Mr Slocum, now 75, visited Bendigo on Thursday, March 28 to clean and paint the iconic Australia Post pillar outside the historic 1800s post office at Pall Mall.

"We are lifting a veil on our old heritage," he said.

"It's nice to have these things, they're beautifully made and they're 140 years old.

"There's not a person that's alive today that was around when these things were put up, so they've endured for a very long time."

The project to restore 127 post boxes started 12 months ago in Melbourne, when Mr Slocum noticed a pillar covered in graffiti and decided to paint it up.

Australia Post got behind the project, he said, and so he hit the road to travel around regional Victoria and "do up" the boxes.

"I go up to the country, have a bit of lunch, talk to the locals and complete these boxes," he said.

"It takes about a day to finish and it's a very worthwhile project.

"As I do this work, I look up and down the streets and I think what it used to be like say, when Dame Nelly Melba's carriage pulled up here and she sashayed into the Shamrock Hotel prior to a show she was doing."

Restored pillars can also be found in Castlemaine, Daylesford and Chewton and about 30 have been done across the state so far.

The work has pleased heritage advocates, including National Trust of Australia Bendigo branch president Peter Cox.

"We love people treasuring history and heritage and doing something about it," Mr Cox said.

"It was Mick's initial initiative, but it was good to see Australia Post come on board.

"We need all the big commercial companies to treasure our heritage."

The Bendigo Post Office was built between 1883 and 1887 and was used until 1997. It houses the Visitor Information Centre, which has won numerous tourism awards.

The building was listed on the Victorian Heritage Register due to its architectural and aesthetic significance.