AN Australian county called Bland hopes to link up with Dull in Perthshire and the tiny Scottish village's official US twin, Boring in Oregon – in an attempt to create a triumvirate of tedium called Dull, Boring and Bland.
Even though residents of Bland in New South Wales are fed up with people ridiculing them, they want to cash in on humorous publicity by joining with the pair.
Bland Shire's tourism committee is exploring promoting the area by establishing sister relationships with places with odd names.
It was named after William Bland, whose life was anything but. The London-born son of an obstetrician was transported as a convict to Van Diemen's Land in 1814 after killing a sailor in a duel in Bombay.
He was later pardoned, became a pillar of colonial life and founded the Australian Medical Association.
Dull, population last year 84, made world headlines when Perth and Kinross Council declared the village's formal relationship with the logging town of Boring, population 10,000-plus.
Bland Shire, home to more than 6,000 people, encompasses farmland and its local councillor Tony Lord said: "Over the years we've had our share of fun poked at us.
"We need to think positively and look ahead at all the opportunities that we can generate. We're hoping it will basically make people aware of Bland Shire."
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