Crocodile Tales To Celebrate Centenary

Gavialias Gangeticius or the Crocodile as he is known in the community and to visitors has been a resident of Wick Library for 100 years so the Highland Council is hosting a special celebration to mark the replica reptile’s centenary.

The Crocodile arrived in dramatic fashion with a telegram reaching local Librarian George Bain on the 25th January 1909 requesting that he go to the local railway station and pick up a parcel. Bain, with the assistance of eight other people, transported the Crocodile donated by Sir Arthur Bignold to its new home in the Museum area of the Wick Library.

The crocodile spent his early years as an attraction initially for visitors of the museum, however, when this was closed; he was housed in what was then the Children’s area of the Library where he now resides as a feature unique to Wick Library and its visitors.

Ask old and young alike in the community of Wick about their local library, and they will no doubt tell you about the crocodile before anything else. How they rode on his back when they were kids, although they weren’t meant to! In fact the crocodile continues to be very special attraction 100 years later, as a main feature for kids, startled tourists and reminiscing locals.

In celebration of his 100th Birthday, the staff at the library have decided to hold a party at 11am on Saturday 24th January for the local children to mark this event and in honour of the Crocodile’s or Gavialias Gangeticius special part in the history of Wick Library.

Wick Councillor and Chairman of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee, Councillor Bill Fernie said:  “The crocodile has been a remarkable feature of Wick library.  It strikes you as soon as you enter the room and  children make an immediate bee-line to get a closer look.  Fortunately it is very robust and they could touch it and really get an idea of what this enormous animal was about.  Before the days of television this must have been a real eye-opener for everyone in the town and quite an attraction.  Even today it still lets you get up close to something that would be impossible in the wild.”