MURRAY Keller will head up country lanes and along dirt tracks delivering letters and parcels for the last time next Thursday.
After 26 years delivering mail for Australia Post and putting newspapers in letterboxes, Murray will drive off into retirement after have driven more than 1.6 million kilometres.
Murray took over the Australia Post contract for Inglewood, Serpentine, Jarklin, Powlett, Kurting, Kingower and Rheola from Graham Nesbit in July 1998.
His days have started at the Inglewood Post Office where he sorts the mail and parcels into order for the 160 delivery points, before loading the car for the 220km five-hour round trip. 
“I’ve travelled something like 60,000km in the car each year,” he said. “Works out at around 1.6 million kilometres over the years driving trusty Daewoos, Barinas and Hyundais.
“No two days are the same on the mail run. One day might be lots of letters and not many parcels, the next could be the opposite. 
“The months leading up to Christmas have always the busiest time.”
Murray said that in 2017-2018 he was delivering about 75,000 letters and 2000 parcels a year to people around the district.
“Over time and with the increase in online shopping availability, the amount of parcels has increased, and letters decreased,” Murray said
“And I think there have been around 180,000 newspapers dropped into the letterboxes over the years.”
Being a country postie is not just about delivering the mail. 
Murray said he had encountered dust storms, fires, hail and thunderstorms, floods, and plenty of crazy drivers in making sure the mail got through. “There have also been the stops to help motorists with flat tyres, broken down cars, giving directions to hard-to-find farms and even putting wandering sheep, cattle and horses back into paddocks.
“But the most interesting part of the mail run has been the people I have come to know. 
“Often they are eagerly waiting at their letterbox for him to arrive with the daily deliveries. 
“A five-minute chat about the rain, the heat, what the crops are doing, the news of the day and away he goes again down the road to do it all again at the next box. You never know from day to day as to what or who you will see, which makes for a very interesting day and week as a postie.
Murray had his first taste of being a rural postie when occasionally helping wife Susan when she had the delivery contract for Korong Vale and Mysia.
“When the contract came up 26 years ago, I jumped at the chance as a back injury had limited what I could do on the farm,” he said. “But now it’s time to look to retirement and enjoy pursuing some of our hobbies,” said Murray who is an active member of Wedderburn Historic Engine and Machinery Society and helps organise Korong Vale’s Anzac Day commemoration.