Melbourne journalist Kim Lockwood was given an unexpected family heirloom on a recent visit back to Darwin – the German Neumann Erika typewriter (above) his father, the renowned Melbourne Herald correspondent and author, Douglas Lockwood, used to write his reports and extremely popular Territory books from 1947-68. Dr Richard Giese, of Fannie Bay, bought the typewriter for $5 at a lawn sale in Darwin when Doug cleared out his possessions before taking up the post as managing editor of two papers in Port Moresby, which he combined into the first PNG national daily, The Post Courier.
Dr Giese heard from Grant Tambling that Kim was in town and rang Kim and arranged to return the typewriter to the Lockwood family. He came across the typewriter while sorting out the possessions of his late mother, Nan, who contributed much to the Darwin community. Kim says his father, in Darwin at the time of the Japanese bombing, probably brought the typewriter back from the Dutch East Indies, where he had been a war correspondent. It still works, he reports, though the ribbon is fragile. Kim has a 1937 Quiet Imperial 55, with a massive black iron frame, bought from reporter Rex Clark, which he used when he worked at the NT News from 1968-71.
During his recent visit, he and his wife, Jude, went out to Moulden and photographed the street named after Douglas -- Lockwood Court. As part of their visit to the Top End, they also drove out to Kakadu and, on what would have been his father’s 94th birthday, went to Malabanbandju Lagoon where Kim had scattered his father’s ashes in 1982. A large Jabiru floated down and looked at them.
Kim’s mother, Ruth, now 99, was well known in Darwin. She was evacuated on the last plane out before the bombing, just after the fall of Singapore. On their return to Darwin, Ruth was involved in several community organisations, including the running of the North Australian Eisteddfod. Douglas died while working on another book about selections from the works of Bill Harney and Ruth completed the project, which was published by Viking O'Neil in 1990 as A Bushman’s Life. Both Kim and his sister, Dee Mason, are published authors.
(PAINFUL) FOOTNOTE : Kim’s sister Dale, now Dee, trod on a stonefish in the Dry season, at Lameroo, outside the walls of the baths. She was screaming with pain as Kim carried her up the cliff and dinked her home on his bike. Their father rushed her to hospital, which had only the previous week or so been delivered its first stonefish anti-toxin.
During his recent visit, he and his wife, Jude, went out to Moulden and photographed the street named after Douglas -- Lockwood Court. As part of their visit to the Top End, they also drove out to Kakadu and, on what would have been his father’s 94th birthday, went to Malabanbandju Lagoon where Kim had scattered his father’s ashes in 1982. A large Jabiru floated down and looked at them.
Kim’s mother, Ruth, now 99, was well known in Darwin. She was evacuated on the last plane out before the bombing, just after the fall of Singapore. On their return to Darwin, Ruth was involved in several community organisations, including the running of the North Australian Eisteddfod. Douglas died while working on another book about selections from the works of Bill Harney and Ruth completed the project, which was published by Viking O'Neil in 1990 as A Bushman’s Life. Both Kim and his sister, Dee Mason, are published authors.
(PAINFUL) FOOTNOTE : Kim’s sister Dale, now Dee, trod on a stonefish in the Dry season, at Lameroo, outside the walls of the baths. She was screaming with pain as Kim carried her up the cliff and dinked her home on his bike. Their father rushed her to hospital, which had only the previous week or so been delivered its first stonefish anti-toxin.
