The Lighter Note

Off the tools

The Note is always fond of stories about CEOs who have worked their way to the top from the shopfloor.

In our book, the lower the status of initial employment, the greater the career achievement.

Then again, those stories are rare and we acknowledge there is also a certain amount of pragmatism required in appointing people to run big businesses. Let’s face it, the boss is the person in the ivory tower and you can’t necessarily expect them to know everything about the inner workings of the vast organisations they run.

That’s why we were relieved to hear about the steps motor vehicle mutual RAC had taken to ensure its boss, Terry Agnew stays off the tools.

An operative tells us that the motor vehicle repairers licence on the wall at the RAC’s Northbridge mechanical service shop reads: “Terry Agnew is not to engage in repair work without the prior approval of the board”.

Deadly work

Last week, The Note speculated on the origins of the Anketell name used for the planned port near Cape Lambert in the Pilbara.

Following that, a keen reader suggested it may be Richard Anketell, a public servant or engineer who is best known for supervising the construction of the rabbit proof fence. While there are the Anketell Hills in the East Pilbara named after that gentleman, an operative’s check with Landgate confirmed our speculation of last week.

Mount Anketell overlooking the proposed port is indeed named after Thomas Anketell who was murdered in 1885 along with another representative of the Union Bank of Roebourne, one Henry Burrup.

In fact, Mount Anketell was originally spelled incorrectly as Anketel by the man who named it – FS Brockman. Weirdly, the peak overlooks Port Robinson Harbour, so who knows why it needs another name anyway?