Monday, June 21, 2021

HOUSE WITH A COLOURFUL PAST

A  great   garage  sale in  the following  residence up  for sale  on  Magnetic Island  revealed   interesting   stories   about  artists  and  musicians who  passed  through  its  intriguing   portals  over  40  years .


One of the musicians  was Glen "Flag" Ollier  , one of  the  drummers  in  Australian rock and roll singer Johnnie O'Keefe's  band . O'Keefe, nicknamed  the  Wild One , is  said  to  have been   the  first  Australian  R and R  singer to  tour  the  USA.  


 Ollier ,56 , was  hit on the head by a stray golfball during a charity match on Magnetic Island and suffered severe brain damage which paralysed him down one side  .  He  sued  the   Magnetic Island Country Club, where  Greg Norman  had  played when  he was a boy, and Mark Shanahan 49, who hit the the ball, the case receiving  much coverage  in  overseas  golfing magazines  .  He   was  awarded  $2.6 million  in  damages  from Shanahan . A set of  golf irons bearing the name  American  Ben Hogan  was  for sale . Could these have  belonged  to   Ollier ? And  what  about  that set  of  drums ?  

 Members of  Midnight Oil were  said to  have  dropped  in . Old signs, including  advertising   ones , are  nailed  under  the   house.

The artistic  sign  below  is  at  the entrance to  an interesting  room . A couple once asked if they could move into the  premises  and  were  given a verbal okay .  They  came back  and  said  they  had  five children  , was  the  invite  still applicable ?  They were   given  the green light  and everybody  was   living  there  "in  harmony" two years  later .    

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Near  the  swimming  pool,  which  comes  complete with a  Kombi van in which  is  kept  the  pool equipment, is  a  decorated  cocktail  trolley . Almost forgot  to  mention  that  a variety of  coins  were  noticed embedded in  concrete  paths .


An idea of the wide range of items for sale  is gleaned from the  following shot, a  large Buddha  painting   on  offer  as  well .  

 There was much old  furniture  upstairs, hand crafted wooden pieces  downstairs , including  the  one  below .


Visible on  what appeared to be  an old  greenhouse in the backyard were instructions on  the wooden  framework  not  to  spit   and   commit  no  racism.


NOTE: Johnnie  O'Keefe  got on  exceptionally well with  the Northern Territory  News  crusading editor , "Big Jim " Bowditch . When  Bowditch   flew to  America   with  Qantas in a  press party to see the new  Jumbo jets he  had  a  spectacular  wardrobe  provided  by The Wild One .Bowditch  had just intended wearing a pair of long pants, not  shorts, and borrowing  a  jumper and a  coat , there  being  no  need  for such clobber  in Darwin.


From  his own wardrobe, O'Keefe  gave him  a double- breasted ,pin- striped , blue -black  gangster  type suit,  with  wide  lapels and  padded shoulders .There was also a mauve suit. , four dress  shirts, ties, built  up  shoes,and even floral underpants! O'Keefe  threw in a thousand  dollar  Spanish leather overcoat and a pair of gold cufflinks O'Keefe had been given when he appeared  on  the  Johnny Carson  Show  in  America .