‘‘I started straight out of school and thought I would only do it for a couple of years then move on to something else, but I’ve stayed here for nearly five decades and it’s been an amazing lifetime of experiences,’’ says Murray.
Back in March 1977, Murray joined the town’s resident postie Tracey Hill for a couple of weeks of on-the-job training.
‘‘He left and I was on my own, working six days a week back then. There were about 130 households in the township and I covered them all on my bicycle.’’
Murray started each day at 5am sorting the letters and parcels for delivery.
Daily mail came via The Press delivery truck early each morning and the parcels by train several times a week.
It then took him a couple of hours to deliver all the mail starting at 8.30am.
He spent the rest of his shift sorting out the outward-bound mail and parcels.
By 2025 nearly 85% of the letters are gone, replaced by courier parcels numbering up to 60 a day, and many more around Christmas time.
In the later years he bought a station wagon off Mr Hill’s mother to deliver the parcels - and named it Joyce.
‘‘My ex-wife thought it was funny I was spending so much time with Joyce.’’
The biggest change he has seen in the industry is the reduction in letters, he said.
‘‘Letters have almost disappeared, replaced by all the packages.
‘‘People don’t even send Christmas cards anymore, it’s all online. There used to be hundreds each year.’’
He has also seen big changes in Cheviot.
Murray says there have been 60 new houses built in the township since he started, but only three people remain living in their original houses from all the households that were there when he started.
‘‘I’ve seen two generations of some families live here.
‘‘The role of the town has changed, it used to be a railways and road services town with some people also employed by the Nassella Board.’’
The North Canterbury Nassella Tussock Board was established in 1946 to control the first plant pest identified in New Zealand as a national threat.
‘‘But sadly they too have all gone, which didn’t help our town.’’
‘‘Now it’s become almost like a retirement or accommodation town. People come here because it’s cheaper than other places.’’
The funniest thing Murray can remember from his life on the road was one day many years ago, he happened upon a funny sight.
‘‘A couple of jokers at the Pyne’s store had put two decoy ducks out in a puddle along from a council worker employed to fill in potholes. He was trying to shoo them away.’’
The saddest was finding a pensioner after they had a stroke.
‘‘That was sad, as I knew them well.’’
On another occasion, Murray spotted smoke coming out of the windows of a house so he knocked on the door.
When no one answered, he opened the door and spotted a log burning on the floor in front of the fireplace, so he entered the home, filled a saucepan up with water and doused the flames before shutting the door again and continuing on with his rounds.
‘‘Postman means community friend and I was also the extra set of eyes for the local policeman too.
‘‘The 48 years have gone so fast, it's been fun with earthquakes and storms, but now it’s time to take a rest, retire to the farm and do some travelling and fishing,’’ says Murray.
He says he will miss the job and the people, but he won’t miss the winter delivery runs.
