AN EARLY CHINESE- AUSTRALIAN PUBLICATION EDITED BY LAUGHING SOLDIER CALLED IN TO COMBAT THE ELUSIVE '' YELLOW PERIL"

The 1952 Rockhampton Chinese Recreation Club’s Chinese New Year Celebration leaflet, the production of which may have involved Darwin identity Timmy Forday. It features the National Anthem of the Republic of China , derived from a speech in 1923 when Dr Sun Yat Sen proclaimed his principles for Nationalist China ; the loyal declaration of  God Save The King  and a wise saying by Confucius

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Enterprising Darwin businessman , the late Timmy Forday , once known as Tim the Toyman, edited a unique monthly newsletter in the l950s designed to keep young Australian born Chinese along the eastern seaboard informed and in contact . Called the CHINESE CHIMES, it was produced in Rockhampton, Queensland, where he started his career as a newspaper linotype operator/compositor on the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin. Because the local Chinese Association had become inactive, the younger generation got together and formed the Rockhampton Chinese Recreation Club, its initials RCRC, which Timmy said was unfortunate . Its newsletter was run off on a gestetner , the head typist being Betty Yin Foo (nee Lee Chin ). Others to help included Gordon and Adam Low Wah , Ronnie Yep , Bruce Yin Foo , Betty and Bev Yuen.

In the main , it contained social news about the Chinese communities and people in them. It was non- political and was distributed to all of the Chinese communities along the eastern Queensland coast. It was probably sent in bulk to a person in each place who would  then  distribute. There was also sporting news in the newsletter as Rockhampton and Brisbane Chinese held tennis tournaments every year, with Brisbane winning most .

Timmy’s brother, Bill ,80, who lives in Rockhampton, says the publication ran for several years and  contributions came from Cairns , Innisfail ,Townsville , Mackay , Brisbane and Sydney . The well known Brisbane herbalist , Willy Sou San , a skilled illustrator, each month designed and mailed a front page stencil which  usually featured dragons and other Chinese symbols for the publication. Bill said Willie came from a large family and may have lived in Cooktown at one time . Copies were sent as far away as Darwin and Melbourne . The club organised bike rides , tennis , barbecues and  dances. Timmy’s involvement with Chinese Chimes was interrupted when he was called up to do National Service in the Army .

In his autobiographical  book, Tim’s Trumpet, written late  in  life , Timmy provided amusing details about his involvement in the Nashos ,which could have been turned into an entertaining volume .  He admitted having flat feet, legs too short to reach pedals in military vehicles and on weapons , poor eyesight, fun and games with anti tank guns , being made the Platoon Mascot and  put in charge of the weapons room .

In this photo  from  his amusing  time  doing  National Service , Forday branded himself  a Toy Soldier ;  later he  became  known  as  Tim  the  Toyman .

On a follow up Citizens' Military Force bivouac, he went to Charters Towers for two weeks with the infantry and was made a major’s batman , a post he did not like, but he was based next to the officers’ mess, so made the most of the good food and drink. During this camp, he was asked if he spoke Chinese ; he said no, but it did not matter as he was officially appointed the Chinese interpreter. Some Chinese residents from Townsville had been organised to be “ enemy troops” ; during the exercise it was Timmy’s job to interrogate captured Chinese prisoners . Luckily, he wrote, no enemy were captured . However, there was a positive side to this farcical situation- he being an “ Intelligence Officer”, he did not have to carry his own rifle or pack as he had a bodyguard to look after him.

In what  looks  like  an  overseas  location, but is actually a  studio backdrop, Timmy , right, mixes  with  the  military brass , perhaps  in  his  batman  role .  

Back in Rockhampton , he was made a sapper in the engineers , but he could not attend weekend camps because he had taken on a milk run, which required repacking crates near the cemetery to avoid waking the slumbering residents in other parts of town , so he was transferred to anti tank guns, but could not reach the foot trigger. There are photographs of Timmy during his hilarious military service, one showing him  peering out of  a  tank turret .

His memoirs about his military service could have been in a class like those of the inimitable funny man, Spike Milligan. There is material for a TV series in Timmy’s life –especially as a Nasho- and the way  the young Australian- born Chinese in Rockhampton started and  supported CHINESE CHIMES , its influence spread  throughout  the  nation.

Timmy’s newspaper career took him to Sydney ( Shipping News, which produced magazines and newspapers, some in different languages ) , The Townsville Bulletin ( where he bought his first car , a 1939 Ford Prefect ), The Tablelander in Cairns ( where he remembered having to set a gardening book in Latin ), the Northern Territory News in l957 (during which time he was master of ceremonies at the Chinese Dragon Ball ) , the South Pacific Post in New Guinea (his observations and experiences fascinating ) , then back to the NT News .

While at the NT News he put clothes in the washing machine one night at the back of the old “Tin Bank “ building and a large python slithered in through the window; it rocked back and forth, apparently mesmerised by the movement of the washing machine arm. One of the staff loaded a speargun and fired at the snake , smashing a sheet of fibro in the washroom /toilet . His workmates in the paper warned Timmy that pythons found Chinese extremely tasty. I met genial Timmy Forday after I joined the NT News in l958 ; he was one of the boys , a cheeky smile on his face , and contributed to the lighthearted banter in the factory and up the Vic Hotel after work.

Timmy became annoyed with all the sub editor’s marks and corrections on a bundle of copy he was given to turn into metal type for the paper. Angry, he went to the sub-editor, Keith Willey, and complained about the copy being hard to read, looking like a “bloody Chinese pak-ah-pu ticket.”  Willey was offended by the remark , but Timmy’s colourful description caused many laughs. Timmy left the News soon  after and tried his hand at many business ventures. He  strung tennis racquets, sold fishing gear , re-handled golf clubs. Timmy represented Hardy wines and other products , in lean times consuming his samples .

In l971 Timmy married Dawn How Lum , above , an experienced businesswoman, in Townsville.   He became a virtual household name when they  traded as Tim the Toyman at Parap , selling a wide range of toys , and  brought Humphrey B Bear to town for Toy Fairs . Newsagencies were also launched by the hard working duo. When Cyclone Tracy ripped through the Forday house it blew away a large stock of Humprey B  Bear pillows and Mrs Forday recently said everybody in Darwin must have ended up with one .

As part of a venture into video productions, Timmy was called upon to set up a media room for reporters covering the Azaria Chamberlain trial. Renowned for his cheeky grin, Timmy , 76, died on March 28 this year after several years of major operations. A regular smoker of 80 cigarettes a day , Timmy strongly advised against smoking , saying it was a filthy habit which was no good for the body and mind . In his book he wrote that he had been broke many times in his life and should have been a journo instead of a factory hand .

FOOTNOTE : Timmy’s father , Lee For Dai , aged 11, sailed from China in l888 to Cooktown, North Queenland, at the time of the Palmer River goldrush , to work for his uncle who ran a store which catered for  miners.  On the ship out to Australia, the captain apparently changed  For Dai to the English sounding Forday. Timmy’s mother , Kim Sing Fong, had been born in Darwin , and was his father’s second wife. The Cooktown Museum contains  information  about  the  Fordays.-By  Peter Simon