Post box, outside 49 Balmoral Avenue, Belfast

A free-standing cast-iron pillar box dating from between 1920 and 1931, erected outside 49 Balmoral Avenue in the Malone Conservation Area near the junction with Harberton Avenue. This is a King George V post box, as indicated by the 'GR' Royal cipher with raised crown above and 'POST OFFICE' inscription on the door.

The box is of standard cylindrical design, measuring 5 feet high, with a diameter of 21 inches around the cap, 15½ inches around the shaft and 17 inches around the base, making it a B-type (smaller) post box. It is painted pillar box red throughout except for the black base. The shallow oversailing cap has a fluted edge. Below this sits the hinged door with a raised cup handle on the right and keyhole above. At the top of the door is a hooded rectangular aperture for posting letters, with above it a holder containing a removable plate indicating the next collection day and the words 'NEXT COLLECTION' in raised letters. Beneath the aperture is a notice plate holder containing collection days, times and the box number (BT9 463D).

The foundry plate at the base bears the maker's name: 'CARRON COMPANY STIRLINGSHIRE'. Carron Company was one of Scotland's most celebrated ironworking firms, founded in Falkirk in 1759. The rear of the box is secured by four bolts set into the cylinder.

This pillar box first appears on Ordnance Survey town plans of 1931, confirming its erection between 1920 and 1931. The cylindrical pillar box design itself was introduced in Britain in 1879 and has remained largely unchanged since, with the main variations being the height of the letter aperture and the design of Royal ciphers. Unlike earlier 'anonymous boxes', this example bears a Royal cipher following the standard practice introduced in 1887. The iconic red pillar box has become one of Britain's most recognisable symbols and represents a significant development in postal history, transforming the public's access to postal services by the late 19th century. Post boxes of this era were of considerable social importance as the principal means by which people communicated with one another.