One of Hawera's longest serving residents has had a facelift after retiring.
The 112-year-old Penfold hexagonal letterbox located on the corners of High and Victoria streets was decommissioned on June 30 this year and ownership passed to the South Taranaki District Council.
Its long-awaited repaint pleases local historian Arthur Fryer who has always had an interest in the postbox.
`That's an object close to my heart," he says.
Mr Fryer says he realised more than a year ago that it was in deep need of a paint job in appropriate colours. While he knew its time as an in-service mailbox was limited, he didn't want to see it moved and replaced with something of less character.
"My worry was the postbox would be taken away and replaced by a wooden one that doesn't have any character.
"I believe it gives character to High Street. It's an object that's worth preserving."
South Taranaki District Council property and facilities manager John Sargeant says the council was happy to take over responsibility for the Penfold and will be putting up a plaque noting its history early next year.
"We have got to work out some wording and then we will have a plaque to recognise the history and tell people that it's actually not working anymore."
He says it's been special for the council to see the postbox painted and taken care of.
"It's huge. What council stands for is the community," he says.
"That letterbox has seen the community grow for well over 100 years.
"It's seen Taranaki grow from a small pioneering few scattered villages, to what it is now and it's never been changed."
He says as a stamp collector he knows some stamps from the early 1900s are valuable, which is partly why the iconic letterbox needed to be revamped in a respectful manner.
"It symbolises New Zealand growing up."
- © Fairfax NZ News PETRA FINER- SOUTH TARANAKI STAR
Last updated 14:42 21/12/2011
PETRA FINER
Hawera's 112-year-old Penfold letterbox has had an upgrade after being de-commissioned earlier this year.
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