OF MICE, MEN AND GARBAGE-Continuing biog of Crusading Editor,”Big Jim” Bowditch.

A  Darwin  news  story that  received  much  national and international  coverage involved  the  great Darwin  Council   garbage  strike  of September l959   which resulted in  Bowditch  and  Mayor  John " Tiger " Lyons   trading more than verbal blows.   It started when  the garbage men  went on strike  seeking better pay and conditions.  Mayor   Lyons had  been the lawyer  briefed by Bowditch in  the gambling  case  which  had  unfortunately   led  to  Sergeant  Jim Mannion’s  transfer  from  Darwin  to Tennant Creek , the police  force Siberia.

Lyons was  often followed to court by his  dog which   sneaked  in under  the  bar table at times.   During  call overs of  the  court list, Lyons  frequently took  adjournment   dates down on  a packet of cigarettes. And when he finished the contents of the packet, he  threw  it  and  the important notes  on  it away . Not infrequently, he would tell  the exasperated magistrate  that he had no note at  all in  his appointments   book  about  various  cases , some of   which were supposed  to proceed  that  very  day and had to  be adjourned .

The  mayor opposed the  call for better  pay and conditions and dug in his heels . Bowditch  supported the  garbos.   In an unusual move ,  a roster was drawn up  and the councillors themselves  manned  the  garbage  cart. Mayor Lyons was photographed in  shorts  emptying  bins into a truck.  The  idea of a  mayor  collecting  garbage  caught the imagination of  news editors all over the world.  A cartoon in an English newspaper  showed  councillors in  top  hats and frock  coats  emptying  smelly  bins  into  Rolls-Royces.

 

CAT  AND  MOUSE  GAME

 

After Mayor   Lyons  made a comment that he hoped a  dissenting  councillor  had  not  been  "caught short" ,  Bowditch wrote  that  decorum and  democracy had gone out the  door at  council meetings  presided over  by him .  This  infuriated  Lyons ; the next day , Bowditch  received  a telephone call  more or less  ordering  him to come to the  Mayor’s home.  Bowditch said  that if the mayor had something to say , he  could come to the  News  office.  A follow up call  said  that  the  mayor would be  holding a Press conference at  his  home  and  that  Doug  Lockwood , the  Melbourne Herald  representative , would  be there .  

   

In view of that , Bowditch went to the mayor’s residence.  As Bowditch  entered , the   mayor  said,  “  Here’s the little cunt  now. ” {It is necessary to point out that Bowditch was not big in stature , he had  been given this title when he was a  boy because he was slightly bigger than brothers.} On hearing the mayoral welcome , Lockwood excused himself and  departed.

 

An uproariously funny episode developed which became the talk of the town . On  the command  from the   glowering , red-faced mayor, the town clerk , in  wig and  gown,  like a town crier , rose  and  read  a 4000 word  statement  defending the  mayor  and councillors in the strike and  demanded an apology from  Bowditch. The  unusual  document ended: 

 

“ The cat is  out of the  bag.  You should know that a large  ginger cat  ( rotund Lyons  had  whispy  ginger hair ) is  prepared to  take on  all  comers , including little  pink  mice (referring  to  “commo” Jim).

 

During the diatribe , Jim  uttered a  few guffaws, shook his head  and smirked .   When the serious looking  town clerk  finished, Lyons invited  Jim to discuss the matter further… over  drinks.  On reflection , this  proved to be a foolish gesture. 

 

After a  few  drinks , the  editor and  the mayor exchanged heated words.  The mayor responded by saying  he  should   “  flatten ”  Bowditch.  Bowditch poured  fuel on the fire by telling   “Tiger ”  he  was not going to fight him because he (Lyons)  would probably die  of  a  heart attack.  The mayor became so furious , he  pulled off his shirt and they  went out on the lawn  and  began  to  wrestle .

 

Both  fell into  Mrs  Lyons’s  prize  rose bushes  and  were scratched.  The tussle  entertained  Darwin for  months  ;  the    mayor’s   statement was  run  in  full.  The   garbos  eventually  won  their  battle  with  the  help of  a  scratched little  pink  mouse.

Today the venue  of  this unusual wrestling match  -Lyons Cottage- is a tourist attraction , but  not  because of  the  grunting and  groaning that  went on between  the  editor  and  the   mayor  in the garden .  Also  known  as  the British Australian Telegraph  House (BAT), it is an example of  early  colonial  architecture , similar  to   British  style  colonial dwellings  in  India,  Malaysia  and   Singapore.    NEXT : Bowditch  plays  cupid .