Nylex Clock
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The Nylex Clock is an iconic neon sign sitting atop malting storage silos in the suburb of Cremorne, Victoria, Australia. The sign was erected in 1961 on behalf of Nylex, an Australian manufacturer of plastic products who originally occupied a site underneath the sign. The clock was added later.
It is located close to the banks of the Yarra River and the Monash Freeway and displays the time and temperature alternately. It is visible from many parts of Melbourne, particularly the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the home of Australian rules football. This linkage has been immortalised in the song Leaps and Bounds by musician Paul Kelly.
The Nylex Clock was inoperative for a number of years, and not fully operational for over a decade, due to doubt over redevelopment plans for the silo site. In February 2005 Nylex secured a long term lease on the site and soon after a AUD$300,000 renovation of the heritage listed sign commenced to return it to its original condition.
Part of the restoration involved the substitution of incandescent light globes with white LEDs. This diminished the visibility of the clock in certain locations and the globes were again replaced in December 2005 for 70-degree orange coloured LEDs.
The Clock once again broke down, on September 6th 2006. The cause of the malfunction is unknown, however power problems were immediately ruled out.
