Art walk celebrates Geelong coin designer

GEELONG’S role in Australia’s design story will be in the spotlight this month with a public art walk marking 60 years of decimal currency.

The National Trust’s Geelong branch will host the guided walk tomorrow (Saturday, February 7), tracing murals inspired by local designer Stuart Devlin – who designed the ‘tails’ side of the modern Australian currency – through the Geelong CBD before ending at the Geelong Club.

Secretary of the National Trust’s Geelong & Region Branch, Linda Carr, said the walk was about celebrating both Devlin and Geelong’s creative identity.

“Our little walk will join the two together… people will go around finding the artworks, answering questions about Stuart Devlin, and then meet at the Geelong Club for a drink and a chat.”

Led by Carr in small groups, participants will hunt for works by street artist Michael Cassar, answering quiz questions along the way.

“Very few people know about this part of our history,” she said. “Since we sent this out to our National Trust members, a lot of people have said they’d never noticed these murals before.”

“Street artist Michael Cassar went around the CBD and painted about 10 murals to celebrate Stuart Devlin’s designs.”

The walk also aims to get people looking again at Geelong’s public art.

“I think we underrate public art in Geelong… people walk past and never really see it,” Carr said.

“I’d like visitors to realise there’s a lot more public art out there and that it’s a big part of who we are as a city.”

Devlin grew up in Geelong, attending Swanson Street High School and later studying goldsmithing and silversmithing at The Gordon, before winning the international competition to design the reverse of Australia’s decimal coins introduced in 1966.

Carr said his story is a reminder of what is possible when people dedicate themselves.

“He came from a small town, went to The Gordon in the 1950s, and became the Queen’s jeweller… that’s a legacy that says follow your passion and dreams.”

Tickets are available at trybooking.com/events/landing/1515146