Townsville Daily Bulletin 16 Jun 1939 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article61466290
I always say that no matter how much we think an item of current news is strange or unusual, if you look back you will often find a very similar article from years gone past.
In 1939 there was a shooting near Barkly Square after the arrival of an armed man, after which one of the victims staggered off for help.
Yesterday x-mas shoppers were treated to the surprising sight of heavily armed police patrolling Barkly Square after some gunmen arrived in a car and shot a man in the adjacent street. He then staggered from where he was shot into Barkly Square carpark for help.
My main reason for wanting to do this post today though is that when I was listening to the radio this morning I was delighted to hear callers say that locally the name Barkly Square has been spoonerized into Sparkly Bear, or, more accurately Sqarkly Bear. I do prefer the far more amusing Sparkly Bear though. Who wouldn’t want to go shopping at such an amusingly nicknamed place?!
