The historically significant Nylex clock in Mentone has been fully restored and is back displaying the time and temperature.
The project was led by Council with support from site tenant Bunnings and comes after the clock fell into disrepair following the closure of the Nylex factory in 2006.
Nylex (formerly Moulded Products) originally came to Kingston in 1944 and was a major employer over the ensuring years, while the clock took its place on the Nepean Highway landscape in 1967.
Kingston Mayor Hadi Saab said it was fantastic to see the clock back operating.
“The clock was previously heritage-listed under our planning scheme, meaning it couldn’t be demolished and we have been working towards this outcome for a number of years,” Cr Saab said.
“For decades the clock was an icon of our area, and it is exciting to know that it will remain as a nod to our history.
“Over recent years a number of iconic aspects of Kingston’s heritage have received substantial public and private investment, so we are very pleased to add the clock to the list of recent achievements.”
Como Ward Councillor Chris Hill gave credit to the Mordialloc and District Historical Society for their advocacy around the restoration of the clock.
“There’s was certainly a strong level of support from the community to get the clock running again and we are thrilled it has been restored,” Cr Hill said.
“My dad actually worked for Nylex is the 60’s and 70’s, so the project has a real personal connection for me.
“It’s a nice quirk that grandparents and parents travelling past on the Nepean Highway will be able to tell their kids this is how we used to get the time and weather before mobile phones.
“Hopefully the sign’s restoration also sparks interest in the history of Nylex as a manufacturing icon – a role it played in our local economy for 60 plus years.”
