Where is Platy?….usually when one of the young grandchildren has a question I have at least some kind of an answer. This time I didn’t, I had no idea where Platy had gone. Whenever they visited the Eltham Library they would say hello to Platy, often accompanied by a little touch or pat on the head. From appearances it seemed they were not the only ones to do this.
On enquiring with library staff we discovered that Platy had gone for a little holiday while the library was being remodeled and the popular children’s section expanded. It was the first time Platy had left since the library was opened.
This little holiday proved to be much longer than anyone expected. Unfortunately Platy was lost for some time, until finally located and returned to the children’s section for many young visitors, as well as a few older ones to enjoy and give a welcome pat.
Platy is of course the wonderfully tactile platypus sculpture sensitively carved from the root of a Bunya Pine by the highly awarded collected wood artist Peter Carrigy, who travelled from his home in South Australia to attend the library opening in 1994. This sculpture of Platy was a gift from the councillors of the then Shire of Eltham in 1994 to the children’s section of the library, with the intention that it be placed where it could be touched, explored and experienced by young children of current and future generations.
by Jim Connor
