The bright red phone box which now stands tall, shining brightly with a fresh coat of paint in a Mudgee backyard, was until recently, a weathered and damaged few pieces of wood.

Nearly 90 long years have passed since the Tasman flag style PMG (Postmaster-General's Department), hard-backed phone box was first brought to Mudgee.

It was the first of its kind to be used in NSW in the 1930s, when it was installed outside the accommodation block at the old saleyards to service the agents, when farmers would call people using the yards.

After the phone box was decommissioned in the 1970s, it was donated to the Mudgee Public School for the children to play with, where it remained till 1985.

A local individual then purchased the telephone box, where it stayed in her backyard for a few decades, till she eventually asked the Men's Shed to restore it.

These phone boxes have largely been forgotten, and most have rotted away in backyards across NSW.

There are few boxes left, but for the telephone enthusiasts who have kept theirs in good condition, they are deemed collectors' items.

Mudgee Men's Shed volunteer John Witheriff said that when they began work on the phone box, it was damaged beyond belief.

"The only thing holding it together were the white ants linking arms."

Men's Shed member Kevin Payne managed the restoration, and worked with a group of other "Shedders" on the phone box to bring it back to life (although it no longer makes calls).

The Mudgee Men's Shed brings men from around the region together to take part in handiwork, share skills and talk. It's an essential part of the member's week when they can feel useful and productive.

Much of the work done at the Men's Shed involves helping to build or restore different things for community members.

Mudgee's Men's Shed is located at 249 Ulan Rd, Bombira and is open on Mondays and Wednesdays between 9am and 3pm.

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