Sixty years ago Goulburn Post Office hired 25 additional staff to help handle extra Christmas mail, according to the Goulburn Evening Post.

"The Postmaster, Mr C. Carruthers, said these temporary employees were drawn mainly from the ranks of students who were home on vacation, and they were to perform such duties as sorting and delivery. Mr. Carruthers also stated that the volume of mail being handled in 1954 was at least as much as last year, and that the real pressure would be felt within the next two or three weeks.

"Mr Carruthers urges residents to post as much as they can before December 18, so as to ensure delivery before the holiday break. The Director of Posts and Telegrams has again listed some of the precautions to be observed by people posting Christmas gifts.

(1) Use strong wrapping paper and envelopes, because poor quality materials do not carry safely through the post.

(2) Pack fragile articles securely and use strong outer containers to protect them.

(3) Bottles of liquid, such as perfume but not liquor, should be packed firstly in absorbent material such as cotton wool and then wrapped again in strong cartons.

(4) Articles with sharp points should be padded to prevent injury to other mail and to the people handling them in the course of their transit.

(5) Tie parcels securely and include on the cover a request for return if undeliverable, if your friends are away.

(6) Make doubly sure that the address is correct. Many letters and parcels may be delayed or otherwise affected if the above warning is not heeded.

(7) If Christmas cards are posted in sealed envelopes, full letter postage must be prepaid.

(8) Post all Christmas mail before Saturday, December 18, to ensure prompt delivery."