<p>Melbourne's first post office was a crude bark hut with mud chimney in Collins Street. Its first postmaster, E.J. Forster, was appointed in 1837. In the immigrant city the post office provided the main means of communication. Settlers eagerly awaited letters bringing news of developments on the other side of the world, although coming by sea, such 'news' would be months old before reaching its destination. The 1850s gold rush brought an influx of people to Victoria, and a rapid increase in the volume of mail. However, the advent of the telegraph from 1854 made communications more immediate.</p>