As he begins to move out of Kirribilli House, Scott Morrison may be risking a back injury by awkwardly dragging a filing cabinet inside his suburban home.
As the Australian people became impatient, the ousted PM and his wife Jenny began moving some of their belongings into the family home in Port Hacking, in Sydney’s south, on Thursday.
Since losing to Anthony Albanese on May 21, Mr Morrison has spent over 13 days in the heritage-listed home in the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, earning him the moniker ‘Squat Morrison.’
On Wednesday, the couple said their goodbyes to a painter and started renovating their three-bedroom home, bringing boxes of possessions inside and stacking more in their garage.
Mr Morrison uncomfortably lugged a filing cabinet across the front of his house, while Jenny handled shopping bags full of various items, no longer able to call on an army of helpers.
Chiropractor Alex Hopwood of StretchStudio said Mr Morrison’s technique in carrying the filing cabinet put him at risk of injury.
‘The worst case scenario is lumbar disc injury, the factors that can contribute to this is his age, and the size and weight of the object he is carrying,’ he said.
‘From the picture, it is evident he is straining his back trying to use his body weight to lean back to offset the weight of the drawers. This could lead to lower back strain in the erector muscles.
‘Ideally the cabinet would be moved by two people. This would be a safer method and decrease the risk of any back injury.
Since being emancipated from the fashion preoccupation of high office, Mr Morrison’s clothing have grown increasingly relaxed, moving into ‘daggy dad’ attire and even stylish threads with his favorite Sharks baseball cap.
He dressed down on Thursday with an oversized grey hoodie, brown chinos, and white Vans sneakers.
Mr Morrison is understood to have a two-week deadline since the election to vacate Kirribilli House after obtaining a stay extension.
Renovations at his family home, which were being repainted on Wednesday and Thursday, are blamed for his delay, which is twice as long as all but one other former PM.
In their Sutherland Shire home, Mr Morrison and his family will be at ease.
The Morrisons paid $920,000 for the Port Hacking home, which has polished floors and a unique pine ceiling over the main sitting area, as well as a 696-square-meter pool.
It’s a short distance from Dolans Bay, west of Cronulla Beach, and across the sea from Royal National Park, a popular camping and hiking destination.
Houses in Cronulla now sell for more than $3 million on average.