The Westbury Post Office hums with quiet purpose. At its centre is Jenny Irving, who, along with her husband Miles, has been managing the post office since July 2020. “Coming up for five years on the 1st of July,” she notes, reflecting on the milestone with the ease of someone who has found her rhythm in a new chapter of life.
Jenny and Miles moved to Westbury from just south of Sydney, seeking a fresh start and a change of pace after Miles’s retirement. “We actually wanted to come and live in Westbury,” she says. “Miles is Scottish and liked the climate here a bit better, and we just fell in love with Westbury.” The pair had previously bought a rental property in the town, a sign of their long-standing affection for the place, and eventually turned it into their home.
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The Westbury Post Office is more than just a mailing hub. It’s a community touchstone, operated with a family-run ethos. “We’ve got Miles and myself – we’re the managers, but we are also very hands on,” Jenny explains. They manage everything from parcel sorting and labelling to working the counter and placing orders. Their team includes two posties, their son Christopher, and Janice, a seasoned counter staff member. “They’re brilliant,” she adds.
Taking over during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic posed unique challenges. “The biggest challenge was starting in 2020 because it was mid-COVID,” Jenny recalls. “Post offices were one of the few businesses that were still operating. We were busier than ever.” With Australia Post’s formal training cancelled, they had to learn on the fly. “We knew nothing and we were following people who’d been here over 20 years,” she says. “If there’d been a big reset button after the first month, we might’ve pushed it.”
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Despite the steep learning curve, Jenny is quick to credit the community and staff. “People in Westbury on the whole have been very welcoming, very kind. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
There have been quirky moments too. “We had two deck chairs – fully built deck chairs – arrive in that small room,” she laughs, referring to the compact sorting space at the back of the post office.
Over the past five years, parcel volumes have surged. “At Christmas, I think in December we had nearly 6,000 parcels go through,” she says, recalling the chaos. The Westbury Post Office covers a wide area under the 7303 postcode, including Birralee, Cluan, Exton, Oaks, and Whitemore. Deliveries are split between a motorbike postie and a car roadside delivery run.
While the daily work can be intense, the Irvings have their sights set on the future. “We started with a seven year plan, but I think it’d probably end up being a bit more than that,” Jenny says. The couple is also involved in local property renovation, with part of their premises being converted into a wellness hub by another resident, Acacia Healing’s Chris Carpenter. “That’s our house that we’re renovating… he rents the front room,” she says.
Asked about her favourite part of the Meander Valley, Jenny doesn’t hesitate. “I just love the fact in Westbury you can walk out the door and see the hills. It’s just such a beautiful spot.”
For Jenny and Miles, the Westbury Post Office is more than a job. It’s a community, a home, and a journey they’re clearly not finished with yet.
