THE TOP END'S SAMUEL PEPYS

 For more than half a century , Darwin agronomist Robert Wesley-Smith  has not only  recorded Territory  major events  , but  been  personally involved  in  many of  them . He  has  kept extensive  files , written  press releases ,  stood as an ALP candidate ,  played  the  part  of  Australian  journalist Roger East  being shot  and  thrown into the sea  during the Indonesian invasion of East Timor  ,  organised  Darwin's  largest  Australian  per capita moratorium against  the  Vietnam War, received death threats, built up an impressive  photographic  collection , snaps  from  it  appearing  in  this   blog .

Even though the diary of   the English Government  official  Samuel Pepys (1633-1703)  included the dreaded Plague and the Great Fire of London ,  it  makes  tame  reading  compared  with  the alarums of  Darwin activist Wesley-Smith. And  Pepys  never  bothered to  build  up a  large collection of T-shirts  used in  protest  marches  for  various  causes , getting  a  bit  mouldy about  the  armpits  in  steamy  Darwin .    

A foundation member of the Northern Territory Civil Liberties  organisation ,formed in l975, he  took up  many causes . He had a close  working relationship  with   the  crusading editor of the Northern Territory News , the  late "Big Jim " Bowditch .Wesley-Smith , commonly called Wes , bought a  copy of  Bowditch's book  Whispers from the North  at  the Darwin university  launch in 1993.

Bowditch penned  an inscription  to  Wes , indicating  his  respect  for him , saying  he  was one  of  the  best   men  he  had  ever  met. 

The latest  photograph  (below )  from  Wes's unique collection  is  a January  1963  view  of   the sadly  dilapidated   yacht  Sea  Fox  which  American  actor and magician John Calvert   sailed into   Darwin , the crew  including  a  caged , chain-smoking  chimpanzee  , dubiously claimed to  have been Tarzan's  own monkey from  the  movies and  an attractive  Filipino singer . 

 Calvert  headed   for Sydney in  the yacht  to stage  a magic show, got into difficulties off Arnhem Land  and was  rescued  by the  Navy.  A  plane from Townsville  dropped supplies to the stricken yacht , the crew , frantically baling , was  filmed  by  Calvert.   The  battered  yacht  was eventually  towed to  Darwin -  Doctors Gully-  where  this  photo  was  taken . The  chimp went off  to  a life  of  luxury  at  Sydney's  Taronga  Zoo, suffering nicotine withdrawal   symptoms  early  in  the  piece .

Jim  Bowditch  received  a Walkley Award for his coverage of the unusual  episode, which went world wide . In  America , a woman  heard the news , and  demanded to know who was  Mrs  Calvert  on  the  yacht, as  she  was  Mrs Calvert , with  a  son  called  John , pining  for  his  daddy .  

 Wes has just been  approached for information   by a  journalist  intent on writing  a  book  about  an  historic Territory  event   .  This has caused Wes to go looking  for his  l971  files , which  could  be  under the  rare , yellowing T-shirt  collection , which we firmly  believe should be proudly  displayed in some museum , art  gallery , public  institution .