THE North East’s most famous letterbox is firmly back in place after a long-running saga.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Dave McAuliffe’s large steel water drop mailbox was first stolen from outside his Wooragee home on September 11.
After appealing for help to find it, thieves dumped the large steel structure outside a Wodonga business on September 16.
It was found about 25 kilometres from his home and he reinstalled it by concreting it into the ground on the side of the Beechworth-Wodonga Road.
The letterbox next went missing about two weeks ago when VicRoads removed it and impounded it due to safety fears.
Mr McAuliffe had the mailbox re-installed late last week after having it returned and said he hoped that would be the end of the issue.
“It’s been back in place since last Friday,” he said.
“We put it back in about three metres from where it originally was.
“In the end, everything turned out OK.”
VicRoads had concerns about the location of the letterbox and believed it could pose a danger to passing motorists.
The government agency had said complaints had been made by members of the public.
Concerns were raised about the glare coming off the item and there were concerns about the potential for damage if a car hit it.
Mr McAuliffe said a letter sent to his home had not arrived and the mailbox had been released without a fine.
“I don’t mind the outcome,” he said.
“I just didn’t like the process.
“Hopefully this will be the last problem.”
The professional plumber had at times wondered if it was too much of a headache to continue fighting to keep the structure.
“I hope this is the end of it, full stop,” he said.
“We had this made as a letterbox, not as an ornament, so it wasn’t as if we could change it.
“It was built to be a letterbox by Australian standards.”
Renowned Yackandandah sculptor Ben Gilbert made the item after Mr McAuliffe undertook work for him.
