Where on earth did that term come from?

It’s old Germanic and Middle English: pol or polle, a word which meant head, or the hair on a head.

So, a poll is referring to a counting of heads.

Fascinating word, really. It finds its way into our words tadpole and strawpoll.

Although the word strawpoll might literally translate as “a bad hair day.”

Sign language

DTM notes VicRoads is doing a public awareness push on the need for drivers to be careful around roadworks. The temporary speed restrictions are enforceable.

We would have loved to see a flashing blue light in Avery’s Road the other day when traffic was being carefully redirected around some road crews.

But one car totally ignored the signs and directions and drove straight through the middle of the crew.

There was a fair bit of shock and extended middle digits.

Civilised exchange

Just in case you think Bendigo’s ability to have never-ending heated arguments about anything to do with transport is a modern thing, think again.

We came across a very detailed Bendigo Advertiser 1862 report about the early stages of the Kangaroo Flat railway station.

It had already been partly built when some local folk dragged the State’s chief railway engineer, Mr Higinbotham, and the resident engineer, Mr Macarthy to the Flat to point out better ideas.

They dragged the two engineers around the local landscape, measuring slopes, clearances connections and arguing it was being built in the wrong spot.

According to the Addy, the engineers were about done when they ran into a mob which had more differing opinions and some vigorous discourse took place.

Thing were put so much more politely then. Instead of reporting a “row” or “fury” or “battle” as one would expect these days, the Addy said the confrontation “occasioned some rather warm expressions of opinion.”

Explosion unsolved

Some folk might even have held a grudge.

While researching the details of that last bit we came across a long-forgotten bit of Kangaroo Flat history.

On September 17, 1906, someone tried to blow up the rail line at the Kangaroo Flat station.

They’d exploded  four “plugs” of gelignite and nine bits of dynamite  just after a train had gone through.

Not much damage was caused, although the station-master’s wife said it sounded like someone had emptied a barrow load of rocks on her roof.

No-one then (or since probably) had the foggiest idea what it was all about.

Say it right

Memo: To our broadcast media friends. If you’re going to be local you have to know how not to say:

Kynerton, Reddersdale, Goo-Nong, Mah-rong, Junor-town, Ech-chucker and (our personal favourite) Jack-arse Flat.

All have been noted in recent times.

Elusive items

And we wonder where our shops went?

Twice in the past week DTM has tried to buy stuff in local CBD shops only to be told: “No we don’t have that, but you can get it from our on-line business.”

We reckon that’s up there with automatic people-free supermarket check-outs.