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