A former Townsville resident , Bob White , having long lived in Darwin , responded to the recent Little Darwin post about FOO at Giru .
He recalled two eye-catching FOO drawings about the mid- l950s which were on the Townsville Sailing Club ,on the southside , a large two- storey building with a dance floor, on Ross Creek , between the Metropole Hotel and what was called the Penny Ferry Wharf pontoon. The upstairs dance hall was known as The Flying Squadron Club .
There was a FOO WAS HERE figure on the wall inside the ground floor / sea level where boats and their gear -masts and sails - were normally stored and minor maintenance carried out .
A distinctive version , near the Miss Dignity Vl locker, consisted of a weeping FOO lamenting, WOT! NO WIND - not good for sailing .
In the sailing season, 16 foot Skiffs ,VJs and Sabots would race on Sundays around their set courses- out the creek , harbour and into Cleveland Bay , with buoys marking the routes .
Magnetic Island ferries would follow the races with patrons and onlookers, some with binoculars, and other pleasure craft, an enjoyable occasion
Renditions of FOO, in those days, he added, were literally everywhere , often seen on rail trucks running to and from the busy port .
