Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Tauranga postie delivers his last mail after 45 years on the job

John Cousins
By John Cousins
Senior reporter, Bay of Plenty Times·Bay of Plenty Times·
1 Jul, 2018 03:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Tauranga postie Robbie Gilmour getting ready for his last run after 45 years on the job. Photo/Andrew Warner

Tauranga postie Robbie Gilmour getting ready for his last run after 45 years on the job. Photo/Andrew Warner

Tauranga postie Robbie Gilmour epitomises the reasons why everyone likes the hardy souls who deliver the mail in all weathers.

Happy-go-lucky, friendly and dedicated to the ethos that the mail must get through, Robbie's 45 years as a postie ended yesterday when he retired.

The likeable family man was unable to recall a single time when weather prevented him from doing his run.

His most memorable moment was stopping a house fire in Harrisfield Dr, Hairini.

Alerted by a horrible stench, he spotted smoke coming out of the house. Dashing across the front lawn, he called out asking if anyone was home and having got no reply he went inside where a frying pan was smoking on the stove. Robbie threw the pan on to the lawn and when the lid came off it burst into flames.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Born and raised in Tauranga, Robbie worked briefly in his father's Greerton hamburger bar before applying to become a postman.

''I thought it would be an interim thing until I found another job, but it went on and on.''

He loved the culture of the job and sense of belonging.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

''Posties are always ready with a smile and hello. I've always enjoyed the job - I was never tempted to do anything else.''

And although the volume of letters had plummeted with the rise of the internet, the growth in parcels, for much the same reason, meant he was confident posties would be around for a long time yet.

Typically for Robbie, his last day at work was not an excuse to slacken off. After a special retirement morning tea, he set off on his last run.

He said it was not unusual for people to come out to the letterbox when they saw him coming. ''Some are lonely and like a little chat.''

Discover more

Top honours for Riding for Disabled coach

06 Jun 05:00 AM

Community Gem: Wikitoria Nuku on kindness

13 Jun 01:20 AM

Community Gem: Baking a difference for guide dogs

20 Jun 04:20 AM

Grandmother helping orphans in need

26 Jun 11:00 PM

Robbie liked that it was a healthy job.

''When you get out early in the morning and it is a beautiful day, it is the best job in the world.''

Robbie had special memories delivering mail in Mount Maunganui and the beauty of looking across Pilot Bay to Matakana Island followed by the ocean vistas on Marine Parade.

''I just loved it.''

He chose to stick with his e-bike when New Zealand Post introduced the distinctive buggies called Paxters.

''I didn't think I would very good at hopping on and off.''

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Amazingly, Robbie has never been hit by a car in his 45 years delivering mail, even though Tauranga roads have become so much busier.

The worst that happened to him was being nipped by dogs and going over the handlebars going down Fantail Dr at Maungatapu.

Being chased by dogs happened a lot more in the old days, he said.

One of Robbie's favourite runs was through Welcome Bay's Greenwood Park Retirement Village. He became so well known that he featured on the front page of the village newspaper, The Bucket Times.

Robbie had fond memories of the days when people left little Christmas gifts out for their postie. ''But it's rare these days.''

He had no plans for retirement except to relax, do a few jobs around the house and think about what to do next.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Famous Kiwi writers and posties
- James K Baxter
- Hone Tuwhare
- Ian Wedde
Source: Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Donations save school from brink of closure

13 Jul 12:01 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

12 Jul 11:00 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

Second venomous sea snake washes ashore in Coromandel

12 Jul 06:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Donations save school from brink of closure

Donations save school from brink of closure

13 Jul 12:01 AM

Matahui School will stay open into 2025 and beyond.

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

12 Jul 11:00 PM
Second venomous sea snake washes ashore in Coromandel

Second venomous sea snake washes ashore in Coromandel

12 Jul 06:00 AM
'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

12 Jul 03:58 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP