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Array
(
    [entityType] => ITEM
    [entity] => Array
        (
            [contextId] => aims
            [description] => Array
                (
                    [0] => The Picton Post Office was responsible for administering postal, telegraphic and associated services to the Picton town and surrounds.
                )

            [id] => ADPW
            [idSort] => ADPW
            [name] => Picton Post Office
            [custom] => Array
                (
                    [custom1] => This agency description was compiled as part of a project to capture the finding aids created prior to 1987 into the GAIMS system.  The agency start date is based on the known date of existence and the end date is derived from the date of holdings
                    [custom2] => Robinson, Howard 'A History of the Post Office in New Zealand' Government Printer, Wellington, 1964

Startup, R. M. 'New Zealand Post Offices' The Postal History Society of New Zealand Inc., Hastings, 1977

'The Post Office - Then and Now', 1967 (copy held at Archives NZ library, Wellington Office)
                )

            [identifier] => Array
                (
                    [priref] => Array
                        (
                            [0] => 1984
                        )

                )

            [agentControlRelation] => Array
                (
                    [0] => Array
                        (
                            [name] => Self-Governing Colony of New Zealand
                            [type] => controlled_by
                            [hasBeginningDate] => Array
                                (
                                    [normalizedValue] => 1859-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
                                    [dateQualifier] => Array
                                        (
                                            [0] => exact
                                            [1] => yearOnly
                                        )

                                )

                            [hasEndDate] => Array
                                (
                                    [normalizedValue] => 1864-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
                                    [dateQualifier] => Array
                                        (
                                            [0] => approximate
                                            [1] => yearOnly
                                        )

                                )

                            [itemType] => Organisation
                            [relationHasSource] => A0005
                        )

                )

            [agentHierarchicalRelation] => Array
                (
                    [0] => Array
                        (
                            [name] => Post Office
                            [type] => controlling
                            [hasBeginningDate] => Array
                                (
                                    [normalizedValue] => 1859-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
                                    [dateQualifier] => Array
                                        (
                                            [0] => exact
                                            [1] => yearOnly
                                        )

                                )

                            [hasEndDate] => Array
                                (
                                    [normalizedValue] => 1864-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
                                    [dateQualifier] => Array
                                        (
                                            [0] => approximate
                                            [1] => yearOnly
                                        )

                                )

                            [itemType] => Agency
                            [relationHasTarget] => ADOU
                        )

                )

            [agentMandateOther] => Array
                (
                    [0] => Local Post Act 1856
                    [1] => New Zealand Post Office Act 1858
                )

            [agentType] => Record group
            [authorityRelation] => Array
                (
                    [0] => Array
                        (
                            [name] => Inwards letters
                            [type] => controlling
                            [hasBeginningDate] => Array
                                (
                                    [normalizedValue] => 1864-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
                                    [dateQualifier] => Array
                                        (
                                            [0] => approximate
                                            [1] => yearOnly
                                        )

                                )

                            [hasEndDate] => Array
                                (
                                    [normalizedValue] => 1864-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
                                    [dateQualifier] => Array
                                        (
                                            [0] => approximate
                                            [1] => yearOnly
                                        )

                                )

                            [itemType] => Series
                            [relationHasTarget] => 17234
                        )

                )

            [digitalRecordInArchive] => 
            [hasBeginningDate] => Array
                (
                    [type] => YearStart
                    [normalizedValue] => 1859-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
                    [dateQualifier] => Array
                        (
                            [0] => exact
                            [1] => yearOnly
                        )

                )

            [hasEndDate] => Array
                (
                    [type] => YearEnd
                    [normalizedValue] => 1864-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
                    [dateQualifier] => Array
                        (
                            [0] => approximate
                            [1] => yearOnly
                        )

                )

            [history] => 
Government provision of postal services began in New Zealand in 1840.  Along with a national and international mail transportation system, post offices were required for the collection and dispatch of mail.  Post offices were a rarity until the mid 1850s, when a number of factors combined to produce an increase.  Legislative promotion of postal services, such as in the Local Post Act 1856, was a factor, as was the establishment of the Post Office as a separate department under the Post Office Act 1858. 
The Picton Post Office was established in 1859, to provide postal services to the town and surrounding area [1].  The Picton area was initially known as Waitohi, and the Post Office when first established was named Newtown, before becoming Picton.  in 1856 the town had been identified as a port allowing rapid postal communication between the North and South Islands, and also allowing overland access onwards to Canterbury [2].  The office was part of the postal district of Blenheim, under the Blenheim Post Office [archives reference: ADPR], which was Chief Post Office of that district.
A number of government functions were handed to the post offices for administration as they were introduced.  The responsibilities of a post office included the receipt of old age pension applications and processing of pension payments, and the registration of motor vehicles and later, electors.  These functions were administered in addition to the provision of core postal, banking, telephone, and telegraph services.
[1] R.M. Startup, ‘New Zealand Post Offices’ The Postal History Society of New Zealand Inc., Hastings, 1977, p 144
[2] Howard Robinson, ‘A History of the Post Office in New Zealand’ Government Printer, Wellington, 1964, p 73-74
            [isAssociatedWithPlace] => Array
                (
                    [0] => Array
                        (
                            [location] => Picton, Marlborough
                        )

                )

            [itemType] => Agency
            [rdfType] => agent
            [recordIsMissing] => 
            [setSpec] => agency
        )

)