ICONIC GAMES WHALE BACK IN THE LIMELIGHT
THE giant inflatable white whale that starred in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games opening ceremony has been saved from a storage shed and is back on public display.
But the battle to rescue mothballed Games mascot Borobi is continuing, with Coast Mayor Tom Tate calling on the Palaszczuk Government to set him free.
A blimp-like tribute to famous albino whale Migaloo was the surprise star of the Games opening ceremony, only to end up gathering dust in a Gold Coast industrial shed.
However, the 30m long, 8m high humpback was salvaged by the State Government and secured for the Gold Coast Home of the Arts (HOTA) gallery, where it was back in the spotlight last night as part of the annual Glow festival.
After the Gold Coast Bulletin revealed yesterday that the Borobi costume had been archived at the Queensland Museum, Cr Tate vowed to get the iconic blue koala back to the Coast and on permanent display.
Yesterday, he wrote to former Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones asking the state to release the Borobi costume to the council.
Cr Tate wants to be able to display Borobi and parade him at community events, but the costume character’s trademark is owned by the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Corporation.
“I can’t allow Borobi to end up in the box at the Queensland Museum,” the Mayor said.
“We don’t want to utilise Borobi commercially but we want him out there, for years to come, so the next generation of Gold Coasters can love and hug their iconic koala the same way millions of Games visitors did in April.”
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Borobi was being “carefully cared for” at the Queensland Museum but she was happy to talk to Mayor Tate.
“If he’s got somewhere that we can display Borobi, I’m all for that,” she said.