DRUMS OF WAR

Massed   military  bands at  l956  Melbourne Olympic Games, Waltzing Matilda one of the tunes.

Republic drum kit  and  bullfighter in Townsville op shop.

Marching   to  the  South  Australian  Police  Band 

FANCY WRAP FOR OUR GLAD

Stylish cover on   record  album   sleeve  of  Australian soprano  Gladys  Moncrieff ,1892-1976,  known as  the Australian Queen of  Song  and Our Glad. Born  at  Bundaberg , Queensland ,she performed in Townsville and Charters  Towers  as a child in a small musical road show, billed as  Little Gladys --The  Australian  Wonder  Child. 

 A big hit in London musical comedy  , she returned to Australia  in  the  l930s and  toured  widely , said to have  become one of  the highest paid  performing artists in the history of  the  Australian stage.  Moncrieff  is commemorated  in a  Queensland  electorate,  a  Canberra   suburb , an hibiscus and a library .    Our  Glad  cover  found  in  a  Townsville  treasure  hunt. 

FIGHTER PILOTS / DARWIN CONNECTIONS/ DUCK FEATHERS / QUAIL ISLAND BOMBING

The extraordinary  WW 11  exploits of  Australian  fighter  pilot  and behind the  lines commando , NIcky Barr, are  detailed in the above   2001  book  by  Peter  Dornan , published by   Allen and Unwin, recently  obtained  by  this  writer.Barr shot down 12 planes , was himself  shot down three times, seriously wounded.

Early in his flying career he was made honorary aide-de-camp to the Queensland  Governor , Sir Lesley Wilson.

One  of  the surprises   in  this  commendable  volume  was the revelation that a  former   Darwin resident  I had  known in   peacetime, " Wilf "Arthur, had   been  another   daring   fighter  pilot.

At the back of the book is a list of Australian fighter pilots  which states Squadron Leader Wilfred Stanley Arthur, DSO,DFC, mentioned in  despatches ,had shot down 10 enemy aircraft.

He is shown with his wife Lucille and his portrait in Canberra when the Australian War Memorial in 1992 bought  his  wartime  Kittyhawk fighter plane , named  "Polly", for  display  in  the  Aircraft  Hall. 

It seems he was rarely called by his Christian name, Wilfred .  During the  war  years he was called Woof, Wolf, Wulf and  even  Bandy !

After the war,  he was commissioned  as  a temporary wing commander  in the  RAAF Reserve.  If variety is the spice of life, he certainly had  it  thereafter .

Captured  in  Vietnam 

After becoiming the registrar of  a free expression school in Melbourne, in 1950 he joined the Australian School of Pacific Administration, went to Vietnam in 1961 to establish a  dairy farm under the Colombo Plan.

Despite being captured by the Viet Cong  and held to ransome ,  he returned to  Vietnam and became known as the  Duck Feather King, supplying duck feathers to the American  military for  life  jackets.

Moving to  Darwin in the Northern Territory, he  became the  administration  manager of the Geopeko mining company running the   Ranger uranium  mine  at   Jabiru.

 Darwin agronomist Robert Wesley-Smith, strongly opposed to the Vietnam War, had dealings with   Wilf  Arthur ,said he was  not aware of his   wartime heroism  until after his  death in  2000   and   burial  at   the   Adelaide  River  War  Cemetery . 

In the book about air  ace  Nicky Barr  there was mention of another  renowned  Australian  fighter pilot,"Killer" Clive Caldwell,  who destroyed many  aircraft - 28.5 to be exact.. His  decorations included the  DSO, DFC and bar, the  Polish Cross of  Valour.

 

Killer Calwell was  in a  well  lubricated  Darwin  mess   during the  war   and  reportedly dived  for cover with others   when  author Xavier  Herbert,  who   supposedly  became  enraged  and  went  for his  gun   when  he realised  that  his drinking partners were  only  pretending  to  support  his   wild  plan  to   raid  Timor.  

Clump,Slither,Clump

Another person of interest in the  book  with a Darwin connection was Squadron Leader Dixie  Chapman of  No.3  Squadron. Long  after the war  ,  Group  Captain  Dixie  Chapman was  in charge of  the  Darwin RAAF  base from which   nearby  Quail Island  was  used  as  a  bombing range.

There  is a  Dreamtime spring on the island  and it is a turtle breeding ground.

In  an attempt to stop the RAAF bombing    Quail Island,  the editor of the  Northern Territory News, " Big Jim "Bowditch , wrote a memorable editorial 

headed  TURTLES  ARE  IN  THE SOUP.

By relentlessly bombing the island,  he said the RAAF was  denying  Mr and Mrs Turtle the right of hearing the  clump,slither  clump  of little turtle's  flippers - a play on  the  pitter patter  of  children's feet.  

On reading this, Group Captain Dixie Chapman went to the  NT News office in his chauffeur  driven car  and firmly told Bowditch  he had read a lot of  bullshit in his life, but  the editorial took the  prize as the worst. Both men laughed  

 The  cruel  RAAF eventually stopped  bombing  the  island  after a new range  was  established  on  the  mainland. 

BLOATED SKY , GIANT BUTTERFLY

 

Vallis.

HAIRY VISITOR FROM ANOTHER PLANET

 Little  Darwin Shop  and  Blog  of  Horrors  .

 

 Vallis.

SUNBIRDS ON PARADE

Magnetic Island.

Cairns. Abra .

EXCLUSIVE : ANOTHER TITANIC DISASTER

 COPENHAGEN.: A   Danish  clairvoyant  is  sensationally  predicting  that   Clive  Palmer's   Titanic ll  will  hit a Queensland  iceberg  on  its maiden  voyage  and   sink, with  Donald  Trump  clutching  a  blow- up  doll  in   the  ship's  swank  presidential  suite. 

Furthermore , the clairvoyant  has posted a  dramatic  picture of the battered  iceberg, on its side , below, after  it  is   hit  by  the  updated  Titanic copy.  

Our Shipping Reporter says the  buckled , bobbing  about  iceberg is spookily  similar in outline to  an early  waterfront   building   in  Townsville , Queensland,   bought  by  Clive  Palmer  in  the  nightclub  precinct.

BRIMMING BILLABONGS IN CROCODILE DUNDEE COUNTRY

 

Darwin  wetlands . Wesley-Smith  pix .

GIANT SUGAR SHAKER AND BIG BIRD SPOTTED IN SCENIC WATERFRONT STROLL

 

Townsville. Sara and Vallis  snaps.

CLOUD SPECTACULAR

Darwin.

 

GIANT DUGONG ATTRACTION

Car  carrier  Dugong  Ace  ,Townsville. Shipping Reporter says the last  cruise ship   due   Tuesday  before  the   season  resumes  in   November. 

PRANCING BOWERBIRD WITH GRAND DESIGN ON HOMEFRONT

   A Great  Bowerbird , which  frequent  an area from Broome  , across the Top  End   to  Cape  York Peninsula , as  far south as  Mount Isa  and  Mackay,  photographed   in   Mundingburra  , Townsville.  

The  largest of the bowerbirds, it is tawny grey in colour, the male  displaying   a  small pink crest  on  the  nape  of  the  neck.

While  the  male spends a lot ot time building a fancy , decorated bower, on the  ground , up to a metre long, to attract a   female, she  builds  a nondescript  small  cup  shaped  nest  up  a  tree,

Bower with all mod cons.

RIVERWAY OVERFLOW

 

Ross  River , Townsville.  Vallis .

WELCOME STAIN FROM ACROSS THE BORDER

In 1916  Australian women  were  informed they could  remain young looking by  applying   Dr  Allen's   Mexican  Walnut  Stain  on  their  greying  locks 

RUFFLED RAINBOWBIRD

Vallis.

 

CAIRNS TAPESTRY

Abra.

 

ERODED MOUNT FUJI WITH GREEN WAVE

Odd   composition  thought  not  to  have  been  concocted   by  Katsushika  Hokusai.   Possibly  the   work  of  Vallis  after  drinking  too  much saki.

WRITE THAT BOOK !

 During his  action packed life Pete Steedman  was  urged on several occasions   to  write a book  about his   involvement in  so  many issues ,including his strong stand against the Vietnam War and  conscription, fascistm , his influence on  war reporting in London,  his part in the Cyclone Tracy  aftermath ,  promoting  music in  Australia , editing   an  ALP newspaper , narrowly  avoiding  being  murdered  in  Afghanistan.

Along the way  , apart from being named  Australian politiician  of the year, he was bashed  , threatened , the government considered  charging him with subversion , and  he narrowly escaped  being  mauled  by  the  notorious kray  Brothers  in   London.

Unfortunately, he  never  got  round  to  writing that  book and now  he  is fighting cancer, told he does not have long to live.  This blog attempted  to  cover  his  colourful  life  in  about  57  truncated  parts, including the episode when  he  threatened the great American  protest singer  Bob Dylan with  a   knife  in  Melbourne.

One of those who  strongly urged him to write his memoirs   was  prominent    Australian playwright and screenwriter  David  Williamson ,  whose rural property  Steedman bought at  Hurstbridge,  north of Melbourne, young Pete , known as the Black Knght in Victorian  political circles ,  was  photographed there  ,  above ,   on  a  rare  HRD   motorbike . 

While  sorting out  his  files, Steedman  recently  rediscovered   this   message   from   Williamson   urging  him  to  write  a book. 

No false modesty Pete.  You were the  real deal.  Fearlessly kicking heads that needed to be kicked and exposing the barely hidden rottenness that lies beneath the conservative vision of all the spoils to the few.  

Sure you got your head kicked too, but when you attack entrenched privilege and threaten their world view you cop it big time.  And you did. 

 Why is it that nobody would say the things that had to be said.  And why did you?  Because you had mountains of anger at the injustice being swept under the carpet.  Most of us know what’s going on but are too wary to stick our necks out.  That anger is still with you and would fuel a great book. 

Dictate it into a recorder, get it transcribed and edit it.  That’s how Tom Keneally still does it.  Then finally get a good editor to help you get it into shape.  Call it simply STEEDMAN ;  Rebel with a cause.  

 You made mistakes.  Who doesn’t.  Sometimes a bit image conscious, sometimes too theatrical.  So what?  You lived your life at full throttle and how many of us do that?  Love to get together when I next come down,  but it shouldn’t  take  me  to  prod you  that you have a story to tell.  Best . David  W.

Another person who urged him to write the  book  was  Phillip  Adams , presenter of   the   ABC's  Late Night  Live, soon  to  retire. 

 In  his  case  , Adams  said  he looked  forward  to the many  entertaining   defamation cases which would undoubtedly  result   from  publication  of  the  book.   A possible illustration  in that book could have been  the   early faded   Michael   Leunig  cartoon   , below,   Steedman recently found    while  sorting out his files. It is  headed  The ultimate  (election) promise ,  dealing  with   the  Liberals . 

From this cartoon alone   it is easy to understand  why Leunig was  officially declared an  Australian   National Treasure .

UPCOMING:  Giant  Steedman  missing  link  and  sporran   found  in  North  Queensland ? 

FLAGS REVEAL WARTIME ROMANCE

 A feature of  another  interesting exhibition at the Magnetic Museum, starting on Saturday, will  be two  WW ll flags-one Australian, the  other  American .

During the war, Americans  who came to Townsville  at times went to Magnetic Island on a  kind  of R and R .  One   place  they stayed at was   the  Horseshoe Bay  Guest House , from whence the  flags  have  come . 

It  seems  an  American   Serviceman  married    the daughter   of   the  establishment.

Research  on the flags  for the  exhibition called  Magnetic Attraction -The Island of  Magical Charm -turned  up  the  love  story .

Another item of interest which will be on display  will be  a view of the  government  launch  Woy  Woy  which took part in a WWl grand  aquatic  carnival.

TASTY HIBISCUS

 

Vallis

WET CAIRNS TO CAPE YORK FLIGHT

  Aeronautical  Correspondent   Abra  special 

 

WARTIME BULLDOG SPIRIT HARD SELL

During World  War  l  patriotic Australians  were urged  to  wear  the  above brooch.

DIVER DAN IN PIER RECONSTRUCTION ?

Owing to his vivid imagination, our Shipping Reporter ,has advanced the  theory that  The Pier, Townsville's  long closed glass- walled  restaurant , overlooking  the  breakwater marina  , is being converted into an  underwater  observatory like the  one  built in 1954  by Vince Vlassof  and  Lloyd  Grigg  on  Green Island,  off Cairns . 

He bases this wild  suggestion  on  the  fact that  a  large  pontoon  is  tied  to the    building, which  could  be   used  by  a  diver . 

 The Pier, known as the  Barge Inn years ago, badly damaged by fire in 1985,  was  rebuit,  then  hit by Covid, closed . Situated   opposite the   Magnetic  Island  ferry  terminal , it  was  put  up  for  sale .

The new  owners  announced  plans to  convert  the  building into short term acommodation , which has resulted in major gutting  of  the interior , removal of  the  decking .

Another   long  closed waterfront   building of  note, the Criterion Hotel ,   is sporting an  under contract   sign .

RUSTY WATERFRONT PORTRAIT

 

Townsville .  Shipping  Reporter  pix.