Place Making Pelicans art installation add to the fun of Yeppoon Lagoon Precinct

The Yeppoon Lagoon, a tourism draw-card for the Capricorn Coast region, is now home to three comical pelicans who are expected to give locals and visitors “a bit of a giggle”.  

Portfolio holder of Vibrant Community, Councillor Tanya Lynch, said the life-size fibreglass sculptures by artist Simon McLean, stand about 1.2 metres high and welcome swimmers to the popular recreational area.  

“Each pelican is dressed, ready for a dip, in their red and yellow lifesavers caps, ring buoys, and swimming goggles, significant to the lifeguard attachment to the Lagoon,” she said. 

The latest installation as part of Council’s ongoing Place Making programme, the quirky new residents sit at the swimming end of the informal lap area on the three existing columns that swimmers regularly aim towards.  

“Council wanted an amusing asset added to those columns as well as something permanent to replace the orange cones which have been there since opening to discourage the columns being used as diving platforms,” Cr Lynch said. 

“It needed to be something a little bit fun, a little bit bright, a little bit comical, and quite a bit instagrammable.  

“So, after negotiation and looking at a few variables as to what it could be, we settled on the playful pelicans.  

“We felt they were best suited to the much-loved, family-friendly, resort-style pool.”  

Cr Lynch said Yeppoon is becoming quite famous for its artistic elements, particularly those along the foreshore.  

“We’re hoping the new installation continues to strengthen community engagement and social cohesion,” she said. 

“Integrating arts more fully into our lives enriches each of us. Engaging in the arts brings individuals together and fosters community.

“It has also been reported that arts tourists from within Australia stay 42.8 percent longer and spend 55.9 percent more when travelling than domestic tourists overall. 

“This injects new money into the economy by boosting businesses, creating new jobs and encouraging the development of new amenities.”  

For more information on Council’s Place Making Programme, please visit

https://www.livingstone.qld.gov.au/living-here/my-community/council-projects/placemaking-program