hewittville post office opened on 12 november 1883 (a receiving office had been open from 1876) and was renamed emu park in 1890. by the 1920s the town boasted two large hotels, a cinema, court house, state primary school, public library, shops and many guest houses for visitors. a small pier was opened by mrs bruce, wife of the prime minister, stanley bruce, in 1926 and bell park, a shady park on the shores of fisherman's beach was established in the 1930s.