Thursday 24 January 2008

An endangered species

Ray Taylor wrote this poem about the woes of the endangered Cairns Yacht Club site.


The Old Cairns Yacht Club
(and The Objectors)


For those that followed up this tale,
Of how Heritage Listing came to fail.
A vote that you and I have seen,
Does not reflect what should have been.

Please spare a moment to review,
The Objectors, and then pursue,
Those oh so keen to see it gone.
So now, dear friend, I ask - read on.

Before me lies a letter sent,
By the Queensland Government,
A Minister on this matter wrote,
And from his letter I will quote.

“Four Objections” -does this letter state,
Each one, it claims, was “separate”
But there’s a link between this group,
A common chain to form a loop.

Now, there is a place, I would suggest,
That fits this scenario the best.
Behind closed doors, in the heart of town,
This is where the deals go down.

Whose rampant name to me suggests,
A large bronze lady with big bare breasts,
With a fist of dollars held on high,
And at her feet old Cairns doth lie.

The carpet bagger’s rub their hands,
“I really like this place called Cairns”.
And having made a quid or two,
Under darkness, then shoots through.

And with their bags stretched to the wide,
In another town they now reside,
Leaving we that love this place,
Their concrete structures then to face.

This somewhat cynical may appear,
And/or offensive to the ear,
I feel it lands right on the mark,
When on Heritage listing you embark.

Now, for the first cab off the rank,
Our Local Council, the first sword sank,
Who by their Objection it’s plain to see,
Have no respect for history.

These Council actions are worth noting,
When you have to go a voting.
For what they did one can’t ignore,
Remember- they’re one of -The Four.

The second gives his sword a twist,
His job involves the tourist,
Where they come from, where they go,
All these facts he wants to know.

If one takes time out to reflect,
Why on earth would he Object.
When around the world it’s plain to see,
The tourist’s love of history.

The third to give his sword a tweak ,
Really has no grounds to speak,
Views majestic, to all excludes,
His concrete structure to the sky intrudes.

And by his actions we deplore,
This hotelier- this Objector.
For to put the boot in, you’ll agree,
Is hardly very neighbourly.

The fourth applies the coup de grace,
So give this man a big cigar,
It comes as no surprise to we,
He works for an Authority.

No time for things so sentimental,
His needs are far more fundamental,
And by his act that we view as sad,
To his resume’ he now can add.

This quartet, this motley lot,
All of whom are in the plot,
To sabotage a noble cause,
The views of locals each ignores.

So by their actions all helped to thwart,
Those who Heritage Listing sought.
Whose noble act was but a plea,
To save what remains of our history.

Ray Taylor, Little Mulgrave)

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