The four large clock faces atop the old post office , now the Brewery , in Townsville's Flinders Street Mall, are all still showing almost synchronised signs of hectic New Year's Eve celebrating - they all look like wall-eyed drunks .
Our Shipping Reporter , the only one in Queensland, spotted the tipsy clocks while checking the vital statistics of a beautiful woman who sailed into port without the local media noticing (more later ) . Seeing the clocks still in a state of inebriation, all indicating it was five or thereabouts , when it was almost 10am , made our waterfront scribe gnash his teeth , a painful act because he was just about to keep a dental appointment re his vampire like incisors .
Surely the Queen City of the North can get its main clock in the CBD working properly like Big Ben in London? The 1889 second stage of the post office included the clock tower. In 1891 British made chimes were included . After the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese in l942 , the tower was dismantled fearing it would be the subject of enemy attack .
A modified clock tower was installed in 1964. In recent years , the clocks have run erratically , telling different times, making it abundantly clear that Townsville mugwumps and tourist wallahs were not clocking on .
Somehow, the local media has not picked up this long running story. Time for an obvious shake up in the northern media. The Shipping Reporter says he intends sending a news tip about this clock cock up in empty rum bottles to all the media offices in the city , in turn expecting to receive a small donation to his Chinese New Year rice wine binge fund .
At least the Townsville City Council appears to be catching up with modern times with this helpful digital sign , not far from the wonky clock tower , highlighting the tourist attractions of the mall , including what might be Cotter's Market which recently showed signs of an over-wound and busted main spring, a rusty crown and castle .
