Pelaco Sign, Neon sign on Richmond Hill, Victoria, Australia.
The Pelaco Sign crowns a commercial building on Richmond Hill with large metal-trough letters spelling the brand name above the Melbourne skyline. The structure below now houses several media companies including radio stations Gold 104.3 and KIIS 101.1, along with Madman Entertainment and Fremantle.
Claude Neon manufactured this sign in 1939 to advertise the Pelaco shirt company operating from the building below. It was restored in 1997 and now holds protection as a listed heritage item, though it no longer glows after dark.
The sign appears in the 1986 film Dogs In Space and influenced local musicians when they named their rockabilly band after it during the 1970s.
The sign can be viewed from multiple vantage points throughout Richmond Hill and surrounding neighborhoods, with best visibility from elevated streets that offer clear sky views. Daytime visits provide the best viewing experience since the sign no longer illuminates in the evening.
Although the sign no longer glows at night, it remains visible from multiple neighborhoods during the day and serves as an unexpected navigation landmark. This far-reaching visibility across several suburbs makes it an overlooked reference point that visitors often miss unless specifically looking for it.
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