later debunked. I often rush to judgement only to get egg on my face. This happened with the Commissioner Street East TSO (Town Sub-Office) datestamp. Anyone wanting to learn about TSOs can start by linking to this website's TSO Post here. This post began because an important dealer with a big contributing influence in SA postal history asked "what is a TSO?"