17/07/2025
Editorās Note.
Iāve been thinking about Frankston Councilās Nepean Highway Boulevard Project. What Iām sharing here is simply a conceptāan idea Iāve been playing with. I know some people will respond with: āItās a highway, not a boulevard.ā Honestly, I tend to agree. But like it or not, the project is going ahead. So rather than dismiss it, Iām trying to offer some input before it all gets locked in.
Letās be real, this project will probably be designed by someone sitting in a planning office far from Frankston, with no real connection to the place, its people, or its story. Local voices matter. If we donāt speak up, we risk getting something generic, forgettable or perhaps, regrettable.
I know some will also say āpublic art is a waste of money.ā, I partly agree. When itās generic, soulless, or has no link to the community, it often is. But meaningful, well-placed art, rooted in local history and identity, can inspire pride, provoke thought, and give a place character.
Council will continue spending on public art. Thatās a fact. So the real question is: what kind of art do we want to see? This post is just one idea to help shape that discussion.
Thanks for reading. I hope it sparks some thought, debate, and maybe even better ideas and outcomes for Frankston.
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šA Frankston Monument That Stands the Test of Time.
As Frankston undergoes one of its most ambitious urban upgrades in decades, the moment is right to think beyond roads and footpaths, to think legacy.
The Nepean Highway Boulevard Project is set to transform the entrance to our city, turning a busy arterial into a green, walkable, and welcoming gateway. Backed by a $50 million commitment from the federal government, the project will deliver tree-lined medians, safer intersections, upgraded pedestrian and cycling links, enhanced access to Kananook Creek, and the restoration of the Comfort Station. Itās a bold vision, one that reimagines Nepean Highway not just as a thoroughfare, but as the ceremonial spine of a growing coastal city.
We have an opportunity to anchor this transformation with something more than infrastructure, something timeless.
š Proposal: The Frankston History Obelisk ā A Landmark That Lasts.
Throughout history, great cities have marked their stories in stone.
From the obelisk of Luxor standing proud in Parisās Place de la Concorde, to Nelsonās Column in London, to Washingtonās Monument in the U.S. capital. Civilisations have long erected tall, dignified markers to reflect their collective memory. These structures donāt just decorate public space, they shape it. They help define a cityās spirit.
Why not Frankston.
Frankston History Obeliskāa tall, four-sided column made from the same local stone that gave us the Frankston Park gates and the Comfort Station. It would rise along Nepean Highway, softly lit at night, its presence permanent and quietly powerful.
Not a flashing screen or a passing social media campaign.
But stone, bronze, and meaning, etched with the stories that shaped us.
Four Faces, Four Stories:
šø BUNURONG ā A tribute to the First Peoples of this land. A stylised family by the creek, a bark canoe gliding through water, smoke curling from a campfire. A reminder that Frankstonās story didnāt start in 1854āit began thousands of years earlier.
šø PIONEERS ā The era of European settlement. A man pulling a fishing net, a woman recording stories, firewood stacked by canvas tents. The grit and resilience that built early Frankston. (Female figure based on Grace McComb. 1828 -1915. Frankston1st āDoctorā & midwife, she collected signatures to start 1st school)
šø FROM RESORT TO CITY ā Frankstonās golden era. Holidaymakers, bathing boxes, bustling hotels, and the buzz of trainlines bringing city crowds to the bay. A time of pride, celebration, and change. A poppy represents our miliary history and dolphin represents Frankston becoming a city in 1966.
šø FRANKSTON 200 yrs ā A panel reserved for the bicentenary in 2054, marking 200 years since Frankston was officially surveyed and named. A blank canvas for the future, a promise to those whoāll tell the next chapter. (Note. Frankston was officially gazetted as a town in 1854)
Stone is the ideal material for a Frankston History Obelisk ā not just for its timeless durability, but because it connects directly to the ground beneath our feet. Frankston is underpinned by a dramatic geology of granite and sandstone, shaped over millions of years.
These stones already feature prominently along Nepean Highway in the retaining walls near the Olivers Hill bend and the entrance to the Frankston Waterfrount . Local heritage architecture such as the Frankston Park gates, the old Comfort Station, also showcase stonework that gives Frankston its distinct character. Using locally sourced or locally inspired stone would root the monument in place, quite literally, and ensure it stands with a sense of strength, belonging, and authenticity.
Why Now?
We already have branding flags and seasonal banners. But imagine something that doesnāt change with the weather, something future-proof, civic, and symbolic.
The obelisk could become:
ā¢ A learning point for school kids, tourists, and newcomers
ā¢ A rallying point for community events and ceremonies
ā¢ A visual landmark tying the new Nepean Highway boulevard to our deeper story.
It would echo some of our most beloved civic worksāthe Grimwade Clock, the Madden Memorial, the Comfort Station & the Park gates. . Not by mimicking them, but by building on their tradition: craftsmanship, symbolism, and permanence.
A Place for the Community
Not just artāarchitecture with meaning.
Imagine standing before it with your children. Pointing to each side and explaining:
āHereās who came first. Hereās how the town began. Hereās when it thrived. Hereās what comes next.ā
Frankstonās story is rich, layered, and worth celebrating.
Letās anchor this $50 million gateway transformation with a civic statement that will outlast trends and terms of office. A monument that reminds us, always, where weāve come from and where weāre headed.
Itās time to build more than infrastructure. Itās time to build memory.
š Thoughts? Support? Ideas? Shoot me down in flames? š¤£ Letās create something for Frankston. Not just for now, but for the next 200 years.
