THIS week's photo, of the Burraga Post Office, was taken by Mr McCarthy before the First World War. Four people are out the front: two standing and two sitting in the vehicle.
The residents of Burraga had for some time appealed to the Postmaster General's Department to have a suitable building in which to house the village's post office.
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The Lloyd's Copper-mining Company, with its reverberatory furnace with four chimneys, had had its ups and downs since being owned by Mr Lloyd, who had struggled with the low price of copper.
By 1900, things were greatly picking up and more and more miners were being employed.
"At the Lloyd Copper Co.'s mine, things are booming," a February 1900 report said. "I hear the lode has never looked as well as at present. Two fresh bunches of very rich ore have been struck during the past few weeks.
"There has never been so many men at over 400 men. Preparations for the water jackets are being rapidly pushed on.
"The big stack has started. When completed, it will be 100ft. high. Two large brick yards are kept going. The bricks are carted away and put into the various works before they have time to cool. The big boiler has been set into position, and the machinery is arriving almost daily.
"The big dam is completed and overflowing. It is a nice sheet of water, but, being protected by barb wire, cannot be made use of by the public.
"A telephone line has been constructed between the furnace mine and manager's residence, and I hear it is to be extended to the post office, which will be a great convenience to our telegraph master."
A Burraga correspondent wrote for the Lithgow Mercury in July 1900: "This has been the roughest winter ever experienced here. We have had nearly a week of snow with a very high wind, making it very unpleasant for unfortunates who are living in make-shift dwellings and tents - and there are not a few of such homes just now.
"The wood carters are at a standstill and the supply is running out at the furnaces. The road between here and Rockley is in a terrible state and the teams have a job to get along at all. However, we should have a good spring, as the ground has had a fine soaking."
Having secured a post office for the village, it was decided to attract another doctor who would live in the village. A society was formed by the mine's workmen with the view to subsidising a medical man.
Several meetings were held, and it was decided to guarantee £500 per annum for the services of an approved medical man.
There were 16 applications sent in and, at a ballot, Dr Bowden was chosen.
He could start practising almost immediately, so that they now had two doctors in their midst.
Regular reports appeared in the Bathurst newspapers, such as this one: "Mr. Creer, our obliging postmaster, has returned after a five weeks holiday, and looks much better for his trip. Mr. Wall, who has very ably filled his place during his absence, leaves to-day.
"I hear Mr. Creer is to have an assistant, and it is not before one was required. It is hoped the Postal Department will soon see fit to build a new post office. No pay last Saturday at the mine.
"Mr. S. Riley's new hotel is nearly completed, also Mr. Williamson's. Mr. Curry, of Dapto, has lodged an application to build a two-storey brick hotel in Burraga. Should all the licenses be granted, Burraga will be well represented by bonfires."
By late September 1900, Mr Thresher, from Messrs. Siemens Brothers, Sydney, was in Burraga installing the electric light at the Lloyd Company's works. When he completed his work, he left for Sydney.
Locals were stating that "at night the works present a lovely sight". Local houses were being sold as some miners bought better houses.
