Federal MP for Corangamite, Libby Coker, recently celebrated the installation of two large pelican sculptures near the Portarlington Pier, with representatives from the Portarlington Community Association (PCA) and Bellarine Bayside.
The statues, cast in bronze by Ocean Grove sculptor, Will Wilson, are the initiative of the PCA in collaboration with Bellarine Bayside, who undertook the installation on the foreshore.
Geoff Fary, PCA President, said the purchase of the statues was funded by a Federal Government Stronger Communities Round 7 grant applied for last year through the office of Ms Coker, and additional fundraising by the PCA.
Ms Coker said the sculptures would attract holidaymakers to the town and help foster meaningful connections and pride of place for those within the Portarlington community.
“The sculptures will be another drawcard for visitors to Portarlington, many of them who come on the ferry and arrive nearby,” said Ms Coker.
“Anyone who knows Portarlington appreciates how passionate the locals are about the pelicans, they are a much-loved part of the town’s character.”
Pelicans are not only seen frequently around the Bellarine but were chosen by the PCA because they are known as a symbol of teamwork and community. Because of their strong social sense, pelicans act as a group when fishing together, and will even sacrifice their lives for the welfare of their community. As a result, their communities can survive for longer in the wild than many other birds.
Diane Kolomeitz, vice-president of the PCA, said that when applying for the grant, she thought pelican sculptures ‘would symbolise achievement through collective effort - pretty much like community associations’!
Bruce Elliot, CEO of Bellarine Bayside, commented that the birds were ‘a realistic sculptural addition to the foreshore, and a good outcome from Bellarine Bayside’s ongoing collaboration with community groups’.
Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation also endorsed the project and encouraged the use of the Wadawurrung word for pelican (‘Bardangal’), which the PCA has incorporated in the attribution plaque beside the larger bird.
