An Australian artist's impulsive act has sparked a 'magic' post box restoration crusade. Mick Slocum, a 76-year-old former Bushwackers band member, is on a quest to resurrect Victorian history. He's already restored nearly 200 colonial-era postboxes, known as pillar boxes, in just two years. His unique approach involves wearing period costume, often a tartan three-piece suit and a straw boater hat, adding a touch of whimsy to his restoration work. It all began on an impulse when he cleaned off graffiti from a pillar box. Australia Post offered him payment for each completed pillar box, and a supplier provided paint. Without modern tools, Mick has scratched, scraped, and painted pillars throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria. Each restoration takes a few days to several weeks and is undertaken in various weather conditions and road environments. The task attracts curious onlookers and offers of help, as Mick shares stories of his encounters, like the time a neighbor greeted him like a long-lost brother. The pillar boxes, introduced in the 1850s, were crucial for communication before the telephone. Many were produced in different styles in Melbourne foundries. Over time, horse-mounted postmen would stop multiple times a day to empty them along roads now bustling with cars and trams. Mick's restoration brings back the magic of the past, as he unveils hidden secrets beneath the dull red coating. He carefully shaves away the paint, sanding and revealing the original colors, often bright red, gold, and green. The strips that come away with each scrape can hint at a pillar's secret past, sometimes revealing layers of colors hidden for decades. Mick's fascinating finds include a delicate golden crown painted on a pillar box in Collingwood, likely added for Queen Elizabeth's 1954 visit, and a notice for collection times in Jolimont, estimated to date from the 1920s. There are about 180 pillar boxes in Victoria, but thousands once dotted the streets. The decline of pillar boxes mirrors the decline of sending letters with the rise of the internet and telephones. Mick's dedication to his passion project has been recognized with a National Trust conservation award for his work in Ballarat, where he refurbished 16 pillar boxes. His efforts have brought joy to people's lives, according to Sam Westbrook, executive manager of conservation and advocacy at the National Trust. With 70 pillar boxes restored, Mick has about 100 more to go. His next project is already in sight: restoring 1920s and 1930s electricity boxes in the CBD. His ultimate dream is to find a key that opens a box filled with mail from the 1890s, a captivating prospect that keeps him motivated.
