Out of the blue-Melbourne- came the above photograph from the files of activist journalist, editor, publisher , onetime ALP Member for Casey , Pete Steedman , who, like our Cyclops, is a certified one-eyed political commentator , getting regular injections in his working optic .
It is a real blast from the past, circa 1966, taken in the Thumpin' Tum Disco , Melbourne , with some of those involved in Australia's first teen pop music newspaper , Go-Set, started by Phillip Frazer, Tony Schauble and Peter Raphael. With a wide range of connections , Steedman sold advertising for Go-Set .
It is a real blast from the past, circa 1966, taken in the Thumpin' Tum Disco , Melbourne , with some of those involved in Australia's first teen pop music newspaper , Go-Set, started by Phillip Frazer, Tony Schauble and Peter Raphael. With a wide range of connections , Steedman sold advertising for Go-Set .
Frazer, with an arts degree majoring in politics at Monash University , had been co-editor with Steedman of the university's student newspaper, Lot's Wife, in l965. Schauble was also from Monash University .
In Dissent The Student Press in 1960s Australia, Dr Sally Percival Wood said Go-Set , derived its name from "go-go" and " jet-set ."At one stage it had 25 permanent staff , offices in all mainland capital cities, a weekly circulation of 70,000. One of those who rose to fame in the publication was Ian " Molly" Meldrum.
In her recently released memoir, Unfettered and Alive , Anne Summers ( Damned Whores and God's Police , Ducks on the Pond , The Lost Mother , The Misogyny Factor et al ) mentioned Go-Set and described Frazer as" a super cool lefty entrepreneur" . He went on to launch counter culture publications such as Revolution , a political newspaper ,The Digger , and High Times .
After publishing the first Australian edition of Rolling Stone, Frazer subsequently went to America and carved out a reputation working for consumer protection advocate Ralph Nader, producing a variety of activist publications, No Nukes, against nuclear power, one ; a political subscription newsletter the Hightower Lowdown with readership of more than 100,000; published the Washington Spectator newsletter and News On Earth , an environment newsletter he wrote and edited .
In the above Go-Set photograph , Steedman, of course, is the cool dude in the sunnies and leather jacket , nicknamed The Black Knight of Melbourne . He claimed to have worn sunglasses before Warren Beatty and other Hollywood copycats. During his time as the MHR for Casey , he graced Canberra in sunnies and jacket , was named Politician of the Year. One of the posts he held after politics was head of Aus Music which gave music a shot in the arm throughout the nation .
Others in the photograph are : Terry Cleary, with teacup , general dogsbody, killed in a head on crash with a vehicle driven by a drunken driver ; unknown girl ; unknown man, thought to have been a DJ or involved with the music scene , from Adelaide - who may have drowned in a boating accident, perhaps the day after this photograph was taken . Unfortunately cut from the photo due to a computer blunder by this blog was Peter Raphael, a band manager , who had the title as overall advertising manager of the publication .
A person who became involved with Frazer's publications was American writer Bruce Hanford who had sailed a yacht to Australia to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War. As Steedman had strongly opposed the war and conscription , the Feds discussed bringing in special legislation to charge him with subversion , he and Hanford got on well .
When Steedman was made editor of a new fortnightly magazine for The Age , Broadside , in l969 , Hanford wrote for it . The two combined to cover a Melbourne anti-war demonstration on July 4 , termed a riot by authorities .
In her memoir , Anne Summers recounted how in 1976 she, Hanford and another prominent reporter , Bruce Stannard , had teamed up for the Fairfax National Times new journalism style expose about women being regularly pack raped in the North Queensland town of Ingham . Summers, became a renowned journalist , writer and publisher in America ; returning to Australia , she became a political adviser to Paul Keating and her coverage of Canberra in the book makes good reading , numerous reporters mentioned, with an interesting assessment of Andrew Bolt .
During the week Summers addressed the Canberra Press Club about the progress of women in politics , causing the Liberal Party to squeal , squirm .
Rare Go-Set photograph from Steedman Collection . From the left: Cool Phillip Frazer ; Jean Bedford , a Monash University student, became a writer ; Jono Hawkes ,Go-Set editor at the time ; David Elfick , New South Wales editor , later started a surf magazine ,Tracks, made films...Rabbit Proof Fence ; young, serious looking Ian " Molly" Meldrum , later famous for ABC Countdown ; Australian rock, blues, soul, jazz singer, journalist Wendy June Saddington , also known as Gandharvika Dasi , a follower of Krishna Consciousness, her singing style likened to that of Aretha Franklin , who also wrote an agony aunt column for Go-Set . A photograph of Wendy Saddington taken in 1973 by Carrol Jerrems was used in 1994 to promote Indecent Exposure . Twenty Years of Australian Feminist Photography, by art historian Catriona Moore . Wendy died of aesophageal cancer , aged 63.
Frazer Comes Home
During the week Summers addressed the Canberra Press Club about the progress of women in politics , causing the Liberal Party to squeal , squirm .
Frazer Comes Home
On returning to Australia after 37 years in America , Frazer called on Steedman , and now lives near Byron Bay , writing magazine articles , running a blog coorabellridge.com , trenchantly attacking US president Donald Trump -"a fucking moron " , covering Australian politics .
In his Daily Review for May 6, 2018, he recalled that in 1970 , he and a dozen male and female mates were publishing Australia's first pop set music paper and a counter culture magazine Revolution from a terrace house in Drummond Street, Carlton , Melbourne , and a funky office in Crows Nest , North Sydney . Their average age was about 24 , their take home pay "about twice that in dollars. "
In his Daily Review for May 6, 2018, he recalled that in 1970 , he and a dozen male and female mates were publishing Australia's first pop set music paper and a counter culture magazine Revolution from a terrace house in Drummond Street, Carlton , Melbourne , and a funky office in Crows Nest , North Sydney . Their average age was about 24 , their take home pay "about twice that in dollars. "
Steedman is the possessor of a great set of files , built up over the decades , covering a wide range of subjects . Come on down and inspect my files anytime soon , was his kind offer to this writer . My wife expressed the fear that if I flew to Melbourne and met up with Steedman I would probably end up in the dead letter office. Pete even went to the extent of telling his son that should he plummet from his perch , it would be okay for me to peruse the fab files which are destined for a worthy Melbourne institution . Little Darwin has run large parts of Steedman's action packed life in the past , hook in and read yourself rich .
