North Queensland’s
largest sculptured birdbath , above , was tipped over
in another
rowdy night on Magnetic Island . Known as Big Bird , the
gleaming white figure, made from concrete , has survived four
cyclones and been photographed many times by tourists . On Saturday night it was pushed over by a
group who left
a
trail of " carnage " along
the main drag
to
the
ferry terminal. At the Sooning Street shopping centre chairs were overturned , pot plants upended and signs damaged . Two cars were broken into and pushed about .
On Monday, the owner of Big Bird, a longtime island resident , told Magnetic Island police she had been intimidated by a group who gathered outside her residence , drinking , who had tipped over the large , heavy figure .
On Monday, the owner of Big Bird, a longtime island resident , told Magnetic Island police she had been intimidated by a group who gathered outside her residence , drinking , who had tipped over the large , heavy figure .
Police said they
had a record of a registered
party attended by 60
people and two officers were sent later in the day
to right
Big Bird . It was suggested somebody may have sat in Big Bird's bowl and it tipped forward . If so , it is lucky the beak did not cause injury.
During the night a large real estate sign on a nearby block of bush known locally as “ the Pope’s Land” , owned by the Catholic church in Townsville , was knocked down . A short distance from the sign , was a battered car with a Victorian numberplate , driver’s side door open, a messy interior , a broken hubcap in the grass . It was taken away by police on Tuesday , supposedly for fingerprinting. Big Bird ,it seems, did not rate a fingerprint examination.
During the night a large real estate sign on a nearby block of bush known locally as “ the Pope’s Land” , owned by the Catholic church in Townsville , was knocked down . A short distance from the sign , was a battered car with a Victorian numberplate , driver’s side door open, a messy interior , a broken hubcap in the grass . It was taken away by police on Tuesday , supposedly for fingerprinting. Big Bird ,it seems, did not rate a fingerprint examination.
Noises are often heard at night on the
island , at times due to
birds and animals and also marauding
boofheads. Residents
in one street recently called police after
hearing a woman screaming , what sounded
like furniture being broken up and a strong
smell of smoke ,
something definitely burning , during
a period
of total fire
bans . In southern states,
anybody lighting a fire
during a fire
ban would be overrun
by the
cavalry . Not on the
island , which is very
dry, where
another place has twice staged
night- time open burns . The
Army
once had to be
called in
to help save Magnetic
Island , part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park , much of it a
national park , when it was ravaged
by fires. MUCH BIGGER BIRDBATH : As this item is posted , a large part of the road near Big Bird is being excavated due to a burst waterpipe and supply has been turned off to nearby houses.
