VALE GORGEOUS GEORGE

 One of  the  many  characters  of   Darwin   in the l950s  ,  George   Hunter  , died  in  Perth  last week  at  the age of 92,  his funeral  this  Friday .  A   Works and  Housing  meter  reader and  a member of  a top  football  team ,  he  was  greeted  everywhere  he  went  in  the  city  .   

A   drummer  as  well , he  performed at  many Darwin venues, and  is  shown  here  playing  at  the  Parap  Hotel .    Because  of   a  mop of  curly  hair,  he  was  nicknamed   Gorgeous George . 

 

The  impressive   locks    fell out   during  a   holiday  in  Perth  and  he returned  to  Darwin wearing   a beret . The reason for  his defoliation   was  attributed  to  the  fact  that during a  Darwin   party, by  mistake , he  had picked  up a  bottle of  ant- rid , containing thallium ,  in  a  kitchen ,  and  had  a  quick, hearty  swig .

By Peter Simon 

  

 The hooker  in the  tough  Wallabies  rugby  league team , George  collapsed   during a watch  in  the humid wet  season , played on  the  rock hard oval  supposed  to  be  softened by  monsoonal rain. Taken to  hospital , it was  found  that  he was suffering from dehydration ; a doctor said he was like somebody brought  in  from  the  Sahara Desert . 

In  the  above  circa l950s photograph of the  Wallabies  , Gorgeous George is in the second row , second from the left .  That's coach Noel Turvey in white, with  long white sox ; the  tallest person in the back row , a former British  police officer,  Alan Barnes ;  holding a cigarette  and wearing  dark glasses  at  the end  of  the   back row , far right ,  was  Kiwi  clerk Terry Alderton  who  organised   boxing  matches.  

Long  after  he left   Darwin ,  George   was  reported  to  be driving about Perth in a  Rolls-Royce.  A  daughter  became a  chef at the Prime Minister's residence, The Lodge, Canberra  , during  the  time of  Bob  Hawke. 

Following George's  death, I received  information that  when  he  was a  meter reader  in  Darwin   he  discovered  that   the  meter  at   a prominent  football club , which  used a  large amount of water,   had  been tampered with, actually ran backwards , presenting  another  Sahara Desert   situation  when  it  came  to   being  billed.