ANIMAL ROOF TOTEMS...

Oops! Another month passed without me updating the blog.  Good intentions, road to hell etc, will try to do better.

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I've noticed during my meanderings around Maleny that many (but not all) the stores/buildings in town have little wooden sculptures of wildlife on their roofs. I've been googling to try to find out why and whether they have a name. I've chosen to use totem but that hasn't helped in the search. The Chinese refer to similar (but mythical) animal decorations on their buildings as roof charms. The mythical beasts are set to pounce upon man and devour him should he stray from performing his duties with faithfulness and rectitude. The unicorn showing top right above was the only mythical beast I saw in Maleny but I daresay elephants and beavers aren't local to the area. 

I've yet to find a platypus sculpture on a store roof even though it's a local animal which is revered here. I had to make do with this stone sculpture, one of many works by local artists, which line a local walk.

EDIT 11.12.21 - Found! one platypus sculpture hiding in plain sight at an Auto Electrical premises.

The store owners I've asked so far have no info for me either. Will keep asking though because I'm fascinated by them. The one on the local Co-Op store looks like driftwood but might just be meant as a crocodile.

 I know it's a practice that's not only done here as I noticed a few on country Victorian shops last time I was there.

These cockatoos were on opposite sides of the same roof.

This ?wombat? sculpture looks old and definitely a popular spider haunt. 

Thanks to my eagle eyed sister, Pam, I can say this is not a wombat. Got a better view and I'd agree it's probably a possum judging by the baby on the back. Wombats carry their young in pouches don't they?

Originally, I only saw one or two sculptures while wandering around, but once you really look they come out of hiding, so to speak.  I'll have to keep an eye out in other nearby towns.  Let me know if you have any info on them....

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UPDATE!  Found a couple more (how do I miss seeing them time and time again??) and the cat owner knew about them (they used to have a snake which was chasing the cat but it kept getting blown off).  They are purely decorative. Apparently, a former resident of the town who was a timber cutter used to carve them out of left over timber and sold them to whomever was interested. He now lives in the Noosa area so no doubt they'll be up there too.

This one isn't timber but thought I'd include it in my collection of... roof decorations. Can't  help feeling a little let down that there's no mystical reason for them. 

[FURTHER UPDATE! 14/8/18 - This happy horse caught my eye today right next door to where I live (perhaps my eyesight is failing, can't believe I'd never noticed it before today) while walking with my neighbour.  She didn't know about them either but has since found more info on them in a few minutes than I had.  They are part of Matt's Maleny Animal Trail and you can read more about them here in a local paper from 5 years ago.  There's a list of the animals and where they are and it seems some are missing or I can't see for looking. I would point out that the "cat" is actually a possum.  Hmmmm. I guess it's a little hard to be exact with a chainsaw. 

[EVEN FURTHER UPDATE!! After 18 months I noticed this while walking down the street. 'Look up' they often say and I guess this is why. You'll see all sorts of things you'd otherwise miss. Glad it's a wooden python though.]