By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
GEELONG will have to wait to see the full range of features in its new floating Christmas tree, the man behind the concept has revealed.
Keith Courtney of Creative Production Services said this was only “year one of a five-year plan”.
“We have lots of tricks up our sleeves for the years to come,” Mr Courtney said.
“We’ve kept plenty of our powder dry for the future.”
Mr Courtney said the project had “genuinely captured an Australian Christmas”.
Geelong’s council should be congratulated because it had done something no other council had achieved, he said.
“It’s a real successful story and a credit to Geelong. Despite the tight timelines, it’s been fantastic dealing with the Geelong businesses involved.”
Philip Lethlean, of Light Designs Australia, said the Christmas tree light show would add “colour and texture”.
“We approached it like a painting,” he said.
“We had a palette using the primary colours and we’ve mixed them up to create a picture. With the lighting, it’s a bit like dancing because we have music to change the images to, so we’ve done a lot of programming of the lights to three specially chosen Christmas carols.”
The music track can be played via a smartphone or tablet application downloaded from centralgeelong.com.au.
Mr Lethlean said almost one kilometre of LED ribbon was “hidden discreetly” within the structure and even inside its decorative stars.
“We can make them flash, twinkle or even revolve, almost anything we like.
“We have 50 high-power LED wash lights positioned around the base, out to the side as well as inside the tree.
“It’s a fair arsenal of lighting, all computer controlled, about the size of a medium rock concert.”
The manufacture of the Christmas tree was almost lost to Geelong as its creators searched for a company with the capability of making it locally.
Hanlon Industries’ Teresa Hanlon said Mr Courtney had interviewed nine companies without success and was “just about to drive out of town” when he decided to visit Hanlon Industries as a last resort.
She said the work was saved for Geelong after Mr Courtney met her husband, Paul, and engineer son, Tom.
Hanlon Industries is one of Australia’s largest builders of billboards.
Other Geelong businesses involved included Geelong Abrasive Blasting, Geelong Fasteners, Migomag Geelong and Geelong Galvanising.
Mayor Darryn Lyons will officially light up the tree at 8.30pm tonight.
