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Dear Sir,
This is a copy of a letter, which I sent to "letters to the Editor" of the Geelong Advertiser, which is called "Your Say" and was printed on the 4^th December 1998. This is your copy of that letter. Please use it in whatever manner you like. Australians, especially our children need such educational programs to help us survive in our natural environment, as it is ignorance that causes panic, and in panic we make mistakes, and those mistakes are too often fatal.

Yours sincerely,
Andrew S. MacGregor.

Summertime, snake time

It’s now summertime, and the school holidays will soon be upon us. It is also the time that snakes seem to be more active, which causes concerns for parents when their children head for the bush to play rather than being at school. This brings to mind the most informative and interesting lecture I have ever had the pleasure to attend, and it was at the Geelong Show earlier this year on the Saturday, at about noon. It was the snake show with Fred Rossignoli.

Banjo Paterson’s poem, Johnson’s Antidote had nothing compared with Fred as he carefully stepped around literally heaps of various snakes in his shoeless feet. He informed those of us listening to him how to easily identify various types of snakes that can be found in this locality. He had all the school children identifying various snakes within minutes.

Fred informed us of the safety areas in relation to snakes, being how far a snake can see, and how fast a snake can travel. He informed us how to see a snake off without risking our own safety. He demystified the character of snakes, and gave us knowledge about a subject, I know I was completely ignorant of. The children were as enthralled as I was with this subject. I know that if any of the children who also enjoyed this lecture do come upon a snake during their school holidays, they will be far better equipped to judge the situation and leave without suffering from a snakebite.

I must congratulate the Geelong Show for presenting this informative and safety conscious lecture, and I hope that it will be presented again next year so that I will have the opportunity to bring my children who reside with their mother at Werribee, so that they may be properly informed about snakes, and how to deal with such situations.

Andrew S. M^acGregor,
7 Mars Court,
Newcomb 3219,
Tel: 5248 6630.