QLD: Bulls balls may bring big bucks

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-1999
QLD: Bulls balls may bring big bucks

By Gil Breitkreutz

BRISBANE, Aug 11 AAP - Tourists have stolen so many male clusters dangling from the seven
life-like statues of bulls in Rockhampton, the mayor has decided to auction a complete set of
spares to aid charity.

"Tourists have been snapping off sets of testicles for years and the council just keeps on
replacing them," Mayor Jim McRae said.

Rockhampton proclaimed itself the beef capital of Australia some time back because it
services one of Australia's biggest beef producing areas, has three meatworks, and hosts the
triennial International Beef Expo which brings almost as much money into the state's economy
as the Gold Coast Indy.

"The bulls symbolise the city," Mayor McRae said.

A council spokesman said engineers had tried for years to stop the bulls' machinery being
souvenired from the concrete and fibreglass statues of breeds including Brahman and Zebu.

"They tried casting the goolies around chain and iron rods but they still kept
disappearing," he said.

Fred Williams, the man organising the auction to benefit the Rockhampton North Special
School, said: "It got so bad the council now only hangs the testicles on the bulls for special
occasions. They rest of the time they go nutless."

He said donated testicles would be taken to the auction room under strict security for next
month's sale to be conducted by a professional auctioneer.

"We hope to get several hundred dollars a set," he said.

Mayor McRae said the auction "is a great chance for people to legally get their hands on a
set of bull's balls and help a worthy cause at the same time".

AAP geb/sd/ah

KEYWORD: TESTICLES

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