THE JOYS OF YOUTH

A  school sailing experience on  the  Coral Sea .

A BOTTLE OF FLUTTERING COLOUR

Lorikeets in bottlebrush on Magnetic Island.

JIMMY BUFFETT'S PARROT HEAD GOES "NUTS" DOWN UNDER

Jenn  Payne , Queen of the  Coconuts , a painted  one nearby , rendering her  catchy  song  about  the  wonders of  North  Queensland  in  the cockpit of  the  43ft  catamaran , Nyeki. Examples of  her artwork are  evident  throughout  the  yacht, above  her head  a necklace  made  from pumice , cuttlefish and driftwood  threaded  onto  wire  about which is wound raffia , a thong with  a tropical scene . 

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During  a   performance  in   Brisbane,  American  superstar  singer and  songwriter  ,  Jimmy  Buffet,  who  extolls  a  relaxed , tropical  life style, with drinks at  sundown  ,  declared  Mission  Beach  resident   Jenn  Payne Australia's  Number   One   Parrot  Head , a  great honour . She  had   attended  the show in   an eye catching  Parrot  Head   hat with  flashing lights , and presented him  with  a painted   coconut  .  Apart   from   bestowing  the parrot  head  title on  her , he  presented   Jenn  with  an  autographed  flip flop .

 At another of his  shows, in Sydney ,  she presented  him   with   Confessions of a Beachcomber , by  journalist and naturalist   E. J. Banfield , buried on   Dunk Island  , North Queensland , where  Jenn   once   worked  .

In the  Buffett  style, Jenn , known as the Cruising Yacht Artist  of Coconut Cottage , has  composed  a  rollicking  song, I Only Go Where The Coconuts Grow ,  which   she  sang , with great gusto, strumming away on her ukulele ,   to an  invited   lucky audience  of  hepcats   aboard  the catamaran  in the Magnetic Island marina . Present  in   the  almost  blown away group  was   the  island's   Queen of  the  Jungle , so it could be  regarded as  royal command performance.
 

Swaying   and  whistling   during the  event  was Larry the  jiving and  cussing Lorikeet , rescued  by  Jenn and  her husband, John , after  Cyclone Larry in 2011 . Apart  from Larry, there was an old bird  from Little Darwin in  attendance .

 

Jenn's  great  song  extolls  the  many  attractions of  North Queensland , the  Great Barrier  Reef  and  should  be  used  to  promote the North. Throw  in  Larry  accompanying  Jenn on the ukulele   and  it  would  undoubtedly  go  viral     

 Larry added  to the  entertainment by  performing  a  series  of  calisthenics   which involved  rotating  his head  almost  to  breaking point  to  perform  hearty  scratching  ; toes of    guests were nibbled ; he  swigged  some  wine , had a few drops of  beer  ,  sipped some honey water ,  refused  an  offer  of  a  drop of rum from the  Captain Larry bottle , the label of which  features him  , with  an uncouth  message  about  being  as  pissed  as  a  parrot .

Larry was not allowed on deck because  a  large bird of prey had been  circling   the  boat  for  days . The  killer kite  probably  tried  to  attack the  painting  of   Larry  drinking  a  Buffett  Margarita  on   the  deck .   

 Larry is busy packing  his  kitbag  to   set sail  in  Nyeki for the special bash organised by the Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club  , an outfit in which every member  is  a" vice commodore" ,  so  nobody  can  get uppity like  the  exclusive  New  York  Yacht  Club .There could be up to 200  yachts at the  gathering  and  Larry will  take  part  in  daily  radio  squawk  sessions .

Starting soon - an  exclusive  series  on  the  flighty  life  of   Larry  the  grounded   celebrity  Lorikeet.  

RISING SUN OVER BOMBED OUT VICTORY IN PACIFIC MEMORIAL

S(h)ipping  Reporter  continues   expose  of   the  shameful neglect of war memorials by Townsville's  civic,  military , myopic mushroom club  media  and   the  Australian  War   Graves   Commission.
 

Reflected in  the  inoperable  Victory in the Pacific  memorial fountain  at the start of the city's Civic Pride Trail !!!, is the  rising  sun  advertisement from   the  back of  a  Sun Bus  at   the nearby grotty bus shelter ,which frequently  displays rubbish on the ground ,  graffiti ,  empty  bottles  and  cans  in  the  rafters .When  this latest shot was taken   missing from the fountain  fittings was  an  underwater light .

Same day , this  was the  scene  at  the  Battle for the Coral Sea  memorial - leaves piled up ,  figs from overhanging trees  ground  into  the  surrounds, details   badly  in  need  of   a  touch  up .  

Not far away , the North Queensland  WW ll  Remembrance  Garden, which sports an  Australian War Graves sign, offering  space for  5000  veterans, the   information  plaques  are  hard to  read  and some of the vegetation  seems limp and discoloured , again  giving  the  impression  of  neglect.     

 

COMING IN ON A WORN WING AND A PRAYER IN QUEENSLAND

TOP : Reverend Steve  Siddens  touching down  in  December  1968  in  his  1943 Auster , at  St. George, south west Queensland, centre of the  Balonne Shire ; the  political career of accountant Barnaby Joyce took off from St. George . The  shire  includes   Dirranbandi, near which is now  Cubbie  Station , the  largest  cotton growing  plantation  in  the  southern  hemisphere . ABOVE : Sitting  at  the  controls of   well  worn , workhorse  plane.   

ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

 Reverend   Alan   Renton , 90,  and  his  wife , Shirley, 85 ,  above,  at the   farewell   service  for  them  in  the  Uniting  Church , Magnetic Island  , shortly  before  they  flew   to  Tasmania  to  retire , in  a  fashion .

 

By  Peter  Simon

 

They have  had  an  heroic life  together, fighting  the  good  fight on many fronts .  During the church morning  tea , they told me how they  first met . Her  life threatened  by  severe asthma  attacks  , Shirley , an  accomplished  pianist , living  in  Tasmania , was  sent to stay with  a  penfriend  in  outback  Queensland.

 

While there , Alan Renton , B.Sci., D.D.,  living in Brisbane , a newly qualified   Presbyterian  minister , asked  church   authorities   where they would like him  to   go  to commence spreading  the   word .  Much  to   his   surprise  ,  they   nominated a place way out west,  near  Emerald ,  starting   almost  immediately .

 

Given   a  month  to  clear  the  deck  in  Brisbane  , he   took up the post   and  was invited to deliver a sermon, perhaps his second ,  on   the verandah  of  a  property where  graziers   gathered .

 

Arriving at  the  venue , he  walked in ... there  was a  young woman playing the  piano-Shirley.  He explained what  transpired : There and then  he decided  to marry that  wonderful  woman.  Shirley  chuckled , recalling   that fateful  musical moment,   adding  that  he had  " chased " her   for  two  years , she moving  back  to  Tasmania ,   before   popping   the   question .

 

During  their 60  years together  they were  avid  book  collectors ; I often literally bumped  into  Alan  at  garage sales  on  the island  , both   looking  for   new  volumes   to  add  to  our  shelves ,  piles  ,  office  disorder .  

The extent of  his library  is  evident  in  this  photograph , which had to be cleared as their house, in  which they had  lived for 25 years ,  is on the market  . Apart from  an  extensive  religious  reference  section , it included  many Penguin paperbacks ,  French  literature , Greek classics  , Australiana.  Missionary work in the Pacific ,  inland  Australia  and  China  were  also   covered .

 

Shirley built up her  own   extensive   library  on  Australian politics . Born in Port August , South Australia , she  developed  an  interest in politics from the age of  nine when she  had to read  the content   of   newspapers  to her mother who suffered  from glaucoma.  Her mother  had been  a supporter of  the  wartime ALP  prime minister , John  Curtin . 

     

Both  the  Rentons  are  ALP stalwarts, Alan  the president of the  Magnetic Island  ALP branch   for  many years .   During  their   lifetime of  devout  religious  and   political   involvement  they  were  forced  to  leave  Queensland  and  go to Tasmania to live  because of   their  stance against  the  Joh  Bjelke-Petersen Government  over  such  matters as  moving  Aborigines  off   bauxite  deposits,  on  Cape York ,   land rights , the Springboks  tour of  Australia ,  the Queensland declaration of  a state of  emergency. 

 

In 1983 , Reverend  Renton received a  card  from a religious organisation  with a printed  question  on the back : WHAT  DID  YOU DO TO  GET  SENT  TO  TASMANIA ! ( Obviously a tongue in cheek  query , recalling the days when convicts were sent to  Van Diemen's  Land , now Tasmania ,  from England    for  minor  crimes ). Alan  replied : Had an argument with the Qld  Govt  about  the  Aboriginal issue .

 

Once  he and Shirley    attended  a  major   religious protest   meeting  in  Brisbane  , watched  by   police, paddy wagons  parked  nearby into which they  could  have  been  thrown .  

Shirley kept  a  large scrapbook  of   those  dark  days  in  Australia , which  she  gave  me  to  keep .  As  the result  of  a  quick  look through the contents , a letter addressed  to Alan   attracted attention . It  accused him of being  neither  a sportsman nor a Christian  by supporting  demonstrations  against the South African Springboks rugby   tour. These  demonstrations, it  charged , were  organised by Communists .

 

It took him to task for not speaking out about the Russian treatment of Jews   and  failing  to demonstrate against  the "All  Black " West  Indies cricketers , the American  Harlem Globetrotters  basketball  team  and an "All White " South African  singing   group  currently  touring  Australia .

 

During their time in  Tasmania , the  Rentons   were  both  deeply involved in  church work . Alan became  the  editor  of  Crosscurents,  official magazine of the Division of  Christian Education ,Uniting Church, Synod of Tasmania . Shirley, with  a  wide   interest  in  music , did  extensive  reviews  of  religious  music , injecting much of  her knowledge  into  her work ; in one, Sing Out With Joy ,  sighted  by  me,   she  recalled   the   background  of   the  Cantus Chorus, formed in  Melbourne,  with  reference  to  Haydn   and    praise for  one of Australia's top organists , Norman Kaye.

 

 Shirley's impressive collection of   political books  were  distributed   among   ALP  members  on   the  island  and  a  large  part  went  to  a  reference  /  reading  room   library   in  Townsville .

  

 Books from  Alan's  collection have  also  been  distributed  far and wide . He asked me  to come  by  and   help  him  pack  suitcases and   boxes  of  books  which  will  be  distributed  to  settlements  across  the top of North Queensland  and  into   the  Northern Territory .

 

During  his  last few weeks on  the island , a busy and stressful period  for them ,  he  asked me to help him make contact with a mother  to arrange  the  baptism  of  a  baby girl .  While assisting    him  clear  out  the contents of a large wardrobe , he  gave me   a number of   cardboard  boxes dealing with  various  aspects  of   their  life in  which they  fought   for   Aboriginal  land rights , helped numerous  people  in  difficulties . 

 

 I  have witnessed  Alan   and  Shirley involved  in   selfless  action helping  people . One  memorable event, some  15 years ago,   involved me assisting   Alan   to   move a large  refrigerator into  a   house on  the island  to  help  a  young  woman, in  a  difficult  situation.   It  was  heavy work ... I went to  hospital  for a  triple  bypass  the  following week ,   the  exertion  said  to have   contributed to  me   blowing  a valve , or  some other  vital   component  .   

 

A  box   Alan  gave me  last  week  to sift  through   brought to light the surprising  fact that  he had  been  a  ham  radio operator  in Queensland  and  Tasmania . As a   result , there  was  an  unusual   follow  up  revelation .  

Reverend  Renton , in gown ,  officiated,  above ,   when a  dramatic   religious mural,  painted by  Martin Hengeveld , brought from Holland as a child ,  an artist  and  soil conservationist  with the  Department of Primary Industry,  was dedicated at  St. Andrew's Presbyterian  Church , Allora,  Queensland . It depicted Christ reaching out from Heaven to  take Man crushed by  his own inventions  and   placing  him  in  a  better world .

 

Alan was so inspired by  the  mural  , he incorporated  it  into his ham radio  call card sent out  across  the  world  to   many  other  radio enthusiasts . The two bottom cards  in  the above composite  graphic  are  from  his  radio,VK4AZ, located  in  Presbyterian  manses  at  Allora and   Prosperpine .

 

While stationed at  Charters Towers in the late 1950s and early 1960s  , he  campaigned  hard to  try and  establish a  hostel  for  Aboriginal children  from  far and  wide  so  that  they  could  be  educated. A  qualified  music teacher , Shirley  taught many  children and  adults  to play the piano . She also participated in theatrical  productions , like The Maid of the Mountains.   Arthritis  ended  her  piano and organ playing . 

 

 One of her  many interests  was  sailing , racing  17ft   dinghies   in the Whitsundays . Even though petite, she  cut a  dashing  figure, like  the  commodore of  a    cruising  yacht  club, when  she strode about the waterfront  in  a naval jacket , with  brass  buttons , a captain's hat ,  an  outfit which  Alan  bought  at  a  garage  sale   in  Tasmania .    

 

Because of her involvement  in  sailing , she  took a keen  interest  in  Australian Wooden  Boat  Festivals  held  in Tasmania. 

 

During the farewell  church  morning  tea , after baptising a baby and making a stirring   farewell speech ,  Alan  thanked  ALP  members who attended . He  also  said   that in all  his  60  years  of  involvement  with  ALP  branches  , it surprised him  how   knowledgeable  current  island  branch  members  were ,  interested  in  so   many  subjects   and   issues .

 

It is to be hoped that  in Tasmania  , after this  salt of the earth   couple  have rested , some  university  group  or  author  will   contact  the   Rentons  and   tape   their  heroic,   inspiring   life story . 

NORTHERN WEATHER PATTERNS

Fog at  Acacia , near Darwin . Sara snapshot .

 

Cloud formations  from  Castle Hill ,Townsville .Abra photos.