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Putting the boot into those who fought in the Pacific.
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With or without sauce in the Coral Sea ?
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During the week , across the world , in various parts of Australia, the 73rd anniversary of Victory in the Pacific was marked, some with ceremonies . In Townsville , North Queensland, the large military garrison city , its inoperable , neglected Victory in the Pacific Memorial Fountain was in a new disgraceful state , parts of a shoe , sticks , rubbish and pieces of a meat pie visible in the bottom chamber . The top chamber, with parts missing and bent , had a variety of rubbish floating about , the stonework stained by bird droppings and fruit from a nearby tree.
The Townsville ABC radio station cottoned onto the fact , no doubt due to the daily diary which lists dates of importance , that August 15 was the 73rd anniversary of Victory in the Pacific . To mark the anniversary , for some strange reason , apparently oblivious to the fact that Townsville has a Victory in the Pacific fountain and it looks as if it has been bombed , the ABC contacted the Queensland RSL president in far away Brisbane . Why not the local RSL whose premises, armed to the teeth with pokies, are bigger than the combined largest three forts on the Maginot Line ?
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Lest the civic and military organisations forget the Victory in the Pacific fountain .
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Far flung readers of this blog know we have repeatedly pointed out the fountain and other war memorials in this city are badly neglected . It takes a long time to get local mugwumps to respond . It took a constant barrage by the S(h)ipping Reporter and his pal Admiral Harry Harris , through this blog, to get remedial action to fix up the neglected giant anchor off a US aircraft carrier which had been presented to the city of Townsville by the United States of America .
In the case of the Victory in the Pacific fountain , it is No.1 on the city's Civic Pride Trail. There is certainly nothing to be proud about in respect of it and the surrounds . The Townsville media pack, sun-bleached for longer than the Great Barrier Reef , has failed to notice this situation . In the case of the Murdoch Townsville Bulletin, the fountain is a short walk from its office , the paper recently announced its reporters were going to get out and about in the city. Trot along to the fountain scribes and reveal Townsville's long running shame.
This blog's S(h)ipping Reporter, the only one north of Kangaroo Island, uttered a salty oath when he also heard the ABC interview with the RSL official . While there was mention of Townsville being involved in the WWll struggle, the ABC did not raise the disgraceful condition of Townsville's own Victory in the Pacific Memorial Fountain .
Listeners were told by the RSL spokesman he thought it was desirable that the sacrifice of all and sundry in the great conflicts be made known to the community, spread through RSL sub branches . Townsville, he assured , would see massive ceremonies to mark the centenary of the Armistice in November . The question must be asked , will the fountain be cleaned up , operating by then ?
At the nearby bus shelter there were empty drink containers in the rafters , more and more graffiti , rubbish and unsightly stains near the seating .
