Shipping Reporter elated over mermaid sighting , again strongly urges Queensland government, Townville Enterprise Limited and Townsville City Council to swim along with her and start an annual major Mermaid Festival .
During Saturday's well attended centenary celebration of Magnetic Island's state school , the above mermaid was spotted at a market stall . A photograph was immediately sent to our mermaid obsessed waterfront roundsman who gave so much publicity to the lifesized fibreglass mermaid from Melbourne which was mutilated on the island.
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| Headless and armless mermaid . |
In his coverage of the terrible treatment of the mermaid , named Isla, he passed on the bright suggestion by a Darwin artist that Magnetic Island should use the outrage to sponsor a creative annual art festival which could rival the famous Little Mermaid of Copenhagen .
The Shipping Reporter revealed the mermaid had been bought in Geelong, Victoria, and transported to the island , strapped next to the driver of a car.
She was placed without ceremony on rocks at the main entrance to the island , an unusual attraction. Then she was systematicaly mistreated by fiends . Recently the owner of the mermaid expressed his outrage at her treament . At one stage he was contemplating restoring the mermaid and had even discussed getting replacement hair made by a Townsville wig maker .
He had backed the idea of a Mermaid Festival which would greatly promoted the image of the island,Townsville and Queensland .
