Mapleton Post Office licensee earns with Community Service Award

Elizabeth Buckley receives her Australian Lions Foundation Community Service Award from Lions Club of Blackall Range Inc President, Peter Jensen. Pic by Eric Anderson.

Representatives of Mapleton community groups gathered outside the post office recently (May 23) when Post Office Licensee, Elizabeth Buckley, was awarded an Australian Lions Foundation Community Service Award.

“Elizabeth and other members of her family can be relied upon to assist whenever Lions have cakes, calendars, or tickets to events on sale to the public,” Blackall Range Lions President Peter Jensen said.

“And it is not just our club she helps. She is equally generous to all groups in the Mapleton community,” he said.

“Whoever wants to sell tickets, put up a sign, sell books they’ve written or cards they’ve made, it’s no wonder the Post Office is regarded as being at the hub of the community.”

The Buckley family have run the Mapleton Post Office since March 2008. Three generations of the family are involved: Elizabeth, her son David and daughter Yvonne, and grand-

daughters Anika and Xanthea.

As well as providing an excellent postal and banking service, all family members get involved in running a Christmas colouring competition for local and visiting children, selling raffle tickets for fundraising Parkinson’s Disease teddy bears, and making room to stock fund raising honey and jams produced by the Parkinson’s Support Group.

Whether they need a Lions Christmas Cake or Calendar, a raffle ticket, or a self-published book by a local author, Mapleton residents know that the post office is the place to go.

“Elizabeth Buckley is certainly a worthy recipient of this Lions Award for Service to the community,” Mr Jensen said.

Elizabeth kept her sense of humour despite it being an emotional presentation. 

“When I commented that I didn’t know why she has been so involved with the Lions events because I am not that great a sales person, Elizabeth responded with a beaming smile, ‘it’s your good looks’.”