An Australian artist's impulsive act has sparked a 'magic' post box restoration crusade, breathing new life into Victorian history. Mick Slocum, a 76-year-old former Bushwackers band member, has embarked on a two-year passion project to restore nearly 200 colonial-era postboxes, known as pillar boxes. His journey began on an impulse to clean graffiti from a pillar box, which led to a personal campaign to restore every pillar box in the state. With no modern tools, Mick has scratched, scraped, and painted pillars throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria, taking on the task in all weather conditions and drawing curious onlookers and offers to help. The restoration process involves removing a dull coating, revealing hidden layers of colors and sometimes breathtaking discoveries, such as a delicate golden crown painted on a pillar box in Collingwood. Mick's work has been recognized with a National Trust conservation award, and he has about 100 pillar box restorations left to complete. His passion extends beyond pillar boxes, with his sights set on restoring 1920s and 1930s electricity boxes in the city center. But here's where it gets controversial: Mick's restoration crusade raises questions about the preservation of modern history and the balance between restoring the past and embracing the present.
