Council NPQ debate turns nasty

Fremantle Herald reporter Jenny D’Anger reports in the Herald of 27 June 2009 that:
“FREMANTLE councillors traded insults this week as they debated whether to formally oppose the North Port Quay plan off Rous Head.”

Deputy Mayor, who was chairing the meeting in Mayor Tagliaferri’s absense, Cr Dowson proposed a motion, stating NPQ was a “concept that a five-year-old can see is not going to work on” environmental grounds”.
That didn’t wash with Cr Strachan who, like Cr Dowson and Cr Lauder, was a key backer of anti-NPQ Greens MP Adele Carles’ by-election campaign.
“You haven’t convinced me, I’m moving to defer,” he said. The council should base any opposition on firm evidence and having a report would help its case in the event an application for NPQ was ever lodged, Cr Strachan said, flagging his own opposition to the concept. This stand on NPQ by Cr Strachan implies that although he supported Adele Carles in the Fremantle By Election he secrestly harboured concernes that her anti-NPQ stance was not based on firm evidence.

The debate turned rowdier as the council’s two real estate agent councilors (Alberti who was a key backer of Tagliaferri’s bid to be the Labor member for Fremantle in the recent by election, and Massie) argued vehemently in favor of NPQ.

Cr Alberti said “only a minority” didn’t want NPQ. “You remind me of a grumpy old man,” he told Cr Lauder angrily, adding the four-island plan would add considerably to the port city’s rate base.

Cr Lauder responding by reminding Councillors that  two premiers – both Labor and Liberal – had rejected NPQ: “Let’s make no bones about this, it’s a speculative way to make money dressed up as sustainability.”

In the end they voted to defer formal opposition to give staff an opportunity to prepare a detailed report into the project’s pros and cons.

Fremantle’s recycling problems

John Dowson and Shirley MacKay are suggesting getting out of the Canning Vale recycling plant, (see Fremantle Herald June 20, 2009, Page 1) which judging by newspaper reports is a FINANCIAL and ENVIRONMENTAL disaster!

General Discussion

Is is a place for readers to raise their own issues and suggest topics for discussion, share latest news etc.

Organic myths pose real risks to health

Organic myths pose real risks to health

16th April 2007, 15:00 WST

It was a natural food shop filled with displays of fruit and vegetables, baskets of wheat germ and other items pulsing with natural goodness. They sold only one brand of bubbly water, proudly labelled “organic mineral water”.

Organic water? What on earth does that mean?

Mineral water contains minerals which are inorganic compounds, not the compounds of carbon required for an “organic” product. Water can’t be organic.

It’s a nonsense designed to seduce consumers into believing they are buying something special. And the suckers line up for more.

The organic food industry is booming with ever more people deluded into thinking that paying two or three times more for organic food products will provide them with healthier, safer food.

Given the nonsensical claims being made about these food products, what is surprising is how few Australian scientists, nutritional experts, or simply people with common sense speak out about this subject in Australia.

Overseas it is a different story with prominent people quite happy to point out that the emperor has no clothes.

British lord Dick Taverne characterises the trends towards consumers buying overpriced organic food as a “monument to irrationality,” promoted by advocates whose “principles are founded on a scientific howler” — namely that “natural” chemicals are good and synthetic chemicals bad.

His book, The March of Unreason, points out that years of research failed to show major differences between organic and normal food in terms of food safety or nutritional value

Late last year, the US Institute of Food Technologies summed up all the latest research in a scientific status summary on organic foods, saying it was premature to conclude either food system was superior to the other with respect to safety or nutritional composition.

Yes, organic fruits and vegetables do have fewer pesticide residues and lower nitrate levels than the ordinary produce.

But research also shows the absence of pesticides can stimulate the production of naturally occurring toxins and organically produced farm animals can show higher rates of bacterial contamination.

What is most worrying about the whole organic product movement is the underlying notion that scientific progress is inevitably bad and we are all better off reverting to primitive, “natural” ways of doing things.

Where’s the logic in turning our back on the enormously beneficial scientific developments that have led to massive increases in healthy food production, including the chemical washes and pasteurisation which rid crops of dangerous bacteria?

It makes no sense to revert to practices used a couple of centuries ago like using animal manure as the major fertiliser for food crops and refusing to pasteurise milk and fruit juices.

In the US there have been recent outbreaks of a dangerous strain of E-coli (0157:H7) which can cause serious illness, including kidney disease.

In Colorado the disease left one girl dead and more than 70 ill as a result of drinking unpasteurised apple juice.

Fresh organic spinach containing deadly E-coli pathogen bacteria affected more than 200 people before it was recalled.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control, people who eat organic food are eight times more likely than the rest of the population to contract the dangerous E-coli strain.

It is not as if organic food even tastes consistently better. Consumers find difficulty picking organic food in blind taste tests — as shown by many studies, including one by Choice in Australia.

As Lord Taverne points out, if people were really worried about the effects of pesticides in farming on wildlife or human health, they should promote pest-resistant GM crops, which reduce pesticide use. That’s hardly likely.

The solid scientific support for the safety and efficiency of GM crops means nothing to blinkered souls who trust instincts over science.

The organic fad is an indulgence of the rich. Even if most claims for organic farming could be substantiated, its main disadvantage is its inefficiency. Organic food costs more because average yields are 20-50 per cent lower than those from conventional farms.

While the affluent trendies indulge their foolish food fad, we still need to treble food production in the next 50 years to feed 3 billion extra people.

According to Indian biologist C. J. Prakash, the only contribution organic farming will make to sustainable agriculture will be to “sustain poverty and malnutrition”.

BETTINA ARNDT

Phobias

A phobia is a persistent, irrational fear that causes a person to feel intense anxiety. People  develop phobias about many things like darkness, Agoraphobia, one of the most common phobias, involves the fear of open places. A person with agoraphobia feels anxious in places where it would be hard to escape, like being in a crowd, standing in line, being on a bridge or traveling in a car. In extreme cases, they are so immobilized by fear that they become prisoner in their own home. Phobias are the most common form of anxiety disorders, which affect people of all ages, at all income levels and in all geographic locations, according to a study by American the National Digest Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), between 5.1 and Enter email 21.5 percent of Americans suffer form Phobias:

Broken down by age and gender, the NIMH study found phobias were the most common psychiatric illness among women in all age groups and the second most common illness among men older than 25.

In some people, the response to a phobia can be fairly mild. For example, a person who has a phobia about flying might simply avoid airplanes. In other people, the phobia causes, or arises from, full-blown panic attacks with symptoms such as shortness of breath, sweating, irregular heartbeats and the shakes. Just why a person develops a particular phobia is not always clear. There appear to be both biological and psychological reasons.  Psychologists classify phobias with other anxiety-caused problems and theorize they are a response to separation or loss. Heredity appears to play a role, and so does brain chemistry.

A

ablutophobia: fear of washing or bathing

acarophobia: fear of itching

acerophobia: fear of sourness

achluophobia: fear of darkness

acousticophobia: fear of noise

acrophobia: fear of heights

aeroacrophobia: fear of open high places

aeronausiphobia: fear of vomiting secondary to airsickness

aerophobia: fear of drafts

aeruophobia: fear of flying

agliophobia: fear of pain

agoraphobia: fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places

agraphobia: fear of sexual abuse

agrizoophobia: fear of wild animals

agyrophobia: fear of streets or crossing the street

aichmophobia: fear of needles or pointed objects

ailurophobia: fear of cats

albuminurophobia: fear of kidney disease

alektorophobia: fear of chickens

algophobia: fear of pain

alliumphobia: fear of garlic

allodoxaphobia: fear of opinions

altophobia: fear of heights

amathophobia: fear of dust

amaxophobia: fear of riding in a car

amaxophobia: fear of vehicals

ambulophobia: fear of walking

amnesiphobia: fear of amnesia

amychophobia: fear of scratches or being scratched

anablephobia: fear of looking up

ancraophobia: fear of wind

androphobia: fear of men

anemophobia: fear of air drafts or wind

anginophobia: fear of angina, choking or narrowness

anglophobia: fear of England, English culture, etc

angrophobia: fear of becoming angry

ankylophobia: fear of immobility of a joint

anthophobia: fear of flowers

anthrophobia: fear of people

anthropophobia: fear of people or society

antlophobia: fear of floods

anuptaphobia: fear of staying single

apeirophobia: fear of infinity

aphenphosmphobia: fear of being touched

apiphobia: fear of bees

apotemnophobia: fear of persons with amputations

arachibutyrophobia: fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth

arachnophobia: fear of spiders

arithmophobia: fear of numbers

arrhenphobia: fear of men

arsonphobia: fear of fire

asthenophobia: fear of fainting or weakness

astraphobia: fear of thunder and lightning

astrophobia: fear of stars and celestial space

asymmetriphobia: fear of asymmetrical things

ataxiophobia: fear of ataxia (muscular incoordination)

ataxophobia: fear of disorder or untidiness

atelophobia: fear of imperfection

atephobia: fear of ruin or ruins

athazagoraphobia: fear of being forgotten

atomosophobia: fear of atomic explosions

atychiphobia: fear of failure

aulophobia: fear of flutes

aurophobia: fear of gold

auroraphobia: fear of northern lights

autodysomophobia: fear of one that has a vile odor

automatonophobia: fear of animatronic creatures

autonysophobia: fear of being dirty

autophobia: fear of being alone or of oneself

aviophobia: fear of flying

B

bacillophobia: fear of microbes

bacteriophobia: fear of bacteria

bactrachophobia: fear of reptiles

ballistophobia: fear of missles or bullets

barophobia: fear of gravity

bathophobia: fear of depth

batonophobia: fear of plants

batophobia: fear of heights

batrachophobia: fear of amphibians

belonephobia: fear of pins and needles

bibiophobia: fear of books

blennophobia: fear of slime

bogyphobia: fear of the bogeyman

bolshephobia: fear of bolsheviks

botanophobia: fear of plants

bromidrosiphobia: fear of body smells

brontophobia: fear of thunder and lightning

bufonophobia: fear of toads

C

cacophobia: fear of ugliness

cainophobia: fear of newness, novelty

caligynephobia: fear of beautiful women

carcinophobia: fear of cancer

cardiophobia: fear of the heart

carnophobia: fear of meat

catagelophobia: fear of being ridiculed

catapedaphobia: fear of jumping from high and low places

cathisophobia: fear of sitting

catoptrophobia: fear of mirrors

cenophobia: fear of new things or ideas

ceraunophobia: fear of thunder

chaetophobia: fear of hair

cheimaphobia or cheimatophobia: fear of cold

chemophobia: fear of chemicals

cherophobia: fear of gaiety

chionophobia: fear of snow

chiraptophobia: fear of being touched

cholerophobia: fear of anger

chorophobia: fear of dancing

chrometophobia: fear of money

chromophobia: fear of colors

chronomentrophobia: fear of clocks

chronophobia: fear of time

cibophobia: fear of food

claustrophobia: fear of enclosed spaces

cleithrophobia: fear of being locked in an enclosed place

cleptophobia: fear of stealing

climacophobia: fear of stairs

clinophobia: fear of going to bed

clithrophobia: fear of being enclosed

cnidophobia: fear of stings

coimetrophobia: fear of cemeteries

cometophobia: fear of comets

contreltophobia: fear of sexual abuse

coprastasophobia: fear of constipation

coulrophobia: fear of clowns

cremnophobia: fear of precipices

cryophobia: fear of extreme cold, ice or frost

crystallophobia: fear of crystals or glass

cyberphobia: fear of computers or working on a computer

cyclophobia: fear of bicycles

cymophobia: fear of waves or wave like motions

cynophobia: fear of dogs

D

decidophobia: fear of making decisions

deipnophobia: fear of dining and dinner conversations

dementophobia: fear of insanity

demonophobia: fear of demons

demophobia: fear of crowds (Agoraphobia)

dendrophobia: fear of trees

dentophobia: fear of dentists

dermatophobia: fear of skin lesions

dermatosiophobia: fear of skin disease

dextrophobia: fear of objects at the right side of the body

diabetophobia: fear of diabetes

didaskaleinophobia: fear of going to school

dikephobia: fear of justice

dinophobia: fear of dizziness

diplophobia: fear of double vision

dipsophobia: fear of drinking

dishabiliophobia: fear of undressing in front of someone

domatophobia: fear of houses or being in a house

doraphobia: fear of fur or skins of animals

dromophobia: fear of crossing streets

dutchphobia: fear of the dutch

dysmorphophobia: fear of deformity

dystychiphobia: fear of accidents

E

ecclesiaphobia: fear of churches

ecclesiophobia: fear of church

eicophobia: fear of home surroundings

eistrophobia: fear of mirrors

electrophobia: fear of electricity

eleutherophobia: fear of freedom

elurophobia: fear of cats (Ailurophobia)

emetophobia: fear of vomiting

enetophobia: fear of pins

enochlophobia: fear of crowds

enosiophobia: fear of criticism

entomophobia: fear of insects

eosophobia: fear of dawn or daylight

epistaxiophobia: fear of nosebleeds

epistemophobia: fear of knowledge

equinophobia: fear of horses

eremophobia: fear of being oneself

eremophobia: fear of being alone

ereuthrophobia: fear of blushing

ergasiophobia: fear of surgical instruments

ergophobia: fear of work

erythrophobia: fear of the color red

euphobia: fear of hearing good news

F

febriphobia: fear of fever

felinophobia: fear of cats

francophobia: fear of france, french culture

frigophobia: fear of cold

G

galeophobia: fear of cats

gallophobia or galiophobia: fear France, French culture

gamophobia: fear of marriage

gatophobia: fear of cats

geliophobia: fear of laughter

geniophobia: fear of chins

genophobia: fear of sex

genuphobia: fear of knees

gephyrophobia: fear of crossing bridges

gerascophobia: fear of growing old

germanophobia: fear of Germany, German culture

gerontophobia: fear of old people or of growing old

geumaphobia: fear of taste

glossophobia: fear of speaking in public

gnosiophobia: fear of knowledge

graphophobia: fear of writing

gymnophobia: fear of nudity

gynophobia: fear of women

H

hadephobia: fear of hell

hagiophobia: fear of saints or holy things

hamartophobia: fear of sinning

haphephobia: fear of being touched

harpaxophobia: fear of being robbed

hedonophobia: fear of feeling pleasure

heliophobia: fear of the sun

hellenologophobia: fear of Greek terms

helminthophobia: fear of worms

hemophobia: fear of blood

herpetophobia: fear of reptiles

heterophobia: fear of the opposite sex (sexophobia)

hierophobia: fear of priests

hippophobia: fear of horses

hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: fear of long words

hobophobia: fear of bums or beggars

hodophobia: fear of road travel

homichlophobia: fear of fog

homilophobia: fear of sermons

hominophobia: fear of men

homophobia: fear of sameness

hoplophobia: fear of firearms

hormephobia: fear of shock

hydrargyophobia: fear of mercurial medicines

hydrophobia: fear of water

hydrophobophobia: fear of rabies

hyelophobia or hyalophobia: fear of glass

hygrophobia: fear of liquids, dampness, or moisture

hylephobia: fear of materialism

hylophobia: fear of forests

hypengyophobia: fear of responsibility

hypnophobia: fear of sleep

hypsiphobia: fear of height

I

iatrophobia: fear of going to the doctor

ichthyophobia: fear of fish

ideophobia: fear of ideas

illyngophobia: fear of veritgo

insectophobia: fear of insects

iophobia: fear of poison

isolophobia: fear of solitude, being alone

isopterophobia: fear of termites

J

japanophobia: fear of Japanese

judeophobia: fear of Jews

K

kainolophobia: fear of novelty

kakorraphiaphobia: fear of failure

katagelophobia: fear of ridicule

kathisophobia: fear of sitting down

kenophobia: fear of voids

keraunophobia: fear of thunder

kinetophobia: fear of movement or motion

kleptophobia: fear of stealing

koinoniphobia: fear of rooms

koniophobia: fear of dust (Amathophobia)

kopophobia: fear of fatigue

kosmikophobia: fear of cosmic phenomenon

kymophobia: fear of waves

kynophobia: fear of rabies

kyphophobia: fear of stooping

L

lachanophobia: fear of vegetables

laliophobia: fear of speaking

leprophobia: fear of leprosy

leukophobia: fear of the color white

levophobia: fear of things to the left side of the body

ligyrophobia: fear of loud noises

lilapsophobia: fear of tornadoes and hurricanes

limnophobia: fear of lakes

linonophobia: fear of string

liticaphobia: fear of lawsuits

lockiophobia: fear of childbirth

logizomechanophobia: fear of computers

logophobia: fear of words

luiphobia: fear of lues, syphillis

lutraphobia: fear of otters

lygophobia: fear of darkness

lyssophobia: fear of rabies or of becoming mad

M

macrophobia: fear of long waits

mageirocophobia: fear of cooking

maieusiophobia: fear of childbirth

maniaphobia: fear of insanity

mastigophobia: fear of punishment

mechanophobia: fear of machines

megalophobia: fear of large things

melanophobia: fear of the color black

melissophobia: fear of bees

melophobia: fear or hatred of music

meningitophobia: fear of brain disease

menophobia: fear of menstruation

merinthophobia: fear of being bound or tied up

metallophobia: fear of metal

metathesiophobia: fear of changes

meteorophobia: fear of meteors

methyphobia: fear of alcohol

metrophobia: fear or hatred of poetry

microbiophobia: fear of microbes (bacillophobia)

microphobia: fear of small things

misophobia: fear of being contaminated with dirt of germs

mnemophobia: fear of memories

molysmophobia: fear of dirt or contamination

monopathophobia: fear of definite disease

monophobia: fear of solitude or being alone

monophobia: fear of one thing

motorphobia: fear of automobiles

mottephobia: fear of moths

musophobia: fear of mice

mycophobia: fear or aversion to mushrooms

mycrophobia: fear of small things

myctophobia: fear of darkness

myrmecophobia: fear of ants

mysophobia: fear of germs or contamination or dirt mythophobia: fear of myths or stories or false statements

myxophobia: fear of slime (blennophobia)

N

nebulaphobia: fear of fog (homichlophobia)

necrophobia: fear of death

nelophobia: fear of glass

neopharmaphobia: fear of new drugs

neophobia: fear of anything new

nephophobia: fear of clouds

noctiphobia: fear of the night

nomatophobia: fear of names

nosemaphobia: fear of illness

nosocomephobia: fear of hospitals

nosophobia: fear of disease

nostophobia: fear of returning home

novercaphobia: fear of your step-mother

nucleomituphobia: fear of nuclear weapons

nudophobia: fear of nudity

numerophobia: fear of numbers

nyctophobia: fear of the dark or of night

O

obesophobia: fear of gaining weight

ochlophobia: fear of crowds or mobs

ochophobia: fear of vehicles

octophobia: fear of the figure 8

odontophobia: fear of teeth or dental surgery

odynephobia: fear of pain

oenophobia: fear of wines

oikophobia: fear of home surroundings, house

olfactophobia: fear of smells

ombrophobia: fear of rain

ommetaphobia: fear of eyes

oneirogmophobia: fear of wet dreams

oneirophobia: fear of dreams

onomatophobia: fear of hearing a certain word

ophidiophobia: fear of snakes

ophthalmophobia: fear of being stared at

optophobia: fear of opening one’s eyes

ornithophobia: fear of birds

orthophobia: fear of property

osmophobia: fear of smells or odors

ostraconophobia: fear of shellfish

ouranophobia: fear of heaven

P

pagophobia: fear of ice or frost

panophobia: fear of everything

panthophobia: fear of suffering and disease

pantophobia: fear of fears

papaphobia: fear of the pope

papyrophobia: fear of paper

paralipophobia: fear of neglecting duty

paraphobia: fear of sexual perversion

parasitophobia: fear of parasites

paraskavedekatriaphobia: fear of Friday the 13^th

parthenophobia: fear of virgins or young girls

parturiphobia: fear of childbirth

pathophobia: fear of disease

patroiophobia: fear of heredity

peccatophobia: fear of sinning (imaginary crime)

pediculophobia: fear of lice

pediophobia: fear of dolls

pedophobia: fear of children

peladophobia: fear of bald people

pellagrophobia: fear of pellagra

peniaphobia: fear of poverty

pentheraphobia: fear of mother-in-law

phagophobia: fear of swallowing

phalacrophobia: fear of becoming bald

phallophobia: fear of a penis, esp erect

pharmacophobia: fear of taking medicine

pharmacophobia: fear of drugs

phasmophobia: fear of ghosts

phengophobia: fear of daylight or sunshine

philemaphobia: fear of kissing

philophobia: fear of falling in love

philosophobia: fear of philosophy

phobophobia: fear of one’s own fears

phonophobia: fear of noises or voices

photoaugliaphobia: fear of glaring lights

photophobia: fear of light

phronemophobia: fear of thinking

phthiriophobia: fear of lice (pediculophobia)

phthisiophobia: fear of tuberculosis

pinigerophobia: fear of smothering

placophobia: fear of tombstones

plutophobia: fear of wealth

pluviophobia: fear of rain or of being rained on

pneumatiphobia: fear of spirits pnigophobia: fear of choking or being smothered pocrescophobia: fear of gaining weight (obesophobia)

pogonophobia: fear of beards

poinephobia: fear of punishment

poliosophobia: fear of contracting poliomyelitis

politicophobia: fear of politicians

polyphobia: fear of many things

ponophobia: fear of overworking or of pain

porphyrophobia: fear of the color purple

potamophobia: fear of rivers or running water

potophobia: fear of alcohol

proctophobia: fear of rectum

prosophobia: fear of progress

psellismophobia: fear of stuttering

psychophobia: fear of mind

psychrophobia: fear of cold

pteromerhanophobia: fear of flying

pteronophobia: fear of being tickled by feathers

pupaphobia: fear of puppets

pyrexiophobia pyrophobia: fear of fire

Q

R

radiophobia: fear of radiation, x-rays

ranidaphobia: fear of frogs

rhabdophobia: fear of being severely punished or beaten by a rod

rhypophobia: fear of dirt

rhytiphobia: fear of getting wrinkles

S

russophobia: fear of Russians

samhainophobia: fear of Halloween

satanophobia: fear of satan

scelerophibia: fear of bad men, burglars

schlionophobia: fear of school

sciophobia: fear of shadows

scoleciphobia: fear of worms

scolionophobia: fear of school

scopophobia: fear of being stared at

scotomaphobia: fear of blindness in visual field

scotophobia: fear of darkness

scriptophobia: fear of writing in public

selaphobia: fear of light flashes

selenophobia: fear of the moon

seplophobia: fear of decaying matter

sesquipedalophobia: fear of long words

sexophobia: fear of the opposite sex

siderodromophobia: fear of trains

siderophobia: fear of stars

sinistrophobia: fear of things to the left, left-handed

sinophobia: fear of chinese, chinese culture

sitophobia: fear of food or eating

snakephobia: fear of snakes (ophidiophobia)

soceraphobia: fear of parents-in-law

social phobia: fear of being evaluated negatively

sociophobia: fear of society

somniphobia: fear of sleep

sophophobia: fear of learning

soteriophobia: fear of dependence on others

spacephobia: fear of outer space

spectrophobia: fear of specters or ghosts

spermophobia: fear of germs

spheksophobia: fear of wasps

stasibasiphobia: fear of standing or walking

staurophobia: fear of crosses or the crucifix

stenophobia: fear of narrow things or places

stygiophobia: fear of hell

suriphobia: fear of mice

symbolophobia: fear of symbolism

symmetrophobia: fear of symmetry

syngenesophobia: fear of relatives

syphilophobia: fear of syphilis

T

tachophobia: fear of speed

taeniophobia or teniophobia: fear of tapeworms

taphephobia: fear of being buried alive

tapinophobia: fear of being contagious

taurophobia: fear of bulls

technophobia: fear of technology

teleophobia: fear of definate plans

telephonophobia: fear of telephones

teratophobia: fear of bearing a deformed child

testophobia: fear of taking tests

tetanophobia: fear of lockjaw, tetanus

teutophobia: fear of German or German things

textophobia: fear of certain fabrics

thaasophobia: fear of sitting

thalassophobia: fear of the sea

thalassophobia: fear of the ocean

thanatophobia: fear of death or dying

theatrophobia: fear of theatres

theologicophobia: fear of theology

theophobia: fear of god(s) or religion

thermophobia: fear of heat

tocophobia: fear of pregnancy or childbirth

tomophobia: fear of surgical operations

tonitrophobia: fear of thunder

topophobia: fear of performing (stage fright)

toxiphobia: fear of poison

traumatophobia: fear of injury

tremophobia: fear of trembling

trichinophobia: fear of trichinosis

trichopathophobia: fear of hair

triskaidekaphobia: fear of the number 13

tropophobia: fear of moving or making changes

trumatophobia: fear of injury

trypannophobia: fear of inoculation, injections

trypanophobia: fear of injections

tuberculophobia: fear of tuberculosis

tyrannophobia: fear of tyrants

U

uranophobia: fear of heaven

urophobia: fear of urine or urinating

V

vaccinophobia: fear of vaccination

venustraphobia: fear of beautiful women

verbophobia: fear of words

verminophobia: fear of germs

vestiophobia: fear of clothing

virginitiphobia: fear of rape

vitricophobia: fear of step-father

W

walloonphobia: fear of the walloons

wiccaphobia: fear of witches and witchcraft

X

xanthophobia: fear of the color yellow

xenophobia: fear of strangers

xerophobia: fear of dryness

xylophobia: fear of wooden objects

Y

Z

zelophobia: fear of jealousy

zemmiphobia: fear of the great mole rat

zeusophobia: fear of god or gods

zoophobia: fear of animals

A phobia is a persistent, irrational fear that causes a person to feel intense anxiety. People  develop phobias about many things like darkness, Agoraphobia, one of the most common phobias, involves the fear of open places. A person with agoraphobia feels anxious in places where it would be hard to escape, like being in a crowd, standing in line, being on a bridge or traveling in a car. In extreme cases, they are so immobilized by fear that they become prisoner in their own home. Phobias are the most common form of anxiety disorders, which affect people of all ages, at all income levels and in all geographic locations, according to a study by American the National Digest Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), between 5.1 and Enter email 21.5 percent of Americans suffer form Phobias:

Broken down by age and gender, the NIMH study found phobias were the most common psychiatric illness among women in all age groups and the second most common illness among men older than 25.

In some people, the response to a phobia can be fairly mild. For example, a person who has a phobia about flying might simply avoid airplanes. In other people, the phobia causes, or arises from, full-blown panic attacks with symptoms such as shortness of breath, sweating, irregular heartbeats and the shakes. Just why a person develops a particular phobia is not always clear. There appear to be both biological and psychological reasons.  Psychologists classify phobias with other anxiety-caused problems and theorize they are a response to separation or loss. Heredity appears to play a role, and so does brain chemistry.

A

ablutophobia: fear of washing or bathing

acarophobia: fear of itching

acerophobia: fear of sourness

achluophobia: fear of darkness

acousticophobia: fear of noise

acrophobia: fear of heights

aeroacrophobia: fear of open high places

aeronausiphobia: fear of vomiting secondary to airsickness

aerophobia: fear of drafts

aeruophobia: fear of flying

agliophobia: fear of pain

agoraphobia: fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places

agraphobia: fear of sexual abuse

agrizoophobia: fear of wild animals

agyrophobia: fear of streets or crossing the street

aichmophobia: fear of needles or pointed objects

ailurophobia: fear of cats

albuminurophobia: fear of kidney disease

alektorophobia: fear of chickens

algophobia: fear of pain

alliumphobia: fear of garlic

allodoxaphobia: fear of opinions

altophobia: fear of heights

amathophobia: fear of dust

amaxophobia: fear of riding in a car

amaxophobia: fear of vehicals

ambulophobia: fear of walking

amnesiphobia: fear of amnesia

amychophobia: fear of scratches or being scratched

anablephobia: fear of looking up

ancraophobia: fear of wind

androphobia: fear of men

anemophobia: fear of air drafts or wind

anginophobia: fear of angina, choking or narrowness

anglophobia: fear of England, English culture, etc

angrophobia: fear of becoming angry

ankylophobia: fear of immobility of a joint

anthophobia: fear of flowers

anthrophobia: fear of people

anthropophobia: fear of people or society

antlophobia: fear of floods

anuptaphobia: fear of staying single

apeirophobia: fear of infinity

aphenphosmphobia: fear of being touched

apiphobia: fear of bees

apotemnophobia: fear of persons with amputations

arachibutyrophobia: fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth

arachnophobia: fear of spiders

arithmophobia: fear of numbers

arrhenphobia: fear of men

arsonphobia: fear of fire

asthenophobia: fear of fainting or weakness

astraphobia: fear of thunder and lightning

astrophobia: fear of stars and celestial space

asymmetriphobia: fear of asymmetrical things

ataxiophobia: fear of ataxia (muscular incoordination)

ataxophobia: fear of disorder or untidiness

atelophobia: fear of imperfection

atephobia: fear of ruin or ruins

athazagoraphobia: fear of being forgotten

atomosophobia: fear of atomic explosions

atychiphobia: fear of failure

aulophobia: fear of flutes

aurophobia: fear of gold

auroraphobia: fear of northern lights

autodysomophobia: fear of one that has a vile odor

automatonophobia: fear of animatronic creatures

autonysophobia: fear of being dirty

autophobia: fear of being alone or of oneself

aviophobia: fear of flying

B

bacillophobia: fear of microbes

bacteriophobia: fear of bacteria

bactrachophobia: fear of reptiles

ballistophobia: fear of missles or bullets

barophobia: fear of gravity

bathophobia: fear of depth

batonophobia: fear of plants

batophobia: fear of heights

batrachophobia: fear of amphibians

belonephobia: fear of pins and needles

bibiophobia: fear of books

blennophobia: fear of slime

bogyphobia: fear of the bogeyman

bolshephobia: fear of bolsheviks

botanophobia: fear of plants

bromidrosiphobia: fear of body smells

brontophobia: fear of thunder and lightning

bufonophobia: fear of toads

C

cacophobia: fear of ugliness

cainophobia: fear of newness, novelty

caligynephobia: fear of beautiful women

carcinophobia: fear of cancer

cardiophobia: fear of the heart

carnophobia: fear of meat

catagelophobia: fear of being ridiculed

catapedaphobia: fear of jumping from high and low places

cathisophobia: fear of sitting

catoptrophobia: fear of mirrors

cenophobia: fear of new things or ideas

ceraunophobia: fear of thunder

chaetophobia: fear of hair

cheimaphobia or cheimatophobia: fear of cold

chemophobia: fear of chemicals

cherophobia: fear of gaiety

chionophobia: fear of snow

chiraptophobia: fear of being touched

cholerophobia: fear of anger

chorophobia: fear of dancing

chrometophobia: fear of money

chromophobia: fear of colors

chronomentrophobia: fear of clocks

chronophobia: fear of time

cibophobia: fear of food

claustrophobia: fear of enclosed spaces

cleithrophobia: fear of being locked in an enclosed place

cleptophobia: fear of stealing

climacophobia: fear of stairs

clinophobia: fear of going to bed

clithrophobia: fear of being enclosed

cnidophobia: fear of stings

coimetrophobia: fear of cemeteries

cometophobia: fear of comets

contreltophobia: fear of sexual abuse

coprastasophobia: fear of constipation

coulrophobia: fear of clowns

cremnophobia: fear of precipices

cryophobia: fear of extreme cold, ice or frost

crystallophobia: fear of crystals or glass

cyberphobia: fear of computers or working on a computer

cyclophobia: fear of bicycles

cymophobia: fear of waves or wave like motions

cynophobia: fear of dogs

D

decidophobia: fear of making decisions

deipnophobia: fear of dining and dinner conversations

dementophobia: fear of insanity

demonophobia: fear of demons

demophobia: fear of crowds (Agoraphobia)

dendrophobia: fear of trees

dentophobia: fear of dentists

dermatophobia: fear of skin lesions

dermatosiophobia: fear of skin disease

dextrophobia: fear of objects at the right side of the body

diabetophobia: fear of diabetes

didaskaleinophobia: fear of going to school

dikephobia: fear of justice

dinophobia: fear of dizziness

diplophobia: fear of double vision

dipsophobia: fear of drinking

dishabiliophobia: fear of undressing in front of someone

domatophobia: fear of houses or being in a house

doraphobia: fear of fur or skins of animals

dromophobia: fear of crossing streets

dutchphobia: fear of the dutch

dysmorphophobia: fear of deformity

dystychiphobia: fear of accidents

E

ecclesiaphobia: fear of churches

ecclesiophobia: fear of church

eicophobia: fear of home surroundings

eistrophobia: fear of mirrors

electrophobia: fear of electricity

eleutherophobia: fear of freedom

elurophobia: fear of cats (Ailurophobia)

emetophobia: fear of vomiting

enetophobia: fear of pins

enochlophobia: fear of crowds

enosiophobia: fear of criticism

entomophobia: fear of insects

eosophobia: fear of dawn or daylight

epistaxiophobia: fear of nosebleeds

epistemophobia: fear of knowledge

equinophobia: fear of horses

eremophobia: fear of being oneself

eremophobia: fear of being alone

ereuthrophobia: fear of blushing

ergasiophobia: fear of surgical instruments

ergophobia: fear of work

erythrophobia: fear of the color red

euphobia: fear of hearing good news

F

febriphobia: fear of fever

felinophobia: fear of cats

francophobia: fear of france, french culture

frigophobia: fear of cold

G

galeophobia: fear of cats

gallophobia or galiophobia: fear France, French culture

gamophobia: fear of marriage

gatophobia: fear of cats

geliophobia: fear of laughter

geniophobia: fear of chins

genophobia: fear of sex

genuphobia: fear of knees

gephyrophobia: fear of crossing bridges

gerascophobia: fear of growing old

germanophobia: fear of Germany, German culture

gerontophobia: fear of old people or of growing old

geumaphobia: fear of taste

glossophobia: fear of speaking in public

gnosiophobia: fear of knowledge

graphophobia: fear of writing

gymnophobia: fear of nudity

gynophobia: fear of women

H

hadephobia: fear of hell

hagiophobia: fear of saints or holy things

hamartophobia: fear of sinning

haphephobia: fear of being touched

harpaxophobia: fear of being robbed

hedonophobia: fear of feeling pleasure

heliophobia: fear of the sun

hellenologophobia: fear of Greek terms

helminthophobia: fear of worms

hemophobia: fear of blood

herpetophobia: fear of reptiles

heterophobia: fear of the opposite sex (sexophobia)

hierophobia: fear of priests

hippophobia: fear of horses

hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: fear of long words

hobophobia: fear of bums or beggars

hodophobia: fear of road travel

homichlophobia: fear of fog

homilophobia: fear of sermons

hominophobia: fear of men

homophobia: fear of sameness

hoplophobia: fear of firearms

hormephobia: fear of shock

hydrargyophobia: fear of mercurial medicines

hydrophobia: fear of water

hydrophobophobia: fear of rabies

hyelophobia or hyalophobia: fear of glass

hygrophobia: fear of liquids, dampness, or moisture

hylephobia: fear of materialism

hylophobia: fear of forests

hypengyophobia: fear of responsibility

hypnophobia: fear of sleep

hypsiphobia: fear of height

I

iatrophobia: fear of going to the doctor

ichthyophobia: fear of fish

ideophobia: fear of ideas

illyngophobia: fear of veritgo

insectophobia: fear of insects

iophobia: fear of poison

isolophobia: fear of solitude, being alone

isopterophobia: fear of termites

J

japanophobia: fear of Japanese

judeophobia: fear of Jews

K

kainolophobia: fear of novelty

kakorraphiaphobia: fear of failure

katagelophobia: fear of ridicule

kathisophobia: fear of sitting down

kenophobia: fear of voids

keraunophobia: fear of thunder

kinetophobia: fear of movement or motion

kleptophobia: fear of stealing

koinoniphobia: fear of rooms

koniophobia: fear of dust (Amathophobia)

kopophobia: fear of fatigue

kosmikophobia: fear of cosmic phenomenon

kymophobia: fear of waves

kynophobia: fear of rabies

kyphophobia: fear of stooping

L

lachanophobia: fear of vegetables

laliophobia: fear of speaking

leprophobia: fear of leprosy

leukophobia: fear of the color white

levophobia: fear of things to the left side of the body

ligyrophobia: fear of loud noises

lilapsophobia: fear of tornadoes and hurricanes

limnophobia: fear of lakes

linonophobia: fear of string

liticaphobia: fear of lawsuits

lockiophobia: fear of childbirth

logizomechanophobia: fear of computers

logophobia: fear of words

luiphobia: fear of lues, syphillis

lutraphobia: fear of otters

lygophobia: fear of darkness

lyssophobia: fear of rabies or of becoming mad

M

macrophobia: fear of long waits

mageirocophobia: fear of cooking

maieusiophobia: fear of childbirth

maniaphobia: fear of insanity

mastigophobia: fear of punishment

mechanophobia: fear of machines

megalophobia: fear of large things

melanophobia: fear of the color black

melissophobia: fear of bees

melophobia: fear or hatred of music

meningitophobia: fear of brain disease

menophobia: fear of menstruation

merinthophobia: fear of being bound or tied up

metallophobia: fear of metal

metathesiophobia: fear of changes

meteorophobia: fear of meteors

methyphobia: fear of alcohol

metrophobia: fear or hatred of poetry

microbiophobia: fear of microbes (bacillophobia)

microphobia: fear of small things

misophobia: fear of being contaminated with dirt of germs

mnemophobia: fear of memories

molysmophobia: fear of dirt or contamination

monopathophobia: fear of definite disease

monophobia: fear of solitude or being alone

monophobia: fear of one thing

motorphobia: fear of automobiles

mottephobia: fear of moths

musophobia: fear of mice

mycophobia: fear or aversion to mushrooms

mycrophobia: fear of small things

myctophobia: fear of darkness

myrmecophobia: fear of ants

mysophobia: fear of germs or contamination or dirt mythophobia: fear of myths or stories or false statements

myxophobia: fear of slime (blennophobia)

N

nebulaphobia: fear of fog (homichlophobia)

necrophobia: fear of death

nelophobia: fear of glass

neopharmaphobia: fear of new drugs

neophobia: fear of anything new

nephophobia: fear of clouds

noctiphobia: fear of the night

nomatophobia: fear of names

nosemaphobia: fear of illness

nosocomephobia: fear of hospitals

nosophobia: fear of disease

nostophobia: fear of returning home

novercaphobia: fear of your step-mother

nucleomituphobia: fear of nuclear weapons

nudophobia: fear of nudity

numerophobia: fear of numbers

nyctophobia: fear of the dark or of night

O

obesophobia: fear of gaining weight

ochlophobia: fear of crowds or mobs

ochophobia: fear of vehicles

octophobia: fear of the figure 8

odontophobia: fear of teeth or dental surgery

odynephobia: fear of pain

oenophobia: fear of wines

oikophobia: fear of home surroundings, house

olfactophobia: fear of smells

ombrophobia: fear of rain

ommetaphobia: fear of eyes

oneirogmophobia: fear of wet dreams

oneirophobia: fear of dreams

onomatophobia: fear of hearing a certain word

ophidiophobia: fear of snakes

ophthalmophobia: fear of being stared at

optophobia: fear of opening one’s eyes

ornithophobia: fear of birds

orthophobia: fear of property

osmophobia: fear of smells or odors

ostraconophobia: fear of shellfish

ouranophobia: fear of heaven

P

pagophobia: fear of ice or frost

panophobia: fear of everything

panthophobia: fear of suffering and disease

pantophobia: fear of fears

papaphobia: fear of the pope

papyrophobia: fear of paper

paralipophobia: fear of neglecting duty

paraphobia: fear of sexual perversion

parasitophobia: fear of parasites

paraskavedekatriaphobia: fear of Friday the 13^th

parthenophobia: fear of virgins or young girls

parturiphobia: fear of childbirth

pathophobia: fear of disease

patroiophobia: fear of heredity

peccatophobia: fear of sinning (imaginary crime)

pediculophobia: fear of lice

pediophobia: fear of dolls

pedophobia: fear of children

peladophobia: fear of bald people

pellagrophobia: fear of pellagra

peniaphobia: fear of poverty

pentheraphobia: fear of mother-in-law

phagophobia: fear of swallowing

phalacrophobia: fear of becoming bald

phallophobia: fear of a penis, esp erect

pharmacophobia: fear of taking medicine

pharmacophobia: fear of drugs

phasmophobia: fear of ghosts

phengophobia: fear of daylight or sunshine

philemaphobia: fear of kissing

philophobia: fear of falling in love

philosophobia: fear of philosophy

phobophobia: fear of one’s own fears

phonophobia: fear of noises or voices

photoaugliaphobia: fear of glaring lights

photophobia: fear of light

phronemophobia: fear of thinking

phthiriophobia: fear of lice (pediculophobia)

phthisiophobia: fear of tuberculosis

pinigerophobia: fear of smothering

placophobia: fear of tombstones

plutophobia: fear of wealth

pluviophobia: fear of rain or of being rained on

pneumatiphobia: fear of spirits pnigophobia: fear of choking or being smothered pocrescophobia: fear of gaining weight (obesophobia)

pogonophobia: fear of beards

poinephobia: fear of punishment

poliosophobia: fear of contracting poliomyelitis

politicophobia: fear of politicians

polyphobia: fear of many things

ponophobia: fear of overworking or of pain

porphyrophobia: fear of the color purple

potamophobia: fear of rivers or running water

potophobia: fear of alcohol

proctophobia: fear of rectum

prosophobia: fear of progress

psellismophobia: fear of stuttering

psychophobia: fear of mind

psychrophobia: fear of cold

pteromerhanophobia: fear of flying

pteronophobia: fear of being tickled by feathers

pupaphobia: fear of puppets

pyrexiophobia pyrophobia: fear of fire

Q

R

radiophobia: fear of radiation, x-rays

ranidaphobia: fear of frogs

rhabdophobia: fear of being severely punished or beaten by a rod

rhypophobia: fear of dirt

rhytiphobia: fear of getting wrinkles

S

russophobia: fear of Russians

samhainophobia: fear of Halloween

satanophobia: fear of satan

scelerophibia: fear of bad men, burglars

schlionophobia: fear of school

sciophobia: fear of shadows

scoleciphobia: fear of worms

scolionophobia: fear of school

scopophobia: fear of being stared at

scotomaphobia: fear of blindness in visual field

scotophobia: fear of darkness

scriptophobia: fear of writing in public

selaphobia: fear of light flashes

selenophobia: fear of the moon

seplophobia: fear of decaying matter

sesquipedalophobia: fear of long words

sexophobia: fear of the opposite sex

siderodromophobia: fear of trains

siderophobia: fear of stars

sinistrophobia: fear of things to the left, left-handed

sinophobia: fear of chinese, chinese culture

sitophobia: fear of food or eating

snakephobia: fear of snakes (ophidiophobia)

soceraphobia: fear of parents-in-law

social phobia: fear of being evaluated negatively

sociophobia: fear of society

somniphobia: fear of sleep

sophophobia: fear of learning

soteriophobia: fear of dependence on others

spacephobia: fear of outer space

spectrophobia: fear of specters or ghosts

spermophobia: fear of germs

spheksophobia: fear of wasps

stasibasiphobia: fear of standing or walking

staurophobia: fear of crosses or the crucifix

stenophobia: fear of narrow things or places

stygiophobia: fear of hell

suriphobia: fear of mice

symbolophobia: fear of symbolism

symmetrophobia: fear of symmetry

syngenesophobia: fear of relatives

syphilophobia: fear of syphilis

T

tachophobia: fear of speed

taeniophobia or teniophobia: fear of tapeworms

taphephobia: fear of being buried alive

tapinophobia: fear of being contagious

taurophobia: fear of bulls

technophobia: fear of technology

teleophobia: fear of definate plans

telephonophobia: fear of telephones

teratophobia: fear of bearing a deformed child

testophobia: fear of taking tests

tetanophobia: fear of lockjaw, tetanus

teutophobia: fear of German or German things

textophobia: fear of certain fabrics

thaasophobia: fear of sitting

thalassophobia: fear of the sea

thalassophobia: fear of the ocean

thanatophobia: fear of death or dying

theatrophobia: fear of theatres

theologicophobia: fear of theology

theophobia: fear of god(s) or religion

thermophobia: fear of heat

tocophobia: fear of pregnancy or childbirth

tomophobia: fear of surgical operations

tonitrophobia: fear of thunder

topophobia: fear of performing (stage fright)

toxiphobia: fear of poison

traumatophobia: fear of injury

tremophobia: fear of trembling

trichinophobia: fear of trichinosis

trichopathophobia: fear of hair

triskaidekaphobia: fear of the number 13

tropophobia: fear of moving or making changes

trumatophobia: fear of injury

trypannophobia: fear of inoculation, injections

trypanophobia: fear of injections

tuberculophobia: fear of tuberculosis

tyrannophobia: fear of tyrants

U

uranophobia: fear of heaven

urophobia: fear of urine or urinating

V

vaccinophobia: fear of vaccination

venustraphobia: fear of beautiful women

verbophobia: fear of words

verminophobia: fear of germs

vestiophobia: fear of clothing

virginitiphobia: fear of rape

vitricophobia: fear of step-father

W

walloonphobia: fear of the walloons

wiccaphobia: fear of witches and witchcraft

X

xanthophobia: fear of the color yellow

xenophobia: fear of strangers

xerophobia: fear of dryness

xylophobia: fear of wooden objects

Y

Z

zelophobia: fear of jealousy

zemmiphobia: fear of the great mole rat

zeusophobia: fear of god or gods

zoophobia: fear of animals

THE BRIDGE OF STICKS, OR STYX

From the Fremantle Society Archives

During the first twelve years of the Colony the Swan River provided the only means of transport between Fremantle and Perth. Up and down and across its broad and meandering course plied a variety of row-boats, sailboats, whale-boats, ferries and barges, carrying settlers and officials, soldiers and merchants, building materials, farming tools and all manner of 1 ivestock.

By 1843 the Perth Causeway had been completed and road traffic between the Port and the Capital was possible Mong the rough bush track known as Canning Road. On the north side of the river another track gradually became established and here communication with Fremantle was effected by a ferry service between Cantonment hill] on the South bank and Billygoat Farm on the north. With the arrival ot the convicts in 1350 the service was augmented by a convict ferry, and this inadequate arrangement continued until the appointment in 1862 of Doctor Stephen John Hampton as successor to Governor Kennedy.

Governor Hampton ushered in an era of harsh discipline previously unknown at Swan River Colony. He had been Surgeon in a convict ship, Comptroller-General of Convicts at Tasmania, and had a policy of extracting the utmost work from the convicts aided by the use of heavy leg-iror,s and chains an ‘ d frequent floggings. included in his impressive list of Public Works was the north bank road (now Stirling Highway) terminating in a traffic bridge across the river at North Fremantle. Naturally, the colonists loudly acclaimed the project, though many protested a! the conditions under which the convicts were forced to work. The convicts also protested, but with more painful results, and the—crimeof absconding” rose accordingly.

Work on the bridge commenced in 1863 to the design of Captain Grain, R.E., and James Manning, Clerk of Works, and it soon became evident that if the work were to proceed the men would have to be relieved of their shackles. The Governor quickly countered this risk to security by stationing a mounted policeman near the bridge, and by devising a system of signals and an alarm gun which “communicated instantly to the police, the military, and the public generally, the escape of a convict”. in addition, sentries of the Enrolled Pensioner Force armed with loaded rifles were posted over the “stringent class” while at work and during the march to and from prison. f This was the chain-gang who quarried the limestone on Cantonment Hill for use on the bridge and to level the approaches.

In one of his despatches Hampton wrote:

“I believe that the punishment now awarded to absconders in nearly every case, namely, lashes, ranging from 50 to 100, and heavy irons on the public works for periods of time ranging from 6 to 18 months generally, and the strictest separate confinement when not on public works, will again reduce this crime to proportions more similar to those in which it existed in the earlier portion of the imperial Convict System in this Colony…”

However, the hardened “stringent class” apparently considered all this well worth enduring for the dubious pleasure of earning for themselves 3 days solitary confinement on bread and water, and the Governor concluded that the latter punishment was in fact an inducement to misconduct. He said: 11 … those who know what a Western Australian summer day is will have little doubt as to which the convict will prefer. the intense pleasure (to him) of abusing an officer, and then sleeping in a cool stone cell for the greater part of 3 days and nights, or working in the roasting sun and sleeping, perhaps, in a bush but full of mosquitoes …

He then increased to one month the-“… detention in dark cells on bread and water punishment (sa~,d the Governor) is -much dreaded by the men and has acted as a preventative amongst many who have undergone every other form of punishment without the least good Even the most reckless shrink from it…”

In 1864 James Manning, Clerk of Works, reported on the progress-of the bridge:

“The works connected with this structure have been commenced. A building 40’x118’ for mess room and tool store, a cottage of two rooms for the warder in charge have been erected, and wharfage has been built extending about 90 yards in length and 26 yards in breadth. This space has been filled up with stone and rubble quarried on the high ground in the rear by the “stringent class”, tipped over the bank, and then removed by ordinary prisoners to fill up and form the .wharf. A quantity of stone has also been dressed for the arch and archway.”

Convict labour was in great demand at this time for public buildings, roads, bridges and jetties throughout the rapidly expanding Colony, including the permanent prison (the present Department of Corrections) and the Lunatic Asylum (now the Fremantle Museum and Arts Centre), which was completed in the same year as the North Fremantle Bridge. james Manning explained the reason for the delay in his report of 1865:

“Owing to the pressure of other work very little progress was made during the former part of the year … it is now fairly going forward. The piles drive remarkably firm and satisfactory; the first tier of six piles required an impact of 5,026 tons in aggregate to drive them, and the others are equally satisfactory. The chain-gang have been employed quarrying stone and carrying out the embankment.”

1866 saw the bridge nearing completion:

“This structure has progressed, but not as briskly as it might have done. The chain-gang have been employed quarrying stone for the abutement on the south side, which is rising satisfactorily. The piles are nearly all driven, or at least so far as to allow the caps to be put on; the south portion of the upper structure has been hoisted, the joist and cradling fixed, the floor laid, and the guard railing commenced. judging from the portion completed, there is no fear of oscillation.”

Though the project was not finally completed until October 2^nd, 1867, Governor Hampton reportedly drove across the bridge in his carriage on Wednesday, 14^th Nove * mber, 1866. Perhaps he regarded this action as sufficient ceremony to declare the bridge open, because the only reference to the event was published in the Perth Gazette a week later;

“The Fremantle Bridge was thrown open at noon on Wednesday for general traffic, and the ferry boat has been removed.”

But Governoral pique, if such it was, did not prevent such an important occasion to pass entirely unmarked – the evening following the news item the Volunteer Corps paraded for a march to the bridge, with the band playing, and followed by an enthusiastic crowd of citizens. The assembly marched across the bridge and halted in the middle on the way back. Captain Manning gave a short address, the Corps gave His Excellency three cheers, then marched back to Fremantle in a cloud of dust.

Thus the “Bridge of Sticks” was opened, so called because of the forest of timber used in its construction. Later, the name was derisively’. corrupted to “Styx”, allegedly by the convicts identifying with the celestial ferryman of Greek mythology: the Greeks believed the River Styx encompassed Hades, and that all who after death sought to enter the spirit world had to cross it, with a coin in the mouth to pay the ferryman. ferryman.

During 1867 the -“stringent party” quarried and broke more limestone from Cantonment Hill to pave the bridge and build a sea wall, and the final cost was given as £2,986/2/5, the overall length as 2,078 feet, and the highest point above water as 42 feet. The bridge had a distinct hump in the middle to allow the passage of shipping, and its superstructure was supported on 319 jarrah piles. in 1900 the hump was removed and a tramway laid across to North Fremantle. The bridge survived until 1939 when it was demolished and replaced with the present one, and all that now remains of the -Bridge of Sticks” are a few rotting stumps of piles on either bank.

Audrey Fowler

Bar Stool Economics – the only ones that make sense!

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

* The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
* The fifth would pay $1.
* The sixth would pay $3.
* The seventh would pay $7.
* The eighth would pay $12.
* The ninth would pay $18.
* The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that’s what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. “Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.”
Drinks for the ten now cost just $80

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men – the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his ‘fair share?’

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay! And so…

* The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
* The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
* The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
* The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
* The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
* The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

“I only got a dollar out of the $20,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, “but he got $10!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I!”

“That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!”

“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison. “We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!” The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics, University of Georgia