Originally Posted by townsvillebulletin
A SEVERE female drought has gripped Mount Isa, but Mayor John Molony thinks he has the answer: ugly girls.
Men outnumber women at a ratio of about five to one in the testosterone town and the female famine is taking its toll on young blokes.
But the quick-thinking Mayor suggested these could be the perfect conditions for `ugly ducklings' to flourish into beautiful swans and find true happiness in the Isa.
"May I suggest if there are five blokes to every girl, we should find out where there are beauty-disadvantaged women and ask them to proceed to Mount Isa," Cr Molony said.
"Quite often you will see walking down the street a lass who is not so attractive with a wide smile on her face. Whether it is recollection of something previous or anticipation for the next evening, there is a degree of happiness.
"Often those who are beauty-disadvantaged are uphappy with their lot.
"Some, in other places in Australia, need to proceed to Mount Isa where happiness awaits.
"And, really, beauty is only skin deep. Isn't there a fairy tale about an ugly duckling that evolves into a beautiful swan?"
The miners' mecca has traditionally been a man's world – and young fellas say living in the Isa is about earning money, not finding love.
In 2006 there were just 819 females aged 20-24 living in town, compared with 994 in 1996. While most blokes accept the female drought is `just the way it is out here' – they still have a few suggestions as to how to lure the ladies out west.
Builder Paul Woodlands, 25, said the pay for jobs traditionally filled by women did not seem to match what the blokes could earn and there was little incentive for women to stay in the remote town.
"I know a few women who have come out here to do hairdressing, but they left to go back to the coast because the pay was bad and there's not much to do," Mr Woodlands said.
"I think if they improved wages for those types of jobs, it might help.
"There's definitely a lack of beautiful women, blokes are not as picky – you take what you can get."
Grant Rollings, 26, dubbed the Isa `the beer goggle' capital of Australia.
He said blokes were far less choosy when it came to women, because they were few and far between.
Electrician Paul McDonald said his mates warned him not to bring his girlfriend to the Isa as she would become prey to the men.
Though he claimed the divorce rate is skyrocketing in Mount Isa, after 12 months he is still happily attached.
Fly-in, fly-out miner Luke Eastgate, 22, hinted that while there were women around, many were not the type to take home to meet your mother.
"There are a small number of professionals, like school teachers and nurses, but it's more of an open set-up, it's difficult to find a girlfriend in this town and keep her."
Mr Eastgate said many young professionals were in Mount Isa for a short time to start their career before they moved back to larger cities.
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