The staff at The Junktion are no strangers to receiving odd and unusual deliveries, but an item they received last week baffled even them.
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An anonymous visitor dropped off a colourful deflated item to the centre, which was eventually found to be a giant inflatable clown from Hudsons Circus.
The Junktion's manager Justin Fowler has seen a host of strange items delivered to the centre in his seven years there, but said the clown has eclipsed them all.
"We initially thought it was a jumping castle, so we left it in the workshop for a week or so until we got the opportunity to blow it up," Mr Fowler said.
"When we first inflated it, it overtook the entire workshop, so we had to move it out the front to set it up."
"It's definitely one of the craziest things I've seen here, and that's saying something considering some of the stuff we receive each week."
Mr Fowler said the facility has been in touch with Hudsons Circus to ensure the clown is returned to its rightful owner.
"Shane [Lennon, Hudson Circus owner] reckons the clown was stolen from a show in Mudgee a few years ago, and he was over the moon when we got in touch," he said.
"He's had a bit of bad run over the last few years with burglaries, so we're gonna keep the clown safe here for him to collect when he's in town next."
The Junktion, situated next to Bathurst's Waste Management Depot, specialises in recycling and repurposing unwanted goods to sell back to community, and is under the umbrella of Hope Care Bathurst.
"It just goes to show the important role this facility plays in preventing useful items from ending up in landfill," Hope Care operations and welfare services manager Elliot Redwin said.
"Without this facility, items like this missing clown would be lost forever in an environment where they take years to break down."
Hope Care also manages the Bargain Centre in Russell Street, and donate all their proceeds towards various charity initiatives.
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
