Nylex Clock
Encyclopedia
Neon sign
Neon signs are made using electrified, luminous tube lights that contain rarefied neon or other gases. They are the most common use for neon lighting, which was first demonstrated in a modern form in December, 1910 by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show. While they are used worldwide, neon signs...
sitting atop malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
ing storage silo
Storage silo
A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are used in agriculture to store grain or fermented feed known as silage. Silos are more commonly used for bulk storage of grain, coal, cement, carbon black, woodchips, food products and sawdust. Three types of silos are in widespread use...
s in the suburb of Cremorne
Cremorne, Victoria
Cremorne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, Victoria, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is located adjacent to the northern bank of the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
and the Monash Freeway
Monash Freeway
Monash Freeway is an urban freeway in Victoria, Australia linking Melbourne's CBD to its southeastern suburbs and the Gippsland region. The entire stretch of the Monash Freeway bears the designation...
and displays the time and temperature alternately. The text also alternates displaying the words 'Nylex Plastics' that changes to 'Nylex Every Time!'. It is visible from many parts of Melbourne, particularly the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
, the home of Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
. This linkage his referred to in the song Leaps and Bounds by musician Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
.
History
In 2002 a $70 million office project was proposed for the site of the silos that support the clock. The architectural firm behind the project had assessed the heritage value of the site and did not find the silos historically significant enough to be retained, but agreed the Nylex sign was of value and should be kept. The redevelopment was dropped in October 2003 because of the prospect of heritage protection.
The Nylex Clock had been inoperative for a number of years, until restoration works were announced in May 2004. A listing on the Victorian Heritage Register
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...
was also applied to the sign in March that year. The 11,340 square metre silos precinct underneath the clock was sold in September 2004 in a deal believed to be worth $8.75 million. The sign itself had been owned by Australian Neon Signs, until sold to Nylex in August 2004. The location of the clock was leased from the owner of the silo.
On 29 June 2005 the clock was restarted at 7.24am, amid heavy fog and a live broadcast by radio station 3AW
3AW
3AW is a talkback radio station in Melbourne, Australia on 693 kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station.-History:...
. The thousands of white LED
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
s turned on, but the time stayed stuck on 7.24am due to a 'glitch with satellite alignment' in the equipment used to keep the time and date accurate. The sign had been out of action for 14 months, with the restoration commencing in February and costing $300,000. 17,000 LED globes were used, along with 800 metres of neon tubing and two kilometres of electrical cable.
The use of LEDs diminished the visibility of the clock in certain locations and the globes were again replaced in December 2005 for 70-degree orange coloured LEDs.
For several days in May 2006 the clock was frozen at 6.38, with a surge protector being installed to avoid a recurrence. The clock again broke down at 5.45am on 6 September 2006 but wet weather hampered efforts to investigate the fault. In December 2007 the clock stopped due to corroded electrical circuits in the control box, and was not able to be fixed until after the New Year break due to the company responsible being closed.
See also
- Borsari's CornerBorsari's Corner, MelbourneBorsari's Corner is at the intersection of Lygon Street and Grattan Street, in Carlton, Victoria, Australia. The corner is named after Nino Borsari, a member of the Gold medal winning Italian pursuit cycling team at the 1932 Olympics, who was competing in Australia when World War II broke out....
in Carlton, VictoriaCarlton, VictoriaCarlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne... - Dingo Flour signDingo Flour signThe Dingo Flour Sign is a well-known landmark of a stylised silhouetted dingo in red on the side of an historic and heritage-listed working flour mill in North Fremantle, Perth, Western Australia....
in North Fremantle, Western AustraliaNorth Fremantle, Western AustraliaNorth Fremantle is a small suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Fremantle. Its postcode is 6159.The suburb is situated on the Swan River, north of the Port of Fremantle... - Pelaco SignPelaco SignThe Pelaco Sign is a heritage-listed neon sign located in the inner Melbourne suburb of Richmond. It was erected in 1939 as an advertisement for local shirt manufacturer Pelaco....
in Richmond, VictoriaRichmond, VictoriaRichmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra... - Skipping Girl SignSkipping Girl SignThe Skipping Girl Sign or Skipping Girl Vinegar Sign, colloquially known as Little Audrey, is the first animated neon sign in Australia. The sign is located on Victoria Street within the inner Melbourne suburb of Abbotsford.-Construction:...
in Abbotsford, VictoriaAbbotsford, VictoriaAbbotsford is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. At the 2006 Census, Abbotsford had a population of 4,327....