Ferntree Gully great-grandmother knits woolly protective gear for fairy penguins

• Melanie Gardiner
• Knox Leader
• March 04, 2014 

Merle Davenport from Ferntree Gully knits jumpers for penguins at Phillip Island. Picture: Susan Windmiller Source: News Limited

 

PENGUINS  don’t wear tuxedos, they wear jumpers — but only when they need protection after an oil spill. 

The oily preventive measure is largely thanks to Ferntree Gully great-grandmother Merle Davenport, 96, who has knitted more than 1000 tea-cosy type jerseys for the fairy penguins at Phillip Island.

She is part of a worldwide network of volunteers who work the needles to create specialty jumpers for the Penguin Foundation, a ­charity dedicated to raising funds for conservation, research and the care of sick or injured penguins on Phillip Island.

The birds are referred to as fairy penguins because they are so small.

Penguin Foundation officer Lauren Jones said during an oil spill, rescuers dressed each penguin in a jumper to stop the birds from ingesting oil before they were treated.

The nature park’s wildlife clinic had a stockpile ready for an emergency, while extras were fitted on toy penguins and sold to help fund the clinic’s lifesaving work, she said.

Mrs Davenport said she started knitting the jumpers after a 1998 oil spill, when a call went out for volunteers. “I’ve got to have something to do with my hands,” Mrs Davenport said of the jumpers, which each took her seven to eight hours to make.

She favoured brightly coloured designs, but avoided AFL team colours, because the wool was hard to find.

But if she had to choose, the penguins would be Collingwood supporters.

Mrs Davenport took up knitting at primary school in country NSW, when Thursdays were set aside to knit socks for soldiers.

 source