CAPTIVATING CAIRNS WITH LONELY PELICAN AND UFO

 

Abra photographs.

 

HAROLD HOLT DISAPPEARANCE REMEMBERED IN PARLIAMENT

December  17 being the 50th anniversary  of  the  disappearance  of Prime Minister Harold Holt  while swimming at  Cheviot  Beach , Victoria, in  l967 ,  here  is a flashback  to  a lighthearted moment in Townsville when  Holt, third from the right, laughing ,  visited  the  university , and  was  confronted  by a student  in  underwater gear .

 

 He  and  Mrs  Holt, Zara , pictured ,  spent   time relaxing  and spearfishing in  North Queensland . The   PM  had a friend  from  early university days in Melbourne  ,  artist and  environmentalist  John Horatio  Busst,  involved in  early moves  to  save  the Great Barrier Reef   from  mining  and  oil  drilling .

 

 Recently  a  special  ceremony was held  at  Ellison Reef   to mark the   50th  anniversary  of  the  successful campaign  led by  Busst to  prevent   its   mining . As a  result , it set the  legal precedent for  protecting the Great Barrier  Reef, a large part of it now in a sorry state due to coral bleaching , crown of thorns , runoff,  undeniable climate change .   According to those who inspected Ellison Reef  last October  it  was  not  in very good shape.  Part of  the anniversary  took part  at   Busst's  distinctive  residence  , Ninney Rise, at Bingil Bay, from whence he  led to the fight  to save the  reef and  rainforest  in  the  l960s  and l970s.

 

In the   Special Collections, Eddie  Koiki  Mabo Library , James Cook University, Townsville , are the important  personal   papers of  Busst ,  which includes three boxes of letters ,  one  to  American president  Lyndon  Baines  Johnson (LBJ), calling on him to back a move to  set up adjoining  marine and wildlife  parks throughout   Australia in  honour of   Harold  Holt. There are  also interesting  letters  from  poet  Judith  Wright , strongly involved in the  campaign  to  protect the  Great Barrier  Reef . Mrs  Alison Busst was  with  Zara  Holt  the  day the PM  disappeared . 

 

Made a Dame, Zara  married  a Liberal  dairy farmer  politician , Jeff  Bate, in 1969 and  lived with him in a 100 year old  stone house at  Tilba Tilba  on the NSW  south coast ; he  died in 1984. Upon her death in 1989, she  was  buried  at Sorrento Cemetery , the  closest   graveyard  to  Cheviot  Beach  where  Harold Holt  got  caught  in  a  rip  and  disappeared. 

At the  special  House of Representatives Harold Holt  commemoration this week were  members of  the  family, Holt's press secretary  Tony Eggleston , in the middle, former treasurer and friend of  the family, Peter  Costello, far left .

 

Former   Northern Territory  News   Walkley  Award  winning  reporter  and author  Keith Willey  covered  the  dramatic   Holt  disappearance  for  the   Sydney  Sun .  

LIFE IS NOT MEANT TO BE EASY , BUT RARE ROADRUNNER HELPS

A former Australian  Prime Minister,  the  late  Malcolm Fraser , aka the  Crazy Grazier, famously made  the statement  that  life could  be  nasty  at  times...like when  he was  elected  PM after the  sacking of  Gough Whitlam  by  the sozzled   Governor-General ,  Sir  John Kerr .

From time to time , Little Darwin , in its  fight against the forces of darkness , receives  bundles  which have fallen from the back of  trucks late at night , old  newspaper cuttings, strange   letters   and  revealing  files .

 While attending a  political  Christmas  party  in a  French restaurant  a  day or so  ago , a  seasoned  political  apparatchik  , with   Belgian  chocolate  cake and sauce   to  follow,   surreptitiously   slipped  a  document    into  the  sweaty   hand  of   a  rump  and   garlic  prawns   subversive  connected   with   this   blog .   

Later ,  on  close examination ,  in  a  cone of  silence ,  the  intriguing foreign  item was  unwrapped   and found  to contain  the  following  advertisement   for   the  sale  of  a  classic 1961  Lancia  Flaminia  Sport Zagato SI RHD , described  as   very  rare , formerly owned  by  Malcolm Fraser  .  Price : 650,000 Euros .  

 

PIT  STOP :  After  posting  this revelation, Little Darwin received a coded message  from  a  modest pollie , voted Politician   of  the Year  by the Canberra  press  gang ,   (admittedly  a long time ago ) , the  former  Honourable  ALP Member for  Casey , leather jacket , dark  glasses   and   occasional  fruity oaths , the  one and only  Pete  Steedman .  It  revealed that  Steedman  once   owned   a  Lancia, but it was  just  a  working man's model .  He explained the situation thus :"  I was always pissed off  because Malcolm had this rare and special Lancia. I had a 1969 Zagato, rare enough itself, but Malcolm had the one I coveted. "

 

Steedman has  had  some great  wheels over  the  years, including   a rare Vincent  motorbike. Right  now he  can  put you  onto a bargain  buy, a Bentley ,previously  owned  by a LOL  , who  only used  it to go back and forth to church on Sundays and  the odd  Bingo  outing ...until it came into the  possession  of   leadfoot  Pete .

WIGWAM FOR A GOOSE'S BRIDLE : TIMELY INAUGURAL AWARDS

The ultimate Australian  goose  to receive   this   coveted  nonsense object  is   Prime  Minister Malcolm Turnbull  due to  his amazing backflip on the call for  a  bank  royal   commission. Donald Trump, naturally , is the International  Goose of  the 21st Century .  

NATION CELEBRATES AUSTRALIA DAY WITH HOT l00 FAGS

Senior Liberals  in Turnbull government  are furious over   ABC's  TripleJ  decision  not to  play the Hottest 100 tunes  on  Australia Day. ---  News  item,   run  with  the  usual  confected  outrage  by  ABC  bashing  Murdoch spin machine  DJs.

The true blue Liberal / Spirit of  Australia was  plain for  all to see  in  this pamphlet for the 1988 Bicentennial  Festival in Sydney , which  ran from January  to  February , including Australia Day .   On   the  front was   this  arty farty  kangaroo  surrounded by   typical Oz  symbols , possibly even  an Aborigine .

But , best of all , was  the two page  advertisement  for  the  adoration of  Benson and Hedges  25s , the packet in  an art gallery setting,  portraying  the  sensitive   spirit  of  a  proud , gasping  nation  in  those days .

On the back was a  plug  for the opening of  Sydney's Darling Harbour in January  where you  could walk on the bottom of the sea, ride through the air , shop in style , climb aboard a clipper, step back 200 years , cross paths with a Chinese dragon  ( could be considered  subversive  today )   and  take  off  for  outer  space.

Outraged  Communications Minister  Mitch Fifield , backed  to the hilt by   Murdoch  cigar and cheroot smokers ,  branded  TripleJ    subversive , unpatriotic , political   for  deciding not to run  its  Hot 100  on  Australia  Day .  It was  pointed out that when the  ABC    first   ran  the Hot 100  there were complaints that  this  was  inappropriate  for  Australia  Day celebrations . 

Nevertheless , Fifield  insists  he   hit  his forehead  with his  palm upon  hearing of  the  decision  to  move  the  play  to  another  day . Mosquitoes  or  reaction to the latest clear indication of  disintegration and  brawling  in  the  Coalition  ?

 

Rest assured there will be  a wholesome   cricket match  going on somewhere  on Australia  Day  , the players indulging in sledging , head butting , glaring  and  sixers  replayed  over  and  over  with  an  advert   for   grog . Australia  has  advanced   a  long  way  since  l988.

UNSUNG UNION WARRIORS

Across  North  Australia  staunch  old  union  activists   have been dying in the past  few years  without  the   media  noticing  or  failing to   do  an  in depth   report.  This in places like  Darwin  and  North  Queensland  with  a  long  and  colourful  history  of   union struggles.

 

 

 Little Darwin  has  become aware of  the  death of  two longtime unionists , full of  great anecdotal information and  experiences, whose colourful  lives  deserved   major  coverage . One  strong   unionist was involved in  the  hanging of  the effigy of  Australia's Governor-General , Sir John Kerr,  from  the back of a  ute in  Townsville, then   dumping  him  into   the sea .  Just one  event in a very interesting  life  committed  to  advancing  the  cause  of   toilers.  

Another unionist , who died  recently after a long illness , had been working on  his memoirs  for  years . This  blog is hopeful   those   memoirs will be  lodged  in Special Collections ,  Eddie  Koiki  Mabo Library , James  Cook University , Townsville ,  which   contains   a  wide   range  of  surprising   information  about  bygone   union  struggles and   prominent  identities   ,  from  the shearers' strike which led to the formation of the  ALP   to  the  life of  Kiwi  author , activist  Jean Devanny ,  who   took  on   many  causes   for   workers   in   North Queensland ,  highly regarded  on  the  international   stage . 

 

This  blog  has  also been  made aware  of  the  personal papers and scrapbook   of  a prominent   Cairns   unionist  who   was  once  jailed  for  his   activities .

 One of the reasons why the demise of  these  unionists   go unnoticed  is  due to the fact  that  there  are no  industrial  roundsmen  as such  in  the  media and  local newspapers  really  are  not in  touch  with  the  community they  profess   so  loudly  to  serve .    

TRIFFIDS BACK ON RAMPAGE AT NORTHERN UNIVERSITY

It is full steam ahead  for  the  famous James Cook University "Triffids" now that  the water supply has been reconnected after  a shutdown due to work on the  nearby library building. The unique pieces of  Townsville  statuary  emit mist ,  rattle metallic leaves   and  respond  to  atmospheric   conditions . Nearby  is  a  quiet  spot where  students  can  gaze into  a  wishing  well  and  hope that they  will be able to pay off their Hecs debts  without being forced to  change their names and   flee  to New Zealand  to  seek   work  as   poi  dancers  and paua shell  pickers.   

.