What will they find when the Victory Shed has gone? Photo / Paul Brooks
What will they find when the Victory Shed has gone? Photo / Paul Brooks
Opinion:
As the historic, but crumbling, Victory Shed at Castlecliff Wharf becomes demolition debris, a story has resurfaced.
The question is, is it a fable, a tall tale, an urban (or suburban) myth, a yarn for the older wharfies to wind up the young fellows, or is it perhaps the truth?
The story goes that there are two lighters buried in the dirt beneath the Victory Shed — lighters being those flat-bottomed barge-like boats used to carry cargo from ship to shore or vice-versa.
As tall tales go, it hasn't got enough goriness or credulity-stretching as contained in other stories about local workplaces, so perhaps it is the truth. Unlike the yarn about rats the size of dogs living in the old Imlay freezers, wearing down their incisors on frozen carcasses and occasionally attacking freezer hands.
I received a PR email the other day with an announcement from Pet Insurance Australia. It was a list of "the top trending pet names of 2021", along with tips on how to choose a name (for ease of calling, etc).
Fascinating, it was. All the popular names for dogs and cats. But that was it.
The names were all very interesting, even if Brian were not among them, nor Agatha, for that matter, but if they were serious about pets' names (as opposed to "pet" names, and I suppose the latter would include such gems as Snookums, Sweetie Pie and Honey Bunch), surely they would look further afield than just common or garden cats and dogs.
People have always made room in their homes or on their properties for a variety of animals, birds and fish, and possibly more besides; insects and reptiles have been firm favourites among the squeamless, but what sort of name do you give a giant weta, or a gecko, or a tame cockroach? What do you call your friendly aardvark, magpie or moray eel when you summon them for dinner?
When you're chatting and swapping jokes with your silverfish, turtle or yellow-eyed mullet, what name do you slip into the conversation?
"Rover", "Fido" or "Spot" no longer seem to apply to dogs, so perhaps they could be repurposed for creatures less canine. "Rover" could easily be applied to your pet great white shark, and since cats now seem to answer to names like "Luna" and "Simba", "Tiddles" could be recycled to suit your cuddly crocodile.
Well done Pet Insurance Australia for going to all that trouble, but pets are manifold.
■ ■ ■ ■ Winner of the double pass to Night Fever, the Bee Gees tribute show, is Peter Gosnell. Thanks to all who entered the competition.