Shell out $ 2 for marvellous molluscs

VISITORS from all over Australia and New Zealand will descend on Townsville this weekend for the 46th annual Townsville Shell Club show.

With a huge number of displays and competitions, club member Jack Worsfold said visitors will be “shellshocked and amazed by the wonderful collection of molluscan life on display”.

Mr Worsfold, who has eight species of molluscs named after him, said his interest in shells has taken him all over the world.

He has passed on his hobby to granddaughter Milly Worsfold, 11, and hopes she can experience the same opportunities his passion has brought him.

“Some people see shells as works of art, pinnacles of evolution and a sign of God’s creativity,” Mr Worsfold said.

“Our club has a whole mixture of people, from fairly serious scientific collectors to amateurs and people who just like the look of shells.”

Shell lovers from throughout Australia and NZ have already begun arriving for the show, which will be held at the Orchid Society Hall in Charles St, Kirwan from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and 10am to 2pm on Sunday.

Entry for adults is $ 2; children get in free and will receive a bag of shells to start their own

collection.