WhatWasGeelong - The tale of the Poppy Kettle People

You probably read the Poppy Kettle as a child or attended the festival at one time or another but do you remember the story?

The folklore stories in Geelong about the keys found on LimeBurners Point is at the heart of this story….

In ancient Peru, there is a village of miniature people who lead a peaceful life, sailing and fishing.

But when the Spanish invade, the little community has to find a new home.

The intrepid fishermen transform an old tea kettle into a ship and set out on the high seas to find the land “beyond the horizon.”

They dodged ferocious iguanas, crash onto reefs, and nearly sink in a terrible storm, but finally the kettle comes to rest on a strange new land the little Peruvians can call home – Geelong.

The Poppy Kettle is a 1980 children’s book written and illustrated by Robert Ingpen a local of Geelong.

Robert Ingpen’s design for the original Poppykettle Fountain was based on his book Voyage of the Poppykettle. Remnants of the fountain, a gift to the city from Dorothy McAlister, were relocated to the Water Front from Fairnie Park in 1996. Then again moved to its home near Cunningham pier were it sits today.

Next time you wander past the little people sitting around their kettle, take a minute to admire the beautiful craftsmanship of the hairy Puruvians and think of their little tale.