WORDY WORK: Orange City Council’s city presentation manager Nigel Hobden checks progress on work to uncover the first of six three-metre long letters spelling Orange from under the grass at the southern end of Sir Jack Brabham Park. 0504letters
WORK began on Friday to uncover Orange’s own Hollywood sign - a giant set of letters spelling out the word Orange on the site of the city’s first airport at Sir Jack Brabham Park.
Orange City Council will restore each of the three metre long concrete letters that form part of the little-known feature from Orange’s aviation history that can only be clearly seen from the air.
The site has fallen into disrepair since the airport moved to Spring Hill and the area was developed for sporting fields.
Earthmoving work to scrape back the grass and soil and uncover the letters will take around five days.
“As well as uncovering the letters, the project will involve some broader drainage work to prevent silt washing into the area again from the nearby [council equipment] compound,” city presentation manager Nigel Hobden said.
“The fence of the council depot yard will be realigned, some stumps will be removed, and one decaying eucalypt tree will have to be removed to bring this important part of Orange’s history to light.”
The work is part of council’s master-plan for the park which will also involve having an interpretive sign installed.
Earlier this year, an aviation windsock was installed at the northern end of Jack Brabham Park as a reminder of the site’s former role as an airport.
The airport was officially opened in 1938 by the federal defence minister.
Work on developing a new airport at Spring Hill began during the 1950s.
Light aircraft were still using a grass airstrip on the site until the 1970s.