Tom Pauling AO , KC, a former Northern Territory Solicitor- General and Administrator , who featured briefly in the long - running Lindy Chamberlain case , has died in Darwin at the age of 76.
This blog mentioned Pauling in November 2012 in a post about Darwin ABC journalist and nudist , the late Dick Muddimer, who died that year , aged 83. He had lived in Philip Street , Fannie Bay , next to Tessa and Tom Pauling.
Dick's house contained souvenirs from Indonesia , he said to be a fan of that country, and an item which may have been used to attract the attention of diners in an establishment run by his mother in England.
Muddimer campaigned stronghly for a free beach in Darwin . His property became increasingly valuable and he was offered large amounts of money by developers to sell.
He rejected all offers and said he had been branded anti- progressive , but he did not want to see the street . which he regarded with affection, being jammed up with units. ( The writer of this post had lived in the same street , before Dick , and also has fond memories of the time there) .
Upon Dick's death , the Paulings held a wake for him ,his ashes scatttered in the water at Fannie Bay .
The property , auctioned by the Public Trustee , was bought by the Paulings , slightly renovated , rented out , eventully sold to the Chief Justice.
From a dark storage shed in the rural area , decades ago , Little Darwin found the above painting of Muddimer in a pose like an Aztec sun worshipper , with his pet dog . It was in the possession of a woman who regarded Dick with affection . Truth be told , Dick did not like the painting.
When Darwin finally got its free beach , Muddimer rejoiced and cavorted about at the opening ceremony... his false teeth popped out into the sea . Fellow nudists gathered around , bent down , and groped in the sand for the stray fangs . Unfortunately, nobody took a group photo.
During his time with the ABC Muddimer broke the first news to the outside world about Darwin being destroyed by Cyclone Tracy in l974.
