A fibreglass replica of artist Jan Mitchell’s original Early Geelong Footballer has been installed along Eastern Beach Road at Bellerine Street, and a 3D‑printed prototype and test pieces will be available to view at Wurriki Nyal from Friday 2 October. 

Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM, City of Greater Geelong chief executive Ali Wastie, Jan Mitchell’s son Caolan Mitchell, representatives from Sykes Advanced Manufacturing and the Advanced Fibre Cluster, and Geelong creative and endorsed bollard artist Vicki Clissold gathered at the waterfront to unveil the fibreglass concept bollard.

The Baywalk Bollards are one of Geelong’s most recognised cultural icons and a big part of how people experience the waterfront. They’re rated 4.3 stars on TripAdvisor and ranked 30 out of 202 things to do in Geelong. 

Online stories and blogs about the bollards have been viewed more than 10,000 times on the Visit Geelong and the Bellarine website in the past year. They’re also one of the top three most common questions asked at the City’s visitor centres, where staff say international visitors often make a point of finding and photographing as many bollards as they can as part of their holiday experience.

Community members and visitors can share their thoughts on the prototype concepts by visiting the City’s Have Your Say platform now until Sunday 24 January. People can follow the project, share memories, photos and stories, or leave a comment.

Council has committed $200,000 annually for four years in the 2026–27 Budget to support the renewal program, alongside ongoing maintenance funding. From today, the City will redirect proceeds from bollard merchandise sold at the National Wool Museum towards ongoing conservation of the bollards. 

The City expects to prioritise around 10 bollards each year for renewal, depending on their condition and deterioration. There will be opportunities for the community to play a part in supporting a bollard they feel connected to through voluntary donations. More information is to come on the ways people can support a bollard.

The Baywalk Bollard Trail spans more than 100 bollards across 48 sites from Rippleside Park to the Geelong Botanic Gardens. They form the heart of the broader Geelong Bollard collection of 158 artworks installed across the region, from Barwon Heads to Avalon. Created by local artist Jan Mitchell between 1990 and 2001, the bollards were made from reclaimed wharf pylons from the former Yarra Street Pier and transformed into colourful characters that celebrate Geelong’s history and identity. 

Because the sculptures were carved from reclaimed timber up to 170 years old and have stood outdoors since the 1990s, well beyond their original 20-year lifespan, many are severely rotten and in a fragile state.

After a 2023 audit identified some bollards as beyond safe repair, the City began investigating more durable alternatives that retain the character and creativity of Jan Mitchell’s original designs.

Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM:

It’s great to finally share these prototype designs with the community.

They’re concepts designed and created right here in Geelong that show how we might protect the bollards for future generations while still honouring Jan Mitchell’s legacy

We want people to come and take a look, tell us what they think and help shape what comes next.

City of Greater Geelong chief executive Ali Wastie:

The bollards tell our city’s stories and mean a lot to locals and visitors.

Many people have special memories of them, families who’ve grown up here, tourists on holiday and new residents discovering Geelong for the first time. 

Conservatively, if just five per cent of the region’s six million annual visitors take a photo with a Baywalk Bollard, that’s 300,000 photos snapped each year.

These prototypes are a first step in exploring long‑term options and we’re really keen to hear what the community thinks.

Sykes Advanced Manufacturing manager Nick Bernard:

The project brought together a suite of advanced technologies to recreate a Geelong icon.

The supply chain, from scanning to machining, has been sourced right here in Geelong. It’s been an amazing collaborative effort supported by the Advanced Fibre Cluster.

The fibreglass prototype is very much built the way a boat would be built, which is a nod to Geelong’s boat building heritage.

Artist Jan Mitchell’s son Caolan Mitchell:

It has been wonderful and humbling to see the Geelong community embrace Jan’s bollard artwork as part of its identity over the past 35+ years. And more recently working with the City’s bollard refurbishment team, to continue the bollards’ ongoing artistic and cultural legacy, drawing on Geelong-based technology and creative talent to produce these exciting prototypes.

Jan would be proud of this commitment to her work and vision.

For more information and to get involved, visit the Have Your Say page.