Staring solemnly out to sea, the 1869 Volunteer Fireman brings together several powerful chapters of Geelong’s history.

His gaze is fixed on the waters of Corio Bay, where the legendary wool clipper Lightning was deliberately scuttled in 1869 after a fierce onboard fire could not be controlled. Local fire brigades responded, and cannon fire was even attempted from Queenscliff, but the blaze proved too strong. The ship was eventually sunk offshore, where it still rests beneath the bay.

The Lightning also connects to one of Jan Mitchell’s clever artistic details. In 1859, pastoralist Thomas Austin imported rabbits aboard the ship,  an event that led to Australia’s well-known rabbit plague. Mitchell used this as a playful timeline marker for the bollard trail: rabbits appear only on figures representing events after 1859.

The bollard also carries a more recent and deeply moving meaning. As Mitchell was completing the artwork in December 1998, five Geelong West firefighters tragically lost their lives in the Linton bushfire. A plaque was later added, and the figure now stands as a quiet tribute to their service and sacrifice.

Thoughtful and layered, the 1869 Volunteer Fireman honours courage, resilience and the many stories held within Geelong’s waterfront.