MEMORY - PACKED HOTEL CLOSES

Seen here undergoing  major  renovations  years ago in expectation of a golden age , the heritage  listed 1890 built  Hotel Victoria , known  as  The Vic , in  Darwin  is  once  more  in  financial difficulties  and  has  been  placed  into  administration,owing about $750,000.  The  pub used to  be the  watering hole for  the Northern Territory  News   when  it  was produced in the old Tin Bank  building .   The   stories  gathered from  that  pub  in  that  time were  legion . Characters  galore  came  and  went-croc and buffalo shooters, wharfies ,the  Oyster  King .    As  reported  earlier, editor Jim  Bowditch  held  court   there , pausing  to  bark at  the  footrest  on one  occasion  due to swallowing  beer down the wrong way ;  to  disprove   the  southern  belief that Darwin  was a wild place , its habitants  punchy, he went  around drinkers in The Vic insulting them and asking them  if  they wanted  a  fight ... only an Irishman wanted to punch on but was thumped by Bowditch's Kiwi guardian angel, reporter Les"Thrasher"Wilson  .An  American gourmet cooked  and  ate for  the first time  thin slices of  buffalo meat  on  the   counter  in  the  garden  bar  and gave  it  a  big tick  of  approval.

Walkley  Award  winning journalist  and author  Keith Willey  picked up innumerable  stories  drinking  in The Vic. One was  about an  alcoholic  dog . It could be said  that  pubs  once  oiled  the  newsbeat  throughout the  nation .But it seems modern  reporters  have become almost  milksops . Nowadays  it is  hard to  see  a  reporter  in  a  drinking establishment  anywhere  in  Darwin . 

It  is said  that  reporters   working  on  the Townsville  Bulletin  are  urged  not  to spend  time in  hotels  as  they are  now  mainly  glued  to  the  desk ,  churnalists . As a  consequence,  in  both  Darwin   and  Townsville  that  contact  with the hoi polloi of  society  is  lost .   The  Mandorah  Hotel, across the Darwin Harbour , ran dry after many years, closed.    Darwin Safe Accord ,  designed to  reduce    drunkenness  and  brawling  in  the CBD  is  impacting  on  other  hotels. 

COAL IS BLACKER THAN BLACK

According to  Prime Minister  Tony Abbott , coal is  good for humanity . Not according to a post in  the  American  Nation of Change, progressive journalism for positive change ,  which  mentions  Australia , India  , Indonesia , China  and  other countries under  the  heading  COAL AND CORRUPTION . Written  by  Marina Lou , a legal adviser for Greenpeace International , specialising in financial market  regulation , it  opens with  this  statement :

 

Juan Pablo Perez Alfonso, one of the founders of OPEC, once compared the world’s fossil-fuel use to “drowning in the devil’s excrement.” There is certainly plenty of evidence supporting his prediction that the fossil-fuel industry, with  its powerful corrupting influence , will “bring us ruin.” Indeed, coal-related corruption stories are breaking worldwide, shining a light on the murky space between “illegal” and “improper” where the extractive  industries  work.

 

 Read:  http://www.nationofchange.org/2014/10/19/coal-corr

In addition ,  it was recently  reported  on TV that air pollution in Beijing was  dangerous  and competitors  in  international  sporting  events  complained .
 

AUSTRALIAN BORDER SECURITY BREACHED BY PORTUGUESE

A surprise arrival  in  the  Magnetic Island  marina  is  this replica of  a  15th century Portuguese Caravel , Notorious. Built  by  a Warrnambool ,Victoria  , cabinetmaker Graeme  Wylie  and  wife , Felicite .  Construction of  the   vessel  was  inspired by  the suggestion  that  the wreck of a Portuguese  sailing ship was  visible  at Warrnambool  up  into the  mid 1800s, known as  the Mahogany Ship. Notorious  is  21 metres long , six metres  wide  and  17 metres high . To make her  watertight,  the  vessel  was  packed with  600  litres of  pitch  and  oiled .  When the  unusual boat  attended  the Wooden  Boats  Festival  in  Hobart  some years  ago, the owner was   invited  to   drop  into  Magnetic  Island , North Queensland , should  he  ever be sailing by . It will be in port for about three  days . Its   arrival  at  Magnetic Island  has  raised speculation  that  it could be used  in  the next  Pirates of  the Caribbean  movie  to be  shot  in Queensland .   

DRUG RUNNER CRASHES PLANE

Continuing, condensed  biography of Crusading Editor, "Big Jim" Bowditch by Peter  Simon.





An escapee from an Indonesian prison who had  been  serving  time for drug smuggling , pilot  Donald  Tait was forced down by an  RAAF Hercules plane near Katherine , NT , with  more  than   $3million  worth  of  drugs  aboard  in  1978. Bowditch  became  involved  in  the aftermath  in  a  most  unusual  way. 

As previously  stated,   journalist  Gene Janes had  written numerous  war novels.  One of  these had been  about  the night  Australian  Z Force landed . He  was surprised to  learn  that  it had been  made into a film , the rights to the  book having  been bought  from the  Horwitz  Group Books  Pty Ltd, of Sydney, by  John McCallum  Productions .  McCallum was the    husband of  the stage  performer Googie Withers . Janes had  received a letter  and an ex gratia payment  for $200 from the publisher.  He returned the cheque  and claimed copyright.  An official of the  Australian Writers’ Guild labelled the  $200  not only  insulting  but immoral, $10,000 being the average  for  film  rights.
 

Bowditch  and other journalists  wrote about the  situation and  legal representations  were  made .  The outcome was  a   settlement of   $10,000, half  going  to legal fees.  The joy over the win was  short lived.  Janes  became involved in an altercation with a  Greek neighbour  who was  making a  noise panel  beating  a  car while Gene was cutting up meat for a Chinese  dish . The Greek was  stabbed and  Janes was sent to   prison .  Bowditch visited  Janes  during  his  imprisonment .  

 

The Northern Territory  News  ran a number of stories  claiming there were  deficiencies in the prison   facilities and  services.  Janes , in prison  at  the same time as  Tait- also revealed as  a bigamist and fraudster who  had  been in Canada and the  US- suggested he  write his  life  story. It was revealed in  the Northern Territory  Legislative Assembly that  stories  about  Tait had been  smuggled out of prison, one  inside  a book . Bowditch , it  was claimed , had  helped  smuggled out  these reports .[It is not known  if any of these reports had  been wrapped about a part of  the Bowditch anatomy,as it had been in the  form of a  letter  he  brought out from  prison on a previous occasion which  was  delivered  to   a  woman .]

The close relationship  between Bowditch and  Janes   continued. For a  time  the  two journalists operated  out of the Janes’ residence. A considerable amount of  liquor was  consumed  and  production of  the  business   newsletter became  sporadic.  Subscribers  received a number of  bogus    excuses  for  non production of the  newsletter - one being a  death in the   family. Once, while the  newsletter was being compiled at the  The Star newspaper  office, where it was printed  ,  Bowditch  took to an unfortunate restaurant man who used to deliver, gratis ,  tasty  tucker  to the  establishment on Friday afternoons. In the fracas   petitions  were knocked over .   Customers  at the  counter  were    shocked  to  see  the place  seemingly disintegrate .

 

One day  Gene’s wife came home to find  Bowditch  standing over  her husband, who had recently had an eye operation, saying he could easily kill him .  Mrs Janes  tried to  ease the situation by  making  a cup of coffee and  handing around a plate of  tarts. After asking if she  believed in God  or the Queen ,  Bowditch  sent the  tarts flying  when  she replied  in  the  affirmative .

 

She was eventually  able to get  Bowditch to go home .   Later on, Jim phoned and  asked if  Gene was alright  as he feared that he had hurt him .   Despite being told that he had not  touched her husband,  Bowditch rang back several more times  asking about  Gene’s well being . Exasperated , she  took the phone off the hook.  Police then arrived  at the  front door and  said  they had been sent by Mr Bowditch to  make sure that her husband was alright . Then   Jim’s daughter, Ngaire, arrived   saying she had been sent  by her  father because he  feared  he  had done something  terrible to Gene. Bowditch clearly needed  help  but kept on going .  NEXT: Hard to believe development.   



GIRLS : BEWARE LOTHARIOS BEARING WATERMELONS

A  girl's  delight

The  innocent  act  of  giving  your   girlfriend  a  nice  watermelon  is now  under  threat   due  to  the discovery of  an exotic  virus in the Northern Territory   which could  wipe  out  a multi  million  dollar   industry.



 Biosecurity  officers  have been checking all farms in the Darwin, Katherine and Ti Tree  area, north of  Alice Springs .  The disease  could also wipe out other melons and  cucumbers.      Back   in   the    1920s  , when  the  above   tune  was   sung   by  young   Stella   Lamond ,  from  a  theatrical  family ,   watermelons   and   Fox Trots   helped   win  the  heart  of  many  an  Australian  girl.     Stella   married   Max  Reddy  and  was   the mother  of  singer  and  feminist  icon  , Helen  Reddy , Queen of   70s  Pop ,   famous  for  her  “I  Am Woman,"    whose   half sister   is   actress     Toni    Lamond .  Our  tattered  sheet  music , looking as if suffering  from the dreaded Freckled Banana Disease already ravaging the Territory, was found  in  North  Queensland , where   melon producers are  scared that  the Territory  virus  will  spread  south.  

  

MISS WONG ESCAPES / LARRY RETURNS TO THE BOUNDING MAIN

 

Larry , Miss Wong with  Jenn Payne.

News has  come through that Miss Wong , the  foundling  Torres Strait Pigeon raised on Magnetic Island , has escaped into the wild.Taken to  Mission  Beach  and  placed in an aviary to get  used  to her kind before  being released, she flew the coop  when  the  door  was  opened  at  feeding  time . She  was  last seen  heading  towards the rainforest .


Larry , the talking and abusing Lorikeet, who spent  time with Miss Wong  on Magnetic Island  while she was recuperating , acted strangely after  she  was  taken away to  Mission Beach.  Instead of  taking his blue doll into his cage at night , he insisted on  Big Teddy  spending the  night  with  him.

Now , however , Larry is  back aboard  the  catamaran owned by  Jenn and John Payne.It seems Jenn  has  been engaged  as a cook aboard the vessel hired for Sir  David Attenborough's film  crew. Attenborough  arrived  in Townsville on  Friday on  his way to Cairns  to  film a  series  about  the  Great Barrier Reef. Who knows, Larry's   fame  could  attract  the  attention  of  Attenborough  ? 

THE MILLIONAIRE’S BOOK

Continuing  biography  of  Crusading Editor,"Big Jim" Bowditch  by  Peter Simon  

Mick   Paspalis  outside  his  Fannie  Bay  Hotel. One  of  the  photos  intended  for  the  book . 

Bowditch  and   journalist  Gene Janes  worked  together on  a  proposed  biography  of  the  late  millionaire  Mick Paspalis, MBE.  Born  in Castellorizo , Greece ,  in   l914, Michael  Theodosios  Paspalis  went to  Port Hedland , WA,  as a young boy with his family , where his father started  a  general store.  He and his brother Nicholas,  involved in pearling ,  came to  Darwin  in  l927 .   Mick  had an old Dodge car and started a  taxi  delivery  service for  Felix Holmes’s butchery.  Holmes was an entrepreneur  and an inspiration for  Paspalis . Not only did  Holmes   supply Darwin with  its electricity but he  owned many other  businesses . Nicholas  changed  his  name  to  Paspaley and developed the cultured pearl  industry, growing into  the  now   internationally famous   Paspaley  Pearls  empire.  



From the small  beginning in Darwin  , Mick  Paspalis  became  a  very  rich  man  with pubs, a  drive in theatre , betting  shops , real estate , the Parap  theatre  shopping  complex.  From  small beginnings  in  Darwin  he rose to become a prominent Territorian  and  he  and his wife were invited to Buckingham Palace when  the Queen came to  town.  The Paspalis  photographic collection  includes  a  shot  showing  Mr and  Mrs  Paspalis, Mick in top hat, standing near  a  Rolls Royce  in  London .  On  his  death, probate on  his  estate was  sworn at  nearly  $3million .

After putting in  some initial work on  the book  ,  Bowditch wrote  a four page  letter  to  Mrs   Paspalis, addressing her  as  Dear Chrissie, keeping  a   copy , which  he  showed  me.

 

In it  Bowditch  indicated he was  " a  bit nonplussed ,"   having some  difficulty with the  Paspalis family accountant,   Sir  Norman Young ,  chairman  of   News   Adelaide . Young had  been  present back in the  l950s   when  Bowditch  had  gone  to  Paspalis , desperate for a loan   to stop the NT  News (not  then  owned  by  Murdoch )  from  folding , after having  been  knocked  back  by  a  bank . Paspalis had advanced money on  that  occasion.

 

Bowditch, told  Mrs  Paspalis  that Sir Norman  had  on several occasions  stated  the  book was  a  matter between  her , Bowditch and Janes.   Sir Norman had  been “ non -commital ” at the suggestion that Bowditch  may have to go to  Port Hedland   to  gather  information  from   people who  had grown up with Paspalis.  The financial adviser had  suggested  nobody  who knew  Paspalis  would still be living  there .   

Bowditch agreed  that  this  might  be  the case  and letters  had  been written to authorities   trying to  clarify the  point. It was vital  to  sit down with Mrs Paspalis   for an hour  or so , Jim wrote , to  get basic family background  and  details of the early days in Darwin .  He went on to  quote  statements by  various  people who  commented  favourably about  Paspalis .  The letter continued :

 

“ We have, of course, run into people who know only that  Michael was rich and  believe that to be rich  you have to  treat other people badly, all , or most of the time . But that makes one of the points  I made in  my editorial  at the time  Rupert  Murdoch  sacked me ,‘The   richest  man   in town is  rarely the most  popular , and so it was  with Michael Theodosios Paspalis .’ ” ( It is  pointed out   that  Murdoch had not sacked  Bowditch  over  that  editorial  ).

 

Bowditch  said  Sir  Norman  had  told  him  he could  not  release  further  funds  along  the  agreed  lines  until  Mrs Paspalis  was  satisfied  with   what  was  being  proposed.  Further funding  was  needed  to  enable  Janes  to  devote a  great  deal  of  time  to  the  project.    

The   book  was  never  written , and  it  is understood  a  payment, possibly  $1000  each   was made  to  Bowditch and  Janes.  With  his  share  of   the  money ,  Janes  bought  the  first  lawn  mower   the  family  had  ever  owned. 

 GRIM  REAPER  INTERVENED 

Bowditch  maintained   that  Paspalis,  for  all  his  millions,  was  a  sad  man .  While  many  people  called  at  the Paspalis  home  on East  Point  Road,  Fannie  Bay,  he  said   many  of  them  were  only after  his  money .   Paspalis  had  asked  Bowditch  how   he  could  get   people  to  like  him .  Bowditch had  suggested  that  instead  of  erecting  another  building  which  would  bring  in  more  money, he should  build   something  for  the  community.  One   suggestion  had  been  a  home  for  the  elderly .  Paspalis  had  thought  about   the matter ,  but  came  back and  said  the project  was  something  the  government   should  build.  “ I  was   getting  Mick  around  to  the idea  of  doing  something  for  the  community  when  the   Grim  Reaper  took  him ,  ” said  Bowditch .  

Paspalis was known to  trust  Bowditch .  Bowditch  said  Paspalis was an astute businessman  , but  often told  of the “ one time  ” he knew that Mick had  lost money .  It involved   backing  an  entrepreneur  to bring in building  materials from  overseas.  Somehow, the deal went wrong and  Paspalis  lost a considerable amount of   money.  Bowditch  met   Paspalis in the street  and  the  millionaire  “ cried”  about  his loss .  He told  Bowditch  that the man he had  financed  was frequently  in the Hotel Darwin Green Room  entertaining  women , no doubt  using  his ( Mick’s) money .  NEXT:  Battle  over  the  war  movie .