The TARDIS stands out from the rest
As much as certainty in all things is a desirable condition for those unwilling to acknowledge that the universe doesn’t work that way, it is certain that things will change today and every day to come.
In the heritage arena that certain change means that there will never be a time when heritage consultants announce that all heritage resources have been identified and are protected in the relevant district plan, so there’s no need to worry that your new development plans will be hindered in any way by heritage considerations.
Heritage research, awareness and appreciation is constantly increasing and evolving, which means that I will never be out of a job [phew!] and no one can offer an ironclad guarantee that the property purchased ‘innocently’ today won’t become a significant heritage resource requiring protection under the law tomorrow.
To offer one small proof of my certainty about the uncertainty of heritage identification in the future, I present this fabulous TARDIS letterbox, which can be observed on the way to a scenic reserve in Waipa district.
I don’t know how long it has stood on its post, why it was designed to look like Dr
Who’s time-travelling ‘spaceship’ or who installed it, but I do think that it is a notable specimen of its type and may accrue heritage value in time. My reasoning for a suggestion of future heritage status for this letterbox, as ridiculous as that may sound to some, is based on two initial thoughts.
First, the TARDIS letterbox displays a level of aesthetic intent and craftsmanship that makes it stand out from the rest. This is no generic, hardware store letter receiver; no offence to its neighbour, which I’m sure does a good job too.
Second, the TARDIS letterbox represents two distinct, and equally notable, strands in modern history.
It is part of the history of personal mail receivers, given that once upon a time you had to go to the postie to collect your mail, rather than the postie coming to you.
And it demonstrates the global reach of an almost 60-year-old fictional character, who doesn’t exist (obviously) and yet is part of contemporary culture in a way that is very real to very many people. (Just ask a ‘Whovian’ who should play the next Dr Who after the current doctor, a woman no less, regenerates).
Currently there are a number of public post boxes that are recognised by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and scheduled on a district plan but I don’t know of any private letterboxes that have been given the same treatment. But just because something hasn’t happened in the past doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future and, as postal services give way to courier deliveries, it’s not hard to imagine when a redundant letterbox will become a historic reminder of a time when we wrote letters to one another and could express ourselves in the form of an iconic pop culture letterbox.
TARDIS letterbox in the Waipa district, displays a level of aesthetic intent and craftsmanship that makes it stand out from the rest.
The Dr Who time-travelling ‘spaceship’ is a notable specimen of its type and may accrue heritage value in time.