Do our historic postboxes need to be tourist attractions?
A 117 year old post box was saved from the tip in May after Aus Post had decided to remove it.
The historic relic that sits on across from the Kalgoorlie town hall was the centre of a community campaign to save it from decommission.
The community prevailed however, the post box still at risk. Councillor Mandy Reidy said “We need 25 letters a day to make it viable to Australia Post to keep it commissioned.”
Local businesses and tourism organisations are now rallying around the red pillar box to ensure its survival. Initiatives are in place to encourage tourists to post letters ‘the old fashioned way.’
But is this how it should be? In an historic town like Kalgoorlie – Boulder, where everything is part of a larger story of heritage and hardship, does Australia Post have the right to remove a piece of the town’s history? The answer is probably yes, but looking forward, what will Australia Post do to ensure its own heritage is not lost with its letter services?
(Image credit: Paul Braven)