I’m a pioneer elder, son of a farm creator
I am part of the country nature,
Surrounded by birds, animals, creatures, native to Australia
Duststorms three days long, birdsongs all gone
I find my way home, walking the railway line, past our north gate
From there I know the way home at a sand-stinging rate.
Three long droughts in a row stop any wheat to grow
Heartbroken Dad says “We have to leave the Mallee”
His brother in dairying was his best ally.
We ended up milking sixty cows by hand.
For a third of the milk cheque from the owner of the land
Three years late, deteriorating health, forced Dad to move us into a town with a population of 5,000 people
It seemed to us a big steeple to climb
Colac’s Regent Theatre showed movies every night and a matinee on Saturday which I attended right away
Then I got a parttime job as a trainee assistant projectionist
Which meant I learned how to show films as a perfectionist.
After high school I worked in the theatre full-time. My life became an exciting rhyme.
One night the film broke and caught fire in the gate
I had to run down stairs calling “FIRE – EVACUATE”
The Hollywood producer said the Colac Regent had to pay for a new print because one of my joins broke
I spent a restless night of no sleep; my mind awoke to the idea that my job was gone
Next morning, we found the other half of the join and stamped across it was ‘Columbia’
A move to Melbourne to work in the city theatres for Great Union, and to study for my projection license.
I then went to London to be part of the Film Production.
Luckily, I worked at Ealing Studios on a great variety of productions.
Back in Australia I got a job in a film unit helping local agriculture.
Within six months I am writing scripts, direction and editing
Films which farmers found crediting.
Two years later I worked on Stanley Kramers “ON THE BEACH”
with Ava Gardner, Gregory Peck and Fred Astaire. I learnt so much on that film the industry finally new I WAS THERE!!!!
