HOME , JAMES , AND WATCH OUT FOR UNGODLY UNI STUDENTS !

Herculean  Heritage  Day  comes  alive , resurrects  The   Saint , disturbs  the  Queen's  locked  boudoir. 

Instead of being held next to the cemetery , this year's Heritage  Day in Townsville was staged in Anzac Park , on the  waterfront , so our  Shipping Reporter  went along ,  after  piloting  Western    Maple , part  of  the large  Ghost Fleet  which  goes  unnoticed  by  the  local media  ,  safely  into  port .  

 

By the time  our waterfront  reporter , the only one north of  Rottnest Island,   arrived  at Anzac Park ,  there was a  conga line  of eager  people   wanting  to   tour   the  grand old  Queen's  Hotel  , open  for  public inspection  for the first  time  in  10 years .       If   the  Shipping Reporter had  not  also helped   tie up  the stand out   Hercules Leader   he would have been  first in the  queue  that  went though the royal  establishment , so he decided not  to  join   what resembled  a  wartime  food   ration  line .

Anyway, he says he will  send   his  amphibious  drone down  one of the  hotel's chimneys and  arrange  his  own  private  tour  of  the ornate  interior .    He  spent much   time  kicking  the   tyres of   fine   British    limousines , especially the Jags, Minis ,   and   paid  particular  attention to the  James   Cook University   display.  

 

It included interesting  background   information  about the  outline  of   The Saint    on  Castle  Hill  . It  seems,     before The Saint ,    a   whitewashed  question mark appeared  on  the commanding peak , put there  by  university students  during  the  l961 Commem Week. By January l962 it  had been removed, supposedly by  four  young  RAAF  students.   

Soon after  , something new appeared  on high - The Saint  , a stick figure with a halo , inspired by the calling card  of the  fictional character  Simon Templar ,  the hero in  novels by  Leslie Charteris , made into a television series starring Roger Moore .

The Saint  today .

On the bonnet of the  jalopy  , below,  in the  l963 Commem Week parade through Townsville, can be seen a   wire  figure  of  The Saint.   

 Over the years the figure on Castle Hill  has  been  removed, defaced  but returned in  all  its glory . There is also a similar , faded  stick figure on  a  rock  face  in  an out of the  way  position , below,   at  Alma Bay, Magnetic  Island .  

American evangelist Billy Graham was one of many prominent people  sent up  during a  Commem  Week  parade .

OTHER  HERITAGE  DAY  PIX

 

 

The Saint's big sisters performing bubble dance .