The Geotz sign used to sit proudly high up on the workshops wall at the Hall Street end of the saw-tooth roof, as seen in the 1963 photo below. Following demolition of the workshops in 2008, the sign was relocated to its present location above the roof of the remaining brick building along Hall Street. The remaining former office complex building has a Heritage Overlay, which hopefully includes the sign. For details of the Heritage Overlay, see this PDF, p.33

Aerial view of the Hall Street works showing the sign in its original position, from a 1963 catalogue.
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Hall Street frontage and sign, from the rear cover of the 1975 Centenary booklet
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The sign in 2008, just prior to demolition of the workshops. Photo: Vin Maskell
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Re-drawn version of the sign with best guess as to the original colours.
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The sign in 2015, looking weather-worn, but actually a repaint created to look old (see below).
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Removal, faux repaint and reinstallation

As previously mentioned, the sign was originally located high up on the Hall Street facing wall of the workshops (see images near top of this page), but had to be removed when the workshops were demolished in 2008. As the brick office building along Hall Street was to be retained, and was subject to a Heritage Overlay, the sign was also to be retained, but relocated on the roof of the office building.

The old sign was made up of a number of 2′ x 1′ galvanized panels with 2″ wide strapping covering the joins. The builders dismantled it and sent it off in a wooden crate for some TLC to Palace Signs, at the time operated by Gary Palise.

The sign panels had been packed in the crate in no particular order, so when they arrived at Palace Signs, Gary laid out the pieces on the factory floor and organised them like he was doing a giant jigsaw puzzle.

Unfortunately the sign pieces were in poor condition – most of the paint had cracked and fallen off, and what remained was barely legible and not suitable for reinstalling. The solution was to recreate the sign in faux-style; to make it look authentically weathered.

 

With the sign pieces laid out in order on the factory floor, Gary was able to trace over the original lettering, and had paiints made up in flat enamel to match the original colours.

After reproducing the sign, the weathering effect was achieved by dabbings of paint stripper and some sanding. Some oxidising agent was applied to create rust, and metal boxing was made up for the edging. As the Goetz sign job was worked on in between other jobs the company had at the time, the process took a few months around 2010-11.

 

Vandal attack

Gary’s fantastic reproduction sign survived unscathed in its new location until a sensless vandal attack sometime after November 2022.

Despite efforts from building tennant Two Birds Brewing and local artist Kerrie Gottliebsen to have the sign restored, the owners unfortunately decided instead to paint over the entire sign with grey. (Kerrie has produced poster art featuring the building)

Currently, the sign is hidden, but hopefully the owners will have a change of heart and have it restored one day.

 

Thanks to the following peole for help in researching the history of the sign:

Gary Palise
Tony Mead, Industrial Art Sign Co.
Dr. Stefan Schutt, La Trobe University
Kerrie Gottliebsen