Heavy metal letter-drop at Wandana

TAKE some three-metre-high metal letters, stick them on a hill beside a freeway, add a controversial message and, well, you’re sure to field a few brickbats and plenty of bouquets, too, as it’s turned out.

Villawood Properties’ giant corten steel messaging at Wandana has been great at capturing attention over recent years but now it’s on
the move.

The letters were built by Villawood to give a community voice to social issues of the day. Some people took the idea of ownership personally – like the bloke who repeatedly changed the VOTE YES message to VOTE NO.

Night-time, broad daylight, it didn’t make much difference to him until he was caught red-handed when Villawood executive director Rory Costelloe and a media crew arrived on site.

Admonished by police, and his details taken, the offending stopped.

Villawood, meanwhile, stepped up security for its letters.

The Wandana letters have been used to champion causes such as refugees, road safety, respect and mental health but also to celebrate Geelong stars from Gary Ablett and Cadel Evans to its UNESCO City of Design status and Wathaurong credentials.

It’s not been the only giant lettering at Wandana, other letters have been used to more specifically promote the development, and they’ve proven pretty good at drawing attention too.

Then estate manager Ted O’Grady received the surprise of his life early in 2018 when he went to investigate the sound of several car doors closing behind the Wandana sales office.

Expecting a curious potential land buyer, he instead found five topless girls posing for photos among the estate’s giant ‘Wandana’ letters facing Barrabool Road.

Whether he was stunned or tickled was hard to tell, Ted played a dead bat to all inquiries other than to suggest it was a Deakin O-Week stunt and no he hadn’t snapped any pictures to record the event.

So where are the social messaging letters headed? We won’t say too much just yet but keep an eye out as you head from Geelong to Torquay or vice versa.

And the next message? That’s confidential right now too, but if the Cats keep plugging the way they’ve been going… but don’t get too ahead of yourself.

And keep your shirt on.