On the banks of the Hawkesbury River in NSW, life takes on a slower pace; one that speaks of simpler times and days gone by.

Scattered along its edge are tiny river communities comprising just a handful of homes, reachable only by boat. And at the mouth of the river sits Brooklyn, a maritime village rich in heritage and charm, where a Cedarspan has truly made its stamp on the small town.

Because here stands the home of the river residents’ lifeblood: The Riverboat Postman.

“It’s now become part of this little square of heritage-looking buildings, even though mine is brand new, but it looks like it’s been there forever.”

A century of service

The Hawkesbury River, just an hour north of Sydney, winds its way through some of the most scenic and diverse landscapes to be found in New South Wales.

Rich in natural beauty and history, what makes this river especially unique are the isolated settlements dotted along its banks. For their residents, days quite literally flow with the tide. These tiny isolated communities are only accessible by water, so naturally, life revolves around and relies upon the river.

With no road access, the tight-knit locals rely solely on their boats…and the daily delivery run of The Riverboat Postman.

As the name suggests, The Riverboat Postman is a water-based mail delivery service, established in 1910 as a way to deliver essential supplies and post to the remote communities along the riverbanks. While the past 115 years have seen many changes, the service remains a vital connection with the outside world for many of the isolated river residents to this day.

A community lifeline under threat

So, when the operators of the Century-old service went into liquidation in 2012, the future for The Riverboat Postman – and the residents along the river – looked worryingly uncertain.

That’s when Catherine Pignéguy, her husband, and her brother-in-law stepped in.

As the owners of Hawkesbury Cruises, the one remaining boat service in the area with the capability to take over, the Pignéguy family were key to preserving the tradition.

Catherine recalls, “Australia Post rang us and said, okay, now we’re in trouble because you guys are the only other charter boats in the greater Sydney area. Can you do it while we work out what we’re going to do next?”

They were already travelling up and down the river, operating regular cruises and scenic day trips for visiting tourists, so of course they said yes!

A homeless postman

But there was one problem. No longer just carrying passengers, the family-run business now needed a home on the Brooklyn wharf; a base to receive and dispatch the mail, parcels and supplies that would be cruising the river with them.

The Riverboat Postman, now both a mail service and a tourist experience, was operating from the marina car park.

“I ran my office at the back of a Pantech truck”, Catherine tells us.

Completely self-sufficient, with no power or facilities, this was far from ideal. Rain, hail or shine, parcels and passengers would accumulate in the car park.

“I would have anywhere between 50 and 200 people coming, queuing up outside the truck”, Catherine remembers.

What she really needed was a permanent home to serve as a post and ticket office. And she had a vision for it.

“I had exactly the idea of what I wanted it to look like, and it needed to become this icon of Brooklyn”, says Catherine.

Not just a workspace, but a landmark. Something that looked like it belonged to the rich maritime heritage of Brooklyn and reflected the history of The Riverboat Postman, even if it was brand new.

From rough tides to calm waters

Sounds simple, right?

Unfortunately, it wasn’t full steam ahead.

What commenced was a long battle with the Lands Department to get the shed that belonged to the original postal run – “the dilapidated little thing that flooded knee-high at every high tide” – and submit her plans for a replacement that was fit for purpose.

That’s when Catherine turned to Greenspan as the ideal solution for this waterfront location. Being situated right at the water’s edge meant the structure needed to be both elevated and secure in the event of a ‘hundred year flood’ event. The fully personalisable nature of our pier-mountable designs allowed Catherine to achieve both the practical requirements of flood resistance and the aesthetic vision she had for this Brooklyn landmark.

“I said, look, this is my problem. I have to submit a tender to The Lands Department with a plan of what I’m going to do, so I need a plan from you guys”, Catherine recalls.

Working with the team, the vision of a home for The Riverboat Postman – one that echoed the heritage buildings of the surrounding town – began to take shape. A Cedarspan 2020 was extensively customised to create a brand new structure with the same heritage appearance as the rest of Brooklyn.

Catherine recalls her Greenspan experience with fondness.

“They were amazing. They designed the shed. They gave me all the plans for it which needed to be submitted to Lands.”

Three years of red tape, two days to build

If only the journey to get approval was as smooth sailing.

It took Catherine years of negotiating with the Lands Department before she could build on the site of the original, flood-prone shed.

But finally, her persistence paid off. And as soon as the green light was given, we were ready to spring into action with contrastingly quick and easy PreCrafting, delivery and installation.

“My absolute favourite memory is the fact that it took three years almost to the day of fighting… and then it went up in two days”, Catherine says. “It was phenomenal. Absolutely amazing.”

A small shed with a big impact

At just 3.6m x 5.7m, including the verandah, The Riverboat Postman may be small but it has a huge presence in the community.

Clad in vertical Eco-hardwood cladding which has been painted in “Monument” to match the Colorbond® roof, and with wide frame colonial style windows in “White”, the Cedarspan looks every bit a part of Brooklyn’s long-standing history. 3m high walls, gable windows and a pitched roof add to the heritage appearance. Inside, the higher walls allow for useful loft space on two sides for essential storage.

Catherine describes it best.

“It’s now become part of this little square of heritage-looking buildings, even though mine is brand new, but it looks like it’s been there forever.”

Navigating uncharted waters

Never were the residents of the river more thankful that The Riverboat Postman was saved than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With travel restricted and lockdowns in place, Catherine and the team – like many tourism operators – were forced to temporarily shut down operations.

But their commitment to the Hawkesbury River’s water-access-only residents never wavered.

“We had to shut down for six months, so the mail was being run out of a tinnie”, Catherine explains.

With fewer boats on the river and a heightened sense of isolation, The Riverboat Postman remained a crucial lifeline for these otherwise stranded communities, delivering not just supplies, but a sense of normalcy and connection.

This reinforces just how essential this service is to the fabric of Hawkesbury River life. Even in the most challenging circumstances, some traditions are worth preserving at all costs.

An icon in every album

Now a Brooklyn icon, the local community has embraced the home of The Riverboat Postman, with many considering it a landmark and an established part of the area’s rich history.

“They love the fact that it’s there, and they can use it as a directional point as well”, Catherine tells us.

And the tourists that come to spend a day on the beautiful Hawkesbury River love it too!

“Without a doubt it’s the most photographed Cedarspan”, says Catherine, “It’s in everybody’s tourist pictures of Brooklyn”.

While the path to running The Riverboat Postman was accidental, Catherine is proud to be part of such an iconic piece of history.

“To have left the next generations of this run with this cool little shed is even more special”, she explains, “That’s my stamp on it.”

A personal experience

You can, of course, experience The Riverboat Postman and its picture-perfect Cedarspan home for yourself.

The boat sets off at 10am each weekday (excluding public holidays) on a three-hour cruise past dense bushland, sandstone cliffs and historic sites like the remains of the HMAS Parramatta.

Enjoy morning tea and a ploughman’s lunch while locals in their postcard-pretty waterfront homes collect their mail from the boat and wave from their jetties.

Listen to the commentary from the skippers, who have grown up on these waters (but bear in mind it’s about 95% true… with a healthy dash of Hawkesbury humour!)

And perhaps dream of creating your own waterside sanctuary with a Cedarspan.

The Riverboat Postman departs daily every weekday (Monday to Friday) except Public Holidays, leaving from the Brooklyn Public Wharf at 10am and returning at about 1.15pm.

Bookings are essential.

Call 0400 600 111 or click here to book online.