The larger than life character from Morpeth has sadly passed away aged 80.

Mr Dunlop was born in Stockton in 1936, the second of five children of Nancy and William Dunlop. The family moved a number of times before finally settling in Morpeth in 1941.

He attended Morpeth Primary School then Maitland Boys High leaving at age 15 when he was recruited to Morpeth Post Office after one of the post office employees broke his leg after falling from a bakers cart.

Mr Dunlop worked for Australia Post for 44 years and retired in November 1996.

The once fresh faced 16-year-old was a familiar figure riding his pushbike around the streets of Morpeth, delivering telegraph messages and letters.

His postal career started at East Maitland post office at the time of the 1955 flood when it was a case of delivering the mail come hell or high water.

When he announced his retirement in The Mercury he said the flood was probably the most significant memory of his career.

“It was a case of the mail never stops,” he said at the time. We shifted the mail in army ducks, boats, even planes. Our communication channels were cut so we had to use make shift generators just to keep the power going.”

Mr Dunlop’s sister Gretchen Brake of Morpeth said Mr Dunlop had a stroke six years ago and spent his last years in Calvary, Sandgate. He is survived by Mrs Brake and brothers Geoffrey and Warwick and another sister Julie Powell.

“He was best known for his beard and for his time at Maitland Post office,” Mrs Brake said. “His beard was his trademark. He died with that beard, wouldn’t let anyone touch it.

“Graham enjoyed his years at Maitland Post Office. Every lunch time he would walk along High Street. “Girls at one of the banks used to love him because he would take them flowers and chocolates,” Mrs Brake said.

“We should not fail to mention Graham's other passion - his overalls. The number of pairs in his wardrobe would have dressed all of BHP,” Mrs Brake said.