Monday, June 1, 2015

Where in Melbourne puzzle - June 2015

  

Welcome, this is the Osca Monthly Where in Melbourne Puzzle page.



  
 THIS PUZZLE HAS BEEN SOLVED

see below for details

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY


 Clue 1


Clue 1 - On the way out of the City, you can't miss it.

. . .

Clue 2


Clue 2 - Looking east from a bridge featured in an earlier 'Where in Melbourne' puzzle.

. . .

Clue 3


Clue 3 - Notice the foreground of this month's puzzle.
The picture used for the foreground hiding the puzzle picture
is a close-up of a series of large concrete structures.

. . .

Clue 4

Clue 4 - Give me a Sign. It's the only thing missing.
. . .

23 June Update...

This month's puzzle has been solved!

by:

D.S.

23 June at 4:39PM


D.S. correctly identified that the picture has been taken from Anderson St Bridge looking toward Punt Road and the Nylex sign.

Congratulations D.S.

You are this month's winner!

. . .

The Nylex Clock is an iconic neon sign sitting atop malting storage silos in the suburb of Cremorne, Victoria, Australia. 


Built by Neon Electric Signs in 1961 for Nylex Plastics Limited the sign consists of several components. The main focus is a large sequence of metal-trough letters which use light emitting diodes (LEDs) to spell "NYLEX". 


Below this is another series of metal-trough letters, this time illuminated with neon tubing to spell "Plastics". Over this is a series of unprotected neon tubes which spell "EVERY TIME!". A panel on the top of the sign uses LED's to display the time and temperature. When fully operational, the Nylex Clock displays a number of overlays that eventually spell "Nylex Plastics - Every Time!".

The Nylex Clock has become an iconic symbol of Melbourne, where it has been depicted in art and film. The most notable example is Paul Kelly's 1987 song Leaps and Bounds where he sung "...and way up on high, the sign on the silo says eleven degrees...".

Paul Kelly "Leaps and Bounds"

In 2003, the silos beneath the Nylex Clock were slated for demolition, and a peculiar proposal was mooted whereby the clock would be reinstated over the new building. Eventually, the Heritage Council of Victoria added the Nylex Clock (and the Silos) to the Victorian Heritage Register, therefore protecting the clock and silos from destruction.

In 2004, Nylex Plastics paid for a full restoration which cost in excess of $300,000. The replacement of incandescent bulbs in the panel with 30-degree white LEDs initially made the sign more difficult to read in some locations, so these were subsequently replaced with orange 70-degree LED's in December 2004, after community complaints. 

The ongoing costs of replacing blown incandescent bulbs had been a constant burden for Nylex over the sign's long history, and so their replacement with LEDs was seen as a cost-saver as well as enhancing the sign's visibility. However, the differential pattern of light emission has altered the appearance of the clock when compared to earlier photographs of the sign.

In February 2009, the Nylex company went into voluntary administration, and as a result the sign was been switched off pending a sale of Nylex's assets or the company. It is uncertain when the sign will be re-illuminated again, although it remains in full working order.

In December 2014 The Richmond Malt, home to Melbourne’s historic Nylex clock, is set for a renewal after being purchased by a local developer Caydon for $38 million. The Deague family’s Asian Pacific Group also considered the purchase of the site which could possible hold up to 600 apartments. It is a project that would have significant heritage and environmental issues. It is likely Richmond’s famous silos will be demolished with the heritage protected 1960s Nylex sign then re-attached to the top of a tall apartment building.

On 29 January 2015, the clock was briefly re-illuminated when vandals broke into the silos, found the switch and turned it back on. The clock was switched back off again hours later.


research links:




google image search

wikipedia

July Where in Melbourne puzzle will be posted Monday the 29th of June.



* Please Note:
The prize is limited to Australian residents and will be delivered by Australia Post or directly if you are an Osca customer.  You may, if you choose, nominate to donate the prize to your favourite charity and we will do so on your behalf.

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