While doing the rounds in Darwin looking for treasures , oddities and the holy grail , I came across a pile of books dealing with Australian politics, a former owner being a justice of the peace.
On the half title page of Don Watson’s tome, Recollections of a Bleeding Heart-A portrait of Paul Keating , PM, Knopf Books, 2002, was a presentation inscription : Dearest Tony….Enjoy reading about one of the biggest wankers in Oz history . The book came complete with three kisses .
Being an unashamed Keating fan , to see the big picture man , able to distill involved situations into simple language and rotisserieise ( is there such a word?) the Coalition on the parliamentary debating hotbed until they looked like scorched scrub turkeys, described in such a derogatory way caused palpitations as I prepared to see a cardiac specialist at the Darwin private hospital on April Fools’ Day. No wonder my blood pressure reading was 170 over 100. Anyway, the impressive specialist said the Hawkeye ( sounds like an episode of MASH) x-rays taken of me in more positions than in the illustrated , revised and enlarged Kama Sutra , indicated that I was a fine specimen for a decaying geriatric.
Returning from the hospital somewhat jubilant, hopeful of living long enough to see the next leap year, I perused the other political books. The Hawke Memoirs , Heinemann, 1994, had the JP’s stamp on the front free endpaper, and while there was no inscription and nil kisses by mouth , out popped The Third Reich illustrated bookmark and map key. Hmmm . Tories have a penchant for this kind of literature , I am told.
The 2001 inscription in Russell Schneider’s political autobiography of Andrew Peacock -The Colt From Kooyong-wishing Tony all the best for 2001 , cryptically stated , "You are way in front !" As the former owner of the book and Peacock had both attended Scotch College , Melbourne , it may have been a reference to their alma mater or a comparison between their then station in life. On the other hand , Peacock may have just returned , exhausted, from an astral trip with Shirley MacLaine . The book’s blurb said Peacock’s enemies ( guess which Liberals ) described him as a bad loser, spoilt child and a lazy playboy , who at times displayed amazingly poor political judgement –staff appointments including a gay liberationist and a spy . Fancy a true blue liberal mixing with such, such subversives.
Another staffer , former Liberal politician , Barry Simon, was not impressed by the performance of a former Minister for the Northern Territory , Evan Adermann , of the Country Party, when as the Minister for Repatriation he headed a government delegation to a South Pacific Commission meeting and could not answer an important question , saying he would have to ask Canberra when he returned from the island jaunt with a wilting lei and a conch shell in his baggage ; ukulele music still ringing in his ears along with the friendly beat of a headhunter's drum .
On the half title page of Don Watson’s tome, Recollections of a Bleeding Heart-A portrait of Paul Keating , PM, Knopf Books, 2002, was a presentation inscription : Dearest Tony….Enjoy reading about one of the biggest wankers in Oz history . The book came complete with three kisses .
Being an unashamed Keating fan , to see the big picture man , able to distill involved situations into simple language and rotisserieise ( is there such a word?) the Coalition on the parliamentary debating hotbed until they looked like scorched scrub turkeys, described in such a derogatory way caused palpitations as I prepared to see a cardiac specialist at the Darwin private hospital on April Fools’ Day. No wonder my blood pressure reading was 170 over 100. Anyway, the impressive specialist said the Hawkeye ( sounds like an episode of MASH) x-rays taken of me in more positions than in the illustrated , revised and enlarged Kama Sutra , indicated that I was a fine specimen for a decaying geriatric.
Returning from the hospital somewhat jubilant, hopeful of living long enough to see the next leap year, I perused the other political books. The Hawke Memoirs , Heinemann, 1994, had the JP’s stamp on the front free endpaper, and while there was no inscription and nil kisses by mouth , out popped The Third Reich illustrated bookmark and map key. Hmmm . Tories have a penchant for this kind of literature , I am told.
The 2001 inscription in Russell Schneider’s political autobiography of Andrew Peacock -The Colt From Kooyong-wishing Tony all the best for 2001 , cryptically stated , "You are way in front !" As the former owner of the book and Peacock had both attended Scotch College , Melbourne , it may have been a reference to their alma mater or a comparison between their then station in life. On the other hand , Peacock may have just returned , exhausted, from an astral trip with Shirley MacLaine . The book’s blurb said Peacock’s enemies ( guess which Liberals ) described him as a bad loser, spoilt child and a lazy playboy , who at times displayed amazingly poor political judgement –staff appointments including a gay liberationist and a spy . Fancy a true blue liberal mixing with such, such subversives.
Another staffer , former Liberal politician , Barry Simon, was not impressed by the performance of a former Minister for the Northern Territory , Evan Adermann , of the Country Party, when as the Minister for Repatriation he headed a government delegation to a South Pacific Commission meeting and could not answer an important question , saying he would have to ask Canberra when he returned from the island jaunt with a wilting lei and a conch shell in his baggage ; ukulele music still ringing in his ears along with the friendly beat of a headhunter's drum .
