Gerry Coleman has nominated a red pillar post box, one of five like it in WA, that has sat on the corner of North Road and Surrey Street since 1876 to be placed on the State Heritage Register.
The paint may be faded and chipped in places, and no one could know how many letters, bills and packages have graced the red box throughout the years, but Mr Coleman hopes to see it continue to be used.
He said the post box, which was still in use today, was steeped in Bassendean history.
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READ NOW"Why is this magnificent piece of colonial history not heritage listed?" Mr Coleman asked.
"In Great Britain, these Victorian hexagonal-shaped Penfold boxes are rare and are listed as grade 2 heritage buildings, so Im absolutely astonished that this box in particular is not.
"In the general vicinity of this pillar post box lived many well known West Australian identities and (it) was frequented by others.
"Diagonally across from the box in North Road is number 27, which is Bassendean's oldest inhabited house called Derisleigh, which belonged to George Tuttle Wood, a senior metropolitan magistrate in late 1890s."
Mr Coleman said Jeremiah Asquith lived in Surrey Street, opposite the pensioner guard cottage.
"He was a local boat builder who had his yard at 8 Anstey Road and built river barges in the late 1800s and then pearling luggers in the pearling boom up Broome way," he said.
Australia Post intended to remove a similar post box built in 1897 from Kalgoorlie in May last year but back-flipped on the decision after a community outcry.
Mr Coleman said he hoped the Bassendean community would rally behind its own historic post box to make sure it remained and was preserved.
An Australia Post spokeswoman said there were no plans to remove the post box and it was committed to maintaining it.
"Eighteen seventy-six is most likely the year of manufacture, presumably the box was installed that year or soon afterwards," the spokeswoman said.
"There are five in use in WA and many more are on display in post facilities, museums, Whiteman Park and on the street."
See Opinion, page 8