After 45 years of service and 35 years of retirement, 93-year old Fred Sleeman returned to his former workplace, the Rockhampton Heritage Post Office.

“When I first started there were two buildings here and the mail trucks used to drive in between them and dump the mail bags,” said Fred, during his tour of the heritage-listed sandstone building, owned by CQU.

Current Rockhampton Post Master, Ron Vaggs, presented the Fred with a certificate of service and appreciation during a small ceremony in the main public section of the former Post Office where Fred spent many of his years making Child Endowment and other pension payments.

“I was never a postie,” he said, ”but always worked in the finance section, you know, paying pensions and things.” Fred, a resident of the Capricorn Adventist Retirement Village, and a group of fellow residents and staff also visited the current Post Office to get an idea of the changes in the postal delivery systems.

Fred was elated to be “back in the office”, and according to village support worker Diane McIntosh. The nonagenarian hadn’t stopped talking about the proposed visit for days.