a pedant's icons

As a pedant, and as the author of several books about words, I’ll get the gripe out of the way first.

The word “icon” is used too loosely in this country. People are not icons. They may be legends. But an icon is a religious figure, a carving, representing Jesus  Christ or the Virgin Mary. They are usually antiquities found in South East Asia. Especially the Philippines and Indonesia.

These days people talk about sporting heroes and places like the MCG and the Sydney Opera House as “icons”.

Call them “ National Treasures” and I will go along with it. Gough Whitlam once called Jacki Weaver a national treasure and I said it made me feel like the curator.

Anyway, the search is on for Victoria’s six most treasured “icons”.

New awards were launched today by Academy Award winning actor Geoffrey Rush. I guess, under the new interpretation, he would be called an “icon”.

Some of the places already mentioned are the MCG, the Twelve Apostles ( or what’s left of them) and Flinders Street Station. How can a railway station even qualify as a Victorian treasure? How can that grotty station with it’s fading ballroom be classed as an icon?

The MCG would probably top the list…. But they ripped the heart out of its heritage with the 400 million dollar rebuilding programme.

I think I would vote for the Botanic Garden. And remember it is the Botanic Garden – not the Botanical Gardens.

Second would be the MCG.

Chloe at Young and Jackson’s would rate a mention. And the old trams. The Royal Exhibition building would rate a mention but Federation Square is too new. The Victoria markets would have to be up there. But, sadly, to me there is not much more.

Wednesday, October 5, 2005

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2005