PUBLIC ART and GEELONG’S BAYWALK BOLLARDS

Public Art and Geelong's Baywalk Bollards

Public art is visually stimulating and encourages people to pay attention to the life around them, which helps them to appreciate their local environment. The Geelong Baywalk Bollards in Victoria certainly do that. There are over 100 large, exquisitely painted bollards guiding visitors along the foreshore walking/cycling track from Rippleside Park, through Waterfront Geelong to Limeburners Point and the Botanic Gardens. The bollards provide a fascinating and fun chronicle of the city's past, focusing on some of the characters involved. These beautiful, unique works of art have been created to inspire and educate the public. They are connected to an app that you can download onto your phone, so that you can find out what particular event or a milestone each bollard represents. Visitors cannot but help pay attention to these bollards as they walk along the Geelong foreshore.

Jan Mitchell (1940 – 17 March 2008) spent her childhood in Healesville, Victoria, then left for Europe. For many years she worked in the graphics department at RTÉ (Irish National television). Her pioneering work in Ireland included designing and creating the country's first pre-school television show, named after its red-haired central character Bosco. It ran for 386 episodes. The show was so successful that it was continually repeated until 1996.

Jan returned to Australia after 20 years in Europe, and settled in Geelong in 1990, turning to book illustration, painting and printmaking. She was a highly creative artist and the idea of the Geelong’s Baywalk Bollards came from her. Geelong was lucky to have had this creative and fun loving woman to live in Geelong and create this memorable walk.

Following are some of these wonderful fun bollards and the history of Geelong that each one represents.

The colourful bollards are the work of artist Jan Mitchell. As artist-inresidence at Barwon Heads Primary School, she was asked to develop a three-dimensional safe path across a large native park. She then approached the council with an idea to install painted bollards along the foreshore. In 1994 the City of Geelong commissioned Jan to transform old timbers and piles from a city pier, demolished in the 1980s, into remarkable works of art.

John Raddenberry and Lady

John Raddenberry served as Geelong’s Botanic Garden curator from 1872 till 1896. In his term as curator, he implemented a most iconic timber fernery. Unfortunately the fernery was demolished after World War II because the wooden structure had fallen into disrepair.

Volunteer Rifle Band

This group represents players in Geelong’s first band concerts which were held in the Geelong Botanic Gardens in 1861.

Eastern Beach Life Savers

Within this group there is a portrait of William (Bill) Coyte who taught many generations of Geelong’s children swimming and life saving skills.

Bathing Beauties The beach front was the venue for beauty competitions from the 1930’s.

Robert de Bruce Johnstone

Robert de Bruce Johnstone earned a reputation as the ‘parks and gardens’ mayor for his support of the Geelong Botanic Gardens. Johnstone park is named after him.

A portrait of Geelong’s city surveyor who produced the plans of the Eastern Beach complex which opened in 1939.

“Joy Ark” Sandwich Board Man

This gentleman advertises the “Joy Ark” which was built in 1912 as a silent picture movie hall and entertainment venue.

Pierrrot

The “Joy Ark” became a hall popular for dance and roller skating in 1914 with fancy dress events often featured.

Early Geelong Footballer

A nearby field, which became Transvaal Square, was used for football practice.

Mrs de Carteret

This is a portrait of the proprietor of “La Cabine”, located on the corner of Yarra and Brougham Streets and once famous for its lemon squash.

Yacht Club Lady

Geelong’s Yacht Club was formed in 1859. The lady is holding the trophy won by “The Paddy” after racing in the first Geelong Regatta.

Fireman

Established in 1854, the Geelong Volunteer Fire Brigade is represented by this figure. The plaque in front of the bollard describes the burning of the vessel “Lightning” in 1869. Whilst docked and fully laden, a fire was noticed on the Lightning. Efforts to extinguished the fire failed, so she was towed to the shoals in Corio Bay, where she sank, losing all cargo but no lives. The area is now known as Lightning Shoals.

Scallop Fishermen and Woman

From the early 1800’s, fish and crustaceans from Geelong were marketed and sold locally, as well as in Melbourne.

Victoria Baths Swimmers

Swimmers characterising the Victoria Bathing Establishment (1870). Neck to knee costumes were the fashion.

Sailor and Woman

A World War 2 couple representing the Sailors’ Rest institution building, corner Moorabool Street and Eastern Beach Road (now a restaurant).

The Sailors’ Rest was an evangelical temperance organisation designed to provide welfare services to sailors. The King Edward VII Sailors’ Rest building was designed by the architect, Percy Everett in 1912

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Lorraine Fildes © 2023.