Government House presented an absolute picture of manicured excellence during the current sitting of the Legislative Assembly, not a blade of grass out of place, the hedge in regimental order . However, across the road , is the above monument marking the centenary of the 1871 laying of the cable linking Australia with Java and thus London . The edifice is worn, weathered, faded and chipped . It has been this way for many moons, without anybody thinking it would be a good idea to repair a monument marking an event of national-not only local importance, involving construction of the Overland Telegraph Line from Adelaide to Darwin , a stupendous achievement by colonial South Australia.
A raised medallion , bottom left , portraying Captain Robert Halpin , skipper of the vessel Investigator, part of the three vessel cable fleet, is chipped, glazing missing, giving the appearance he is suffering from scurvy or leprosy. Who in Darwin is responsible for this neglect of yet another important memorial ? None of the politicians who trotted over to Government House en masse for tea and truffles apparently noticed the shabby state of the memorial as they walked by .
Not far from Government House is the viewing platform with information about the harbour and the bombing through graphic, interpretative panels . It is not uncommon to find excreta of some animal,possibly a bush rat, on the pics and some have been scratched on borders. It is hard to see the harbour because overhanging trees need a trim so visitors can see points of interest. The platform does not get the same care and attention lavished on Government House .
In parliament this week, the new government declared it is really interested in tourism . It is to be hoped that monuments of great significance are cleaned up and maintained as they are tourist attractions. Little Darwin pointed out ages ago the gross spelling errors-clangers- at the Darwin Cenotaph , a situation which had existed for decades without anybody in authority twigging , and is still not rectified.
