A Legacy, Stamped And Delivered

by Victoria Velton

Leonardo (Lenny) Toscano, is Ingham's longest serving postal employee. With nearly 40 years of service, he’s seen the post office evolve over the decades, but says its focus has always remained the same by serving the needs of the locals and delivering their messages.

Lenny’s career began around 1985, when he was working for a courier company that delivered mail to the post office, recalling, "That’s how I sort of got my foot in the door, really,” he said. “We used to bring the mail up from Townsville in the back of a ute, it was mostly letters back then.”

In 1988, the post office manager offered him a part-time role inside, which he gladly took to escape working in the weather. He started by delivering telegrams and collecting from public phone boxes.

“Way back in the day, coin-operated phone boxes had a little tin in the bottom. I used to count up the money and pass it on to the Telstra boys.”

Eventually, a postman position became available and Lenny jumped at the opportunity. He stayed in that role until a truck collision put him on light duties. When a staff member retired, Lenny stepped into a retail and counter position as one of five people working behind a long service counter. He eventually worked his way up to become the manager, and over the years also served as a relief postal manager in Mount Isa, Tully, Ayr, Charters Towers, and several Townsville offices, staying within the region.

“I’m a local, so when they didn’t have a manager somewhere, their HR person would ring up at seven or eight o’clock in the morning and say, ‘You’re going to work here.’ Then I’d drive up to Tully and work there for the day.”

He’s seen three major renovations, watching the space evolve into the retail-focused hub locals see today. Loving the history of the place he holds onto memorabilia such as a crockery set featuring the old Ingham Post Office with its historic red roof.

One of his fondest memories is from 1993, when the entire Ingham Post Office got together to join Nobby Young, a postman walking around the entirety of Australia for charity, as Young passed through Ingham, They all walked a leg of the journey alongside him.