General News
8 July, 2025
Burketown Post Office sold to Mount Isa couple
Elwyn and Julie-Ann Walden have made the move from the mining city to the Gulf community.
Burketown Post Office will remain open after Mount Isa couple Elwyn and Julie-Ann Walden stepped up to save the much-needed business.
They take the reins from Joy Arnold, who bought the Australia Post operation with her late partner Terry in 1981.
Joy has retired to Cairns after running the business, which also features a general store, for 44 years.
“It was so sad to see her go the other day,” said Julie-Ann.
“She’s been here 57 years in Burketown and 44 years in the business.
“She didn’t want to go. She was stalling the whole time.”
Elwyn, a Cloncurry product who has spent the last 30 years working at Mount Isa Mines, said he and his wife thought it was time for a change.
“It’s been a long move and a drawn-out process to buy the store and the post office,” he said.
“We started looking at it about two years ago, but due to illness in the family, we sort of put it on hold. Then, about seven months ago, we started looking at it again seriously.”
Elwyn said the couple had ties to Burketown through both sides of the family.
“Jules’ parents moved up here about 27 years ago and her mum is still here,” he said.
“I have a little bit of ancestry up here ... my great grandparents and grandparents used to own Escott Station, so I do have a connection with the country.
“A few of the locals call us Aunty and Uncle but I don’t think we’re actually related.”
Elwyn and Julie-Ann have been in Burketown for six weeks and said they are finally settling into the role.
“It’s full-on,” he said.
“ Especially with all the training that you’ve got to do through Australia Post to retain a post office. We are now a full licensee – Jules is the LPO and we can offer pretty much what every post office does, including the banking.”
Elwyn said the desire for change, not the uncertainty at Mount Isa Mines, led to the move to the Gulf.
“This is all voluntary. I wanted to make the move, I wanted to get out,” he told North West Weekly.
“I saw the opportunity, then obviously it came up as an essential opportunity because there’s no other banks or post office that can provide the service that we can do in Burketown.
“We also provide that service for Doomadgee.”
Julie-Ann said apart from an internet outage that caused some drama last week, the transition into the post office and general store had been seamless.
“The support we’re getting from the community and surroundings has been amazing,” she said.
“The people here can’t do enough for us.”
She said they hoped to continue Joy’s legacy and expand on some of the offerings in the store.
“We want to continue to provide the essential service that Joy provided and then do a bit more. We are bringing fresh eyes and a lot of energy,” Julie-Ann said.
Elwyn said he was enjoying life as the rural post contractor, driving throughout the Gulf to places such as Hell’s Gate Roadhouse and even across the Northern Territory border.
“I go all the way to Wollogorang (Station),” he said.
“On my Friday run I normally try having a little bit of a chat but the cook at Wollogorang said I had better get moving because there were about 20 fully loaded road trains coming from Calvert Hills (Station).
“If you get stuck behind them it’ll be a long drive home.”