Green Head businesses say space debris washed up on WA Mid West beach should become town’s tourism attraction

Green Head residents hope to see the space junk that washed up on a Mid West beach, making international headlines, displayed in the town as a tourism attraction. The cylindrical metal item, most likely from a foreign rocket, washed up on a beach at Green Head on Saturday, July 15, with the Australian Space Agency and WA Police confirming the object was space debris. The ASA said it was “most likely a solid rocket motor casing”. The object was removed and stored by the Shire of Coorow the following Tuesday and is being stored at “an inner locked facility at Green Head”, according to Shire president Moira Girando. Cr Girando said dependent on how the object weathered and with the appropriate safeguards, it would be best suited to display the object at a local park with an appropriate plaque to encourage travellers to stop in Green Head. “Anything that comes from space is fascinating to many people. Certainly, people are going to come and have a look at it and if it helps the tourism of our town I think that’s a wonderful move,” she said. Last week, Premier Roger Cook suggested the object could be placed at the WA Museum along with the wreckage of Skylab, which fell to earth in 1979 in Balladonia, but Ms Girando said she opposed the idea. “To put it in a museum in the metro area really takes it out of context. The context is that it was found at Green Head and that’s where I feel it should be displayed,” she said. Green Head General Store owner Tammy Papos said there had been extra traffic through the store from people wanting to know more about the space junk and wished it stayed on the beach longer. “We had half a dozen people come through on the weekend. They didn’t actually spend anything in the shop they just came in and asked where it is because they wanted to have a look at it and it wasn’t there any more,” she said. “It was definitely an attraction for the town and a lot of people do want to have a look at it but it was removed.” Ms Papos said she would like to see the space object displayed somewhere in the town and would be happy to display it at the store. “If it was to go on display in the town or at the store it would certainly boost tourism in the town,” she said. “We’d make room for it at the front of here for sure.” Likewise, Green Head Caravan Park manager Peter Zirnif said there’d been “quite a few” people asking about the object but it had already been removed. He said the object would suit being displayed at one of Green Head’s beach destinations, including Dynamite Bay or South Bay, or at Cliff Park. “Bring it back and put it somewhere where people can see it, it’s quite interesting,” he said. “Most little towns have got something like the big crayfish or big apple or something like that. Something for Green Head would be nice.”

Green Head businesses say space debris washed up on WA Mid West beach should become town’s tourism attraction

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