As mentioned in Township History, the first postal service in Matawai was provided from January 1907, and subsequently in 1908 from Neal's store and boarding house, where the hotel now stands. A telephone office, with connection to Gisborne, was opened in March 1908. The postmaster provided the accommodation for the postal and telegraph business.

The Matawai Post Office building, across the road from the hotel, was built in 1920, with Mr E W Emmerson of Matawai securing the building contract. The building was a combined office and two bedroom postmaster's residence. The Matawai Post and Telegram Office was opened in 1921 as shown in the photograph below. On opening, the office employed the postmaster, Mr T Christensen, a telephone exchange clerk and a message boy.

When an automatic exchange replaced the manual telephone exchange in 1965, the exchange was housed in a new building beside the Post Office.

The Post Office performed a wide variety of functions on behalf of the Crown, including the provision of postal, telegraphic, telephone and banking services. In addition the Post Office assisted in the administration of associated functions in other areas of government, for instance, pension payments, motor vehicle registration and radio inspection. Matawai Post Office acted as a births, deaths and marriage registration office from 1916.

The Matawai Post Office is now closed and used as a residence.

Matawai Post Office opening in 1921.
Source: Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19210811-37-4

Matawai Post Office building in 2022 (closed)
and the automatic telephone exchange building with red roof on right.
Source: Google Street View.