And while time marches on and these phones have been superseded by our modern technological marvels, locals have been urged not to throw them away, but recycle them.
The City of Kwinana is taking part in the annual MobileMuster and has so far collected the grand total of 20 yesteryear phones.
Electronic waste, including small gadgets such as mobile phones and their accessories, are the fastest growing waste in Australia with 25 million old, unused handsets sitting around at home and in the workplace ready to be recycled.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWUntil the end of February, MobileMuster will donate the value of a meal to OzHarvest, helping them to feed people in need across the country.
MORE: Council worker injured in garbage truck crash dies in hospital
VIDEO: Brazen theft of pensioner’s purse in supermarket
MORE: police use long-range camera to target phone use on freeway
“We know four million of these old mobile handsets are broken and completely unusable which is a huge opportunity for all Aussies to clean out their junk drawers and get those broken handsets recycled,” MobileMuster spokesman Spyro Kalos said.
“With more than two million Australians relying on food relief each year, MobileMuster hopes to make a positive contribution by recycling 60,000 mobiles, which will help OzHarvest provide 60,000 meals.”
Kwinana Mayor Carol Adams called on people to bring their old phones to its administration centre and contribute to a worthy cause.
“It is very important to dispose of unused mobile phones safely, as the materials can cause harm to the environment if they are not handled correctly,” she said.
“As an area that benefits from so much natural beauty, I encourage all Kwinana residents to be conscious of how they dispose of unwanted household items.”
For other drop-off locations, visit mobilemuster.com.au