Imagine a 76-year-old man, dressed in a tartan three-piece suit and a straw boater hat, meticulously scraping away decades of paint from a forgotten relic of the past. This isn't just a quirky hobby; it's a mission to resurrect a piece of history, one pillar box at a time. Meet Mick Slocum, a former Bushwackers band member turned self-appointed guardian of Victoria's colonial-era postboxes. For the past two years, Mick has been on a passionate crusade to restore nearly 200 of these iconic structures, transforming them from dull, graffiti-covered eyesores into vibrant reminders of a bygone era.
But here's where it gets fascinating: Mick's journey began with a simple act of civic duty. While campaigning against graffiti, he impulsively cleaned a pillar box in Albert Park. And this is the part most people miss—that moment of realization when he stepped back and thought, 'I think I'll just keep going.' What started as a whim has since blossomed into a full-fledged campaign, supported by Australia Post, which now pays him for each restoration, and a supplier who donates the paint.
Armed with scrapers, paint, and an unyielding love for history, Mick has traveled across Melbourne and regional Victoria, braving heat and cold, busy roads and quiet lanes. Each restoration takes anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks, but the real reward? The connections he makes along the way. 'The gentleman whose [Albert Park] house I'm working in front of came out and greeted me like a long-lost brother,' Mick recalls. 'That's actually the best part—meeting the people.'
These pillar boxes, introduced in the 1850s, were once the lifelines of communication in a pre-telephone world. Horse-mounted postmen would stop multiple times a day to empty them, a stark contrast to the bustling streets they now inhabit. But here's the controversial part: as Mick strips away the bland red paint that sealed their fate in the 1960s, he uncovers layers of history—colors, symbols, and even notices—that challenge our understanding of their past. For instance, a delicate golden crown discovered on a Collingwood pillar box likely dates back to Queen Elizabeth's 1954 visit, while a collection notice in Jolimont could be from the 1920s—or even earlier.
Yet, despite Mick's efforts, pillar boxes are a dying breed. Once numbering in the thousands, only about 180 remain in Victoria. And this decline isn't just about historic boxes; it's a reflection of a broader shift in how we communicate. With the rise of the internet and telephones, letter-writing has become a rarity, and even modern post boxes are disappearing from street corners. But Mick's work isn't just about preservation; it's about sparking joy and curiosity. In May 2025, he received a National Trust conservation award for his work in Ballarat, where he's restored 16 pillar boxes. 'He's provided a real highlight of the joy that heritage can spark in people's lives,' said Sam Westbrook of the National Trust.
With 70 restorations complete and about 100 to go, Mick shows no signs of slowing down. But his vision doesn't stop with pillar boxes. Here's a thought-provoking question: What other forgotten relics of our past deserve a second chance? Mick's already eyeing his next project—restoring 1920s and 1930s electricity boxes in Melbourne's CBD. For now, though, he remains focused on his current mission, one pillar at a time. 'I always hope that one day I'll find a key that opens one of the boxes, and it'll be full of mail from the 1890s,' he says with a twinkle in his eye. 'You just never know.'
So, what do you think? Is Mick's crusade a noble preservation effort, or is it a nostalgic attempt to cling to a disappearing past? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
