Jan Mitchell and the Geelong Bay Bollards

Jan Mitchell an Australian artist who lived in Geelong created the 111 Bollards that line the waterfront. She was also a book illustrator, animator, painter & printmaker. (1940–2008). The last bollard is a bollard of Jan, created after her death in 2008 & it is to be located near her workshop.

1880s. Bollard Number 30 Carrie Moore – Carrie Moore a musical comedy star was born in Geelong in 1882. She performed in Melbourne at age 14 & London at 21. During the season of one of her London shows she gave a scandalous interview in which she spoke out about corsets.

1880s. Bollard Number 32 Salvation Army Woman –The Salvation Army has a longstanding history of providing services for women. In recent years this work has focused on providing refuge shelter for women escaping domestic violence

1859: Two Nuns Bollards No 45, Sister Mary Aloysius & Sister Mary Bernadette were Sisters of Mercy nuns & with that pioneering educators of young women in Geelong. Within a year of arriving in Geelong from Dublin in 1859 the pioneering women of the Sisters of Mercy had raised enough money to buy & renovate a building for their convent & a school that was the forerunner of Sacred Heart College, Geelong a school whose motto is Educating Girls to make a Difference. Despite a lack of money, materials, electricity, telephone, mechanized transport, staff & much illness during the early years the Nuns offered a full curriculum that included mathematics, ancient & modern history, languages, astronomy, botany, music, art, needlework, & tapestry.

1920s. Number 34 1920s lady – This woman represents women’s emancipation in the 1920s. After having filled the place of men while they were away at war, many women got used to a different way of life. This is said to have led to many changes for women including changes in dress such as wearing short skirts & having short hair, going out without a chaperone & driving vehicles such as cars & motorbikes. This woman is off to the beach on her own in her new bathers.

1865. Number 36 Nancy Nattyknickers – This bollard represents the wearing of pants by women which first occurred in 1865 to assist with cycling.