1880年的木马可能将要有个固定的家

Clarence carousel bid

CHARLES WATERHOUSE
January 14, 2009 09:57am

MARK Money's 1880s steam-powered carousel could find a permanent home in Clarence.

At a meeting of the Clarence Council this week, Alderman Richard James asked staff to investigate whether the carousel, restored and run by Mark Money of Avoca, could have a permanent base on the foreshore on land zoned for public recreation.

"It [the proposal] went down quite well with other aldermen," Ald James said.

"We are trying to give Sullivans Cove a run for its money."

Mr Money said he knew nothing about the Kangaroo Bay proposal, but for it to be financially viable the carousel needed to have a permanent location.

Mr Money said before Christmas he was approached by someone from one Tasmanian council which appeared to have extensively studied a proposal for the carousel and had a location for it. He believed it also had the money to buy it.

He expected he would sell it to this council which was "a long way from Hobart".

For some years Mr Money has set up the carousel for just two major Tasmanian events each year -- the Deloraine Craft Fair and Hobart waterfront Christmas-New Year celebrations.

Mr Money restored the English-built carousel in the early 1990s after buying it as a pile of rotten and rusty pieces. He said the Government and Tourism Tasmania had been apathetic in appreciating its value.

A supporter of the carousel had been former Hobart lord mayor John Freeman, who Mr Money said instructed staff to find a permanent home for it in Hobart.

As a result Hobart council staff offered space near Cornelian Bay cemetery, which was unsuitable.

Ald James said permanently locating the carousel at Kangaroo Bay could help revitalise the Eastern Shore.

Other recreation equipment could be established and a possibility existed to establish a maritime museum in a building now owned by the Health and Human Services Department at Bellerive.