A few months back, the State Government of Victoria and the City Of Melbourne installed concrete bollards at a cost of around $10million.
I’ve seen them up close and personal myself and ugly fuckers they are indeed!
The bollards, 206 of them scattered across 10 locations throughout the Melbourne central business district, were installed as a temporary anti-terror measure to prevent vehicle based attacks against pedestrians.
A total of 500 concrete bollards are expected to pop up on city streets before the end of the year.
The concrete bollards are soon to be replaced by more permanent structures, such as planter boxes, due next year.
The temporary bollards are not fixed to the ground in any way, with experts warning a vehicle traveling at just 40kph could push the bollards up to 30 metres.
While the temporary concrete bollards are ugly, many would agree they are a fair response after the terrible events that took place in Bourke Street on January 20, 2017.
An earth without art is just eh
Melbourne, being the cultural hub that it is, aka “the street-art capital of the world”, responded by using the space made available by the bollard surfaces as another blank canvas to display a bit of street art that the city is famous for.
The decorating of the concrete bollards has been dubbed “boll-art“.
What have we here, laddie?
Enter Victoria Police, threatening a man with criminal charges for a “graffiti misdemeanour” after he was questioned by police while decorating a bollard with paint and paper outside the General Post Office on the corner of Bourke Street and Elizabeth Street just after midnight on July 5, 2017.
The street artist quite possibly added to his own problems by refusing to provide police with his name and address upon request, a criminal offence, one of which I’ve been convicted of myself.
How dare anyone try to bring a little colour and creativity to the place eh?
Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle had already expressed his approval of boll-art, tweeting an image of a decorated bollard and calling himself a fan of anything that “brightens up the city”.
"What have we here, laddie? Mysterious scribblings? A secret code? No! Poems, no less! Poems, everybody! The laddie reckons himself a poet! "Money, get back. I'm all right, Jack. Keep your hands off my stack. New car. Caviar. Four-star daydream. Think I'll buy me a football team. Absolute rubbish, laddie. Get on with your work." - The Wall, Pink Floyd
Victoria Police were possibly just doing their job, believing they were enforcing the City of Melbourne’s Graffiti Management Plan, with a “spokesperson” (unnamed of course) saying police “respect the rights of the City of Melbourne in regards to their property… there are offences relating to criminal damage, littering and graffiti which could be applicable, however, every incident is treated on a case by case basis…”
Further, Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has given the green light to street artists to decorate the bollards after discussions with Victoria Police.
“I think we can reach a very good understanding with Victoria Police that says the bollards are almost like Hosier Lane – they’re fair targets, fair game… I have spoken to the police today to more or less say ‘let’s just cool our jets, let’s just watch what happens’.”
Shitting in your own nest!
This month, left wing activists paint bombed the South Melbourne home of Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle.
Proving the left can be just as militant as the far right in their crazy means of protest.
A group calling themselves Street Artists for Doyle Collective posted to Facebook claiming responsibility for the attack, and distributed what they referred to as a “fuck you letter”, addressed to the mayor.
“Dear Honorable Mayor Doyle, Patron of the Melbourne Street Art Community:
We were particularly inspired by your recent support for our fellow street artists who were criminalised for their beautification of the cement bollards in Central Melbourne.
We recognise the bollards play a vital role in our national security, preventing terrorists from striking at the heart of our beloved city.
Hence, in appreciation for your support of Melbourne’s vibrant and internationally street art culture, we felt it was both our civic and creative duty to bestow upon you a personalised gift. We genuinely hope that you will forever enjoy your own priceless piece of street art. We presume our contribution will result in an increase of your property value, which, after your sad demise your child-bride and tender-aged offspring will capitalise upon.
We are sure your neighbours will agree and will similarly appreciate our efforts.
We enthusiastically welcome your thanks and will act without compunction upon further encouragement.
With our deepest respect,
Street Artists for Doyle Collective
PS: Our creative endeavour is part of an ongoing instillation project which we sincerely hope you will recognise the merit of and will provide financial support for. We title our creative endeavour “Beyond the Pale”. We thank you in advance for your patronage of the Melbourne avant-garde.”
“What did you do? Their answer would be paint bombing the lord mayor’s house at 1.30 in the morning while my wife and three-year-old son were asleep yesterday.
“What a wonderful contribution that is.”
Robert Doyle is above boasting about opening a Salvation Army pop-up shop in Melbourne, with proceeds going to the homeless, despite voting in favour of criminalising homelessness in the city he oversees earlier this year.
The opening was a photo op people, for Homelessness Week.
Google it.
That’s what politicians do.
Oh, so much bullshit in the air!
Let us breath!
Activists previously gathered outside the private home of Robert Doyle around 11pm February 25, 2017, protesting the removal of homeless people sleeping rough in Flinders Street, during the time of the Australian Open tennis tournament.
Don’t worry, be happy!
Of course, not every activist shits in their own nest.
One bollard was given it’s own plaque,
In the face of adversity, just fucking laugh, because that’s something they can’t take from you – yet… and it usually pisses off your enemy.
You must log in to post a comment.