Why Did The Elephant Cross The Road?
Nimmitabel (NSW) is an Aboriginal onomatopoeia for ‘dividing of the waters’. But seldom has a town undergone so many spelling phases, with this alpine village going by the names of Nimitybelle, Nimitybell, Nimithyball, Nimity-Bell and Nimoitebool in its 140-year history.
Bizarrely, the hamlet was once a front-runner to be the new Australian capital. But those 15 seconds of fame passed soon enough. Nowadays the biggest eye-catcher is a fiberglass elephant outside the bakery called George.
Why George? I don’t know. Can anyone tell us? Or take a guess what connects elephants to a toast-sliced wholemeal? Nimmitabel is no end of mystery.
March 9th, 2007 at 8:50 am
I grew up with the owners of nimmitabel bakery, i worked for them and lived beside them. George, was a lovely man that used to live in the house behind the elephant. He had it up for sale and Kim and Chris Adams bought it and it then became the office and the accomodation for the apprentices. George touched so many of our hearts in our local community, and it is great for me and other kids from nimmitabel to still be able to say “hi George” on the way past his house.
March 9th, 2007 at 9:18 am
Thanks Cheryl – one mystery solved. An elephant seems the ideal animal to help remember a simpatico character.
October 23rd, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Thanks Cheryl, must keep in touch. It would be nice to hear from you.
Goerge is actually 11 tonnes of concrete and was freighted from Bali at a cost of $43,000 and sits in the garden among several other statues and water features purely for the enjoyment of customers.