Good evening list, While I have been gathering information for www.ryersonindex.org relating to Death and Funeral Notices I have found a few other items of interest, and I thought this one worth posting. In the Sydney Morning Herald of 24 Oct 1881 there is about half a page, in small type, listing the tenderers who were successful in gaining contracts to carry mail. Bearing in mind that mail conveyance was a State matter then and these contracts were to take effect from 1 Jan 1882. It is under the heading "Government Notices" and the first few under a sub heading "Western Roads" relate to the Hawkesbury. 1. Railway Station and Post Office Parramatta four times (??daily) Matthew A JONES. Seventy Eight Pounds per annum. One Year. Conditionally. 2. Parramatta Railway and Post Offices Parramatta, Baulkham Hills and Rouse Hill. Eighty Pounds P.A. Three years. 3. Withdrawn. 4. Railway Station and Post office Windsor, 4 times a day. Ellen Cleary. One year. Twenty Pounds. 5. Pitt Town, Wisemans Ferry, Central McDonald and St Albans, twice a week. Horseback. Twice a week. Thomas Thompson. Fourty Pounds P.A. ? blurred. Three Years. 6. Wisemans Ferry and Mangrove Creek. Once a week. John FULLER. Three years. Fifty Pounds P.A. 7. Claga, Putty and Howes Valley, once a week, horseback. David HAYMAN. Three years. Seventy Pounds P.A. 8. Penrith and Castlereagh, six times a week, William G DERBIN, horseback, one year. Fourty Two Pounds, conditionally. 9. Penrith, Mulgoa and Luddenham, via Main Road, six times a week, horseback, John Freeburn. Thirty Pounds P.A. Three years. Maybe a lister will find a relative here. Sincerely, Bill E-mail message checked by Internet Security (6.0.0.386) Database version: 5.13050 http://www.pctools.com/en/internet-security/