1934

What is being done about the Rottnest Monster? Had this discovery been made in any but an apathetic, unenterprising State like Western Australia the cable messages would have been ringing with the news and scientists and tourists would now be hurrying to Fremantie from all parts of the world. Look what the canny Scots have achieved with that ripple on the surface of the waters of Loch Ness! For many months the alleged creature has been a headliner in the principal English news papers and the cable messages to Australia have included some reference to it at least once a week since the date of the first mention of the sunposed beast or fish. A result of all this publicity, I under stand, is a substantial flow of foreign capital across the border into Scotland. Land values in the vicinity of Loch Ness have appreciated, owners of service cars have been enabled to double their charges and the consumption of whisky by visitors chilled to the marrow through long night vigils on the shores of the loch has been and still is enormous. And what have the entrepreneurs of the monster to show? A number of photographs, no more convincing than the spirit pictures of spiritualist cranks, the most definite of which suggests a line of corks bobbing some distance out on the surface of the water. Other pictures demand the exercise of considerable imagination to convey any impression beyond the repre sentation of slightly disturbed water. There is no doubt at all about the existence of our monster at Rottnest; it can be seen, felt and smelt at very small expense, and yet there has not been even a special excursion to view it. It certainly is dead, but a dead fact should be more satisfying than a live myth. I have not seen the Rottnest monster: but I reject with scorn the statement that it is merely a large slice of whale. Such suggestion could emanate only from an anti-secessionist ready to depreciate anything West Australian, at any cost to the State.

The final authoritative word on the identity of the Rottnest "monster" was spoken today when the curator of the Perth Museum definitely pronounced the remains as a part of a dead whale. Yesterday a party, including such experts as Mr. Glauert, the Chief Inspector of Fisheries (Mr. ALdrich) and a University professor, made an excursion to the island to conduct a final post-mortem on the "monster."

"Having seen it. I thoroughly concur with Mr. Aldrich's original identification." Mr. Glaucrt said. "There is no shadow of doubt that it is a part of whale, detached from the main body and washed ashore by tides and waves."

"NOTHING FANTASTIC"

Mr. Glauert added that the examination was not a pleasant task. He did not know how long ago death had taken place and salt water and the sun had in no way acted as a preseravtive of the remains. Nevertheless the post-mortem was thoroughly carried out. Large hunks of the flesh were carved away. Cross sections disclosed no bones. The tapering end which had suggested a tail to others, was nothing more than an attenuated strip from the side of whale. There was nothing to suggest a head. ''You can be assured there is nothing fantastic in the discovery," Mr. Glauert concluded. "It is just a part of a whale."

The Rottnest "monster" has left Rottnest. Fresh human footprints in the sand of the beach where the remains were lying indicate that the "monster" was taken away trom the island yesterday. When a launch party from Fremantle visited the island yesterday afternoon it was found that the "monster" had gone. There was a long mark on the sand indicating that the "monster" had been towed into the sea, and there were numerous human footprints nearby. Quite a number of people visited Rottnest yesterday with the special purpose of viewing the "monster," and their disappointment was great when they found that it had been removed. This disappointment was aggravated by the fact that it had been necessary for them to walk a considerable distance before reaching the small bay where the "monster" had been lying. Reports indicate that the "monster" has been towed to the mainland by a motor launch or yacht. It is definitely known that it has not been towed to sea or else where by the island authorities.

Mr. Tas. Bradley, the showman, has secured the Rottnest "monster," and will exhibit it at the Royal Show. The "monster" was originally reported to have been found on the beach at Rottnest on September 18, by Mr. L. C. Timperley, of the Customs Department, Freemantle. Later, two ladies who had been staying at the island said that they had seen it on the beach on September 7, and Mr. Dan Holt, a resident of the island, claimed to have discovered it on the beach in June. Finally, the Chief Inspector of Fisheries (Mr. F. Aldrich) reported that the "monster" was the flesh and blubber of a whale. This opinion was confirmed later by Mr. L. Glauert, of the Perth Museum. In spite of the difference of opinion as the actual constitution of the find, public curiosity has been aroused, and the "monster" will doubtless attract much attention at the Show.

Although I was animated by the best of intentions I regret now that I drew at tention in this column to the signal lack of enterprise exhibited in the neglect of the authorities to exploit the Rottnest monster, when the canny Scots had shown the way with a ripple or so on the surface of Loch Ness. I don't know whether I would have succeeded in stirring sluggish officials into action, but it may be too late now. Other more enterprising spirits have recognised the money-making possibilities of our first authentic marine monster, pointed out by me, and the first big batch of sightseers since the publication of my comments found nothing but the footprints of earlier birds— speaking figuratively, of course. Surely the authorities are not going to rest supinely in the face of this stupendous theft of what was essentially, a national asset! The officers of the C.I.B. should be set on the trail at once; and if they have any sense of smell, to say nothing of intelligence, they should succeed easily in tracking down the thieves and their booty. I shall give them this tip. The Royal Show is usually rich in side-shows, and this show, I understand, is no exception. Let the detectives be equipped with a sufficient quantity of small silver coinage and make a systematic search of the tents on the grounds at Claremont. It is unlikely that our monster will be shown as such; but it is probable that it will be doctored up and disguised and shown as a mammoth sea lion with two heads or tails, or something equally exciting.

"Walk up; walk up," says the man out-side the pit where the Rottnest "monster" is on view, "and see for yourself this strange mystery of the deep. Scientists have been baffled by this weird creature which was washed up on the beach. They are at a complete loss to identify the monster. Is it some prehistoric sea mammal chased from the deepest depths of the ocean by an enemy? Come and see it and decide for yourself. It is absolutely complete and is exhibited in a reconstruction of the scene where it was discovered an the beach at the island last month. There will never be another opportunity to see a monster such as this."

People took his advice yesterday and walked up. There, on the sand, with shells all around it, was the "monster" which was towed from Rottnest to Perth by motor launch on Sunday. Another attendant in the pit gave the story of its discovery and exhibited photographs showing the monster as it was discovered on the sand near Henrietta Rocks.

As suddenly as it burst upon public notice, the Rottnest "monster" vanished yesterday, leaving a faint trail of smell behind on the sand on which it had reposed in a side-show. The secretary of the Royal Agricultural Society (Mr. C. W. May) disclaimed any knowledge of the creature's movements. He washed his hands of the whole affair, he explained, metaphorically. But it was said that the Health Department had intervened, holding that the piece of flabbiness was not altogether hygienic and desirable from a public point of view. So the monster vanished from its tent and the public had to amuse itself with the sidershows that remained.