I introduced myself to Alec Fong Lim and he was a hotel owner and bookmaker. I became his penciller for the Saturday races at Fanny Bay racecourse. This arrangement lasted for 5 years and was good for both of us. He paid me $20 per Saturday and sling if he won. My car was a Falcon station wagon and I saved the money he paid me and purchased a new Valliant Station Wagon. He said “That’s a nice car” and I said “you paid for it with the wages I received from you”
Three years after we arrived in Darwin in 1967 we decided to take a trip down the centre and over to the east coast as I had 8 weeks leave accumulated. We set off with a trailer and campervan to Mt Isa to catch the train to Townsville with the car and trailer on the back of the train called The Inlander. We went via Tennant Creek and Camooweal. I had 2 cartons of beer and I kept asking the kids to pass me a beer as we drove and you would not do it these days. We arrived in Mt Isa and I went to find a camping place and I knocked on the door of what I thought was a caravan park and a big dog came out from under the house and bit me. I went over the fence with a dog hanging on to my leg. Apparently the place was the show ground. Anyway I had to go to the Doctors and have a tetanus needle. So after having a look around Mt. Isa down we went to the station to catch the train.
A page called for me to attend the station office and it was a phone call from Darwin from the manager of Swan to check out any adding machines in Brisbane and if any good buy it. Arrived in Townsville the next day and off to Cairns to a caravan park. Toured the Atherton Tableland, up to Mossman and over to Green Island. We had 3 days there and all were good. I even had time to tour the Gold Top Brewery. So down the east coast to Brisbane. Stopped at Rockhampton and had a look at Mac’s Brewery and other coastal towns.
Camped in Brisbane for few days and drove over to Graceville to show the family where I lived as a boy. Then off to the Darling Downs and New England Highway to N.S.W. Called into Warwick to have a look at the school I attended and it brought back happy memories. Between Armidale and Tamworth we called into a rest stop and while we were having our refreshments a car pulled up beside us and the driver called out “How are you going Mal” and it was a friend from Darwin. I said “Would you like a beer” and he said “I knew you would have one”. Now on to Newcastle and I had alerted my Aunty Peg that we were calling in to see her. As we drove down the road she came running down to see us calling out “Mal Mal” and it was great to stay with her for a few days. Tragically she was run over and died some years later.
We drove to Sydney and stayed at the Lane Cove Caravan Park for a week and had a look around. The children loved it. A few years later there was a double murder at Lane Cove.
It was now time to return to Darwin and the trip was uneventful until there was a flash flood between Bowen and Townsville at Funnel Web Creek. We became friends with a couple who were from Townsville who were on their honeymoon and set up camp for 2 days and nights and we had plenty of food and drink so all was good. On to the train at Townsville and over to Mt Isa and drove to Darwin after 7 weeks holiday.
The next 2 years were spent with the children growing up and everyday life. One Christmas I said to the children I will help you buy 3 new pushbikes if you put in half the money. They asked how do we get the money and I said I will borrow a trailer and we 5 will go down the track and you can pick up returnable bottles and I will cash them in and that will be your half of the money. All went to plan and 3 new pushbikes were delivered.
We were due for holidays in 1959 and decided to drive to South Australia, Victoria and N.S.W. and return. This meant drive to Alice Springs towing a camper in our new Valiant Station Wagon and boarding the Ghan with the car and trailer on the back and rail to Port Augusta. We had Christmas Dinner at Tennant Creek Hotel as I knew the manager and it was great. Half way to S.A. on the Ghan there was a cloud burst and the railway lines became unsafe so we were held up for 2 days and nights not far from Lake Eyre.
Arrived at Port Augusta and away we went to Adelaide at Semaphore Caravan Park. Whilst in Adelaide Mark developed a bad toothache and had to have 2 teeth removed. When the painkiller wore off he was in great agony so we all went to the pictures. Unfortunately he was still in pain and spat on the floor and cried but soon got over it. Two days later and away we went around the south coast of South Australia to Western Victoria. It was nice to see these towns especially Portland where my great grandmother was the first white girl to be born in that town. We ascended Brown Mountain and arrived in Canberra. Not much memory of Canberra except Mark and Dave chasing Beth around the caravan park swimming pool and Beth slipping and gashing her chin open. The journey back to Darwin was uneventful and the end of a great holiday. As the children were growing up we decided to get them part time jobs while going to high school. Mark was a packer at Charlie Carters Grocery, Dave was a storeman at a wine and spirits warehouse and Beth was a waitress at a coffee shop and I am sure it taught them some responsibility.
Two years after our Adelaide trip we decided to travel to Fremantle and back on State Shipping Service Costal Service. We embarked on the Kangaroo and returned on the Koolama. I knew the bosun on the ship and he ran the bar and betting shop on board. We had our dog Butch with us and he had to be walked around the deck twice a day. In the port of Broome while we were at the wharf the tide went out and the ship was down in the mud. As we turned around N.W.Cape the weather turned nasty and the swell was so high the propeller kept coming out of the water and thumping the ship. Jo got seasick and was confined to bed until we got further south. Embarking at Fremantle was like another world. So much sand and many grey headed people. We hired a car and did the rounds of the family and then to Brookton and back. The return trip was uneventful and as we neared Darwin I was glad to be back.
Now life was about to change as follows! My term at Swan had expired and we were due to return to Perth. My friend Alec Fong Lim and I decided to open an off course betting shop in Darwin as partners with me to run it. This meant I had to resign from the Swan Brewery We had to return to Perth and tidy things up and arrange for our house to be leased out and then all back to Darwin. We obtained a N.T.Housing rental house at Wagaman, purchased furniture and shifted in. The boys were apprenticed as electricians and Beth went to high school. The betting shop was built at Berrimah behind the Berrimah Hotel and we opened up. Jo got a job at a shop called Anthony’s and we were in business. The turnover at Berrimah was not enough to warrant a profit so we obtained a lease for another shop at Trower Road Rapid Creek and this was a winner. I had 10 clerks working in the shop on Saturdays and turning over $100.000 and had good days and bad days. In1974 Jo and I decided to go on a South East Asia holiday. We travelled though the countries as far as Taiwan and return
Then came cyclone Tracey on Christmas day 1974 and what a shock that was. Without going through all the details the upshot that our house and business were all gone and we had to make a decision. We packed whatever we had left into the 2 cars and set off for Perth. Arriving in Perth we were able to go back into the house we had in Cloverdale and start again.