| Name | “Heritage Model” based on Victoria “Modified-Standard” |
| Date | early 1990s. Phased out about 2005 as they were prone to rot. Some incorporated elements of original booths. There are still some in services (in Tilba Tilba NSW and the Rocks Sydney) |
| Manufacturer | Telecom |
Development of the Heritage Model
| What they were Decorative reproduction booths commissioned by Telecom Australia in the early 1990s, just before and during the transition to Telstra. Intended to evoke pre-war timber PMG/Federation-style cabinets, not to reproduce any one historical model accurately. Why they existed Used in heritage precincts, tourist zones, civic forecourts, and CBD streets where modern aluminium booths were visually unpopular. Part of a broader “heritage streetscape” strategy, aligned with councils and urban designers rather than conservation purists. Construction & design Modern materials: wood panels holding glazing, plywood or composite panels — not solid hardwood. Applied historic styling: mock mullions, decorative glazing bars, heritage-inspired proportions. Roofs fibreglass dome forms (not asbestos, probably a good thing), visually referencing PMG designs without structural fidelity. Internally fitted with contemporary payphones (coin or card), standard Telecom hardware of the era. What they were not Not PMG originals, not restorations, and not dimensionally or materially authentic reproductions. Lineage to specific models- Victorian heritage model (panes of glass with dome roof) Rarity & survival Installed in small numbers. Most removed by the late 1990s–2000s as maintenance costs rose and public payphone use declined. Survivors tend to be relocated, decommissioned, or privately held, and are often misidentified as 1930s originals. How collectors view them Historically interesting as a post-modern gesture: a state telecom trying to appear heritage-sensitive on the eve of privatisation. Less valuable than genuine PMG cabinets, but important evidence of Telecom’s changing public image. |
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