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SPORT
HARPO ’ s MARKS
Readers of this column are well aware that I ’ m a proud founding member , along with John Scott and his son , Greg , of the Les Darcy Club .
Members meet every three or four months for a lunch , listen to words of wisdom from a guest speaker and , well , have an enjoyable time with kindred spirits .
Our membership includes Col Joye , John Singleton , boxing legends Johnny Lewis , Charkey Ramon and Ken Salisbury , filmmaker Graham McNeice , Mick Doyle , the patriarch of the renowned seafood clan , Rugby coach , poet and author Peter “ Fab ” Fenton .
And highly respected and colourful Federal politician , the multi-talented John Joseph Brown , AO , also a founding member of the club .
Australian politics has seen the good , the bad and the ugly since Federation in 1901 – perhaps more of the bad and ugly than the good .
But John Brown is definitely one of the good guys .
He served as the Member for Parramatta from 1977 until his retirement from politics in 1990 .
Under Prime Minister and his great old mate , Bob Hawke , he served this nation as Minister for Sport , Recreation and Tourism , Minister for Administrative Services and Minister for Arts , Sport , the Environment , Tourism and Territories .
A workload he always handled with ease and much success .
Well , Brownie , rocks up to our latest lunch at the Lord Dudley Hotel and while we ’ re enjoying a few pre-lunch drinks , he tells us that he has written a book .
As I ’ m about as tactful as a bloke wielding a sledgehammer , I asked John had he included the “ desk business ” in his tome .
He laughed and told us that “ the desk business ” was in the opening pages .
The “ desk business ” involved him and his then wife , successful public relations consultant , Jan Murray , making “ lurv ” on his office desk in 1983 .
I reckon furniture shops around the country sold out of big desks within the week !
Anyways , we were joined soon after by John ’ s long-time assistant Mina Bellamo , whom he asked if she would return to her car and bring back copies of the book because all of us in attendance wanted to read this remarkable man ’ s memoirs of a life serving his fellow Australians .
So , Mina returns and quickly distributes the books , collects the moolah and immediately the room goes silent when we all open to the first couple of pages .
Won ’ t give away the ending .. .. .. but the butler did it !
But there ’ s much more to Brownie – the Minister for Good Times - than getting up to producing the wood on the timber !
The book covers John ’ s long life - he celebrates his 92nd birthday this coming December 19 – from his school and university days , through his business enterprises and on to his memorable and successful career in politics . And his profound love of sport . Brownie crossed paths with a host of sporting greats across a full gamut of sport , especially cricket , all footy codes , golf , boxing and thoroughbred racing .
One on the anecdotes John recounted in Brownie , was Bob Hawke ’ s role in ensuring the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games were held . Briefly , I ’ ll put you in the picture . Bob Hawke had an abhorrence of South Africa ’ s Apartheid system and in 1984 he convinced all British Commonwealth nations leaders , bar one , to place a blanket ban on sporting contact with South Africa .
The “ bar one ” was in John ’ s words , the “ reprehensible ” British Prime Minister , Margaret Thatcher .
The ban was eventually honoured by all of Commonwealth countries until Apartheid was given the flick in 1992 .
Back to the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games .
“ I received an agitated call from Nel McFarlane ( the British Minister for Sport ) who told me a British and Irish Lions team was due to make a rebel tour of South Africa ,” John wrote .
“ Neil managed to talk the Welsh , Scottish and Irish unions into withdrawing their support but that the English union was determined to still go ahead with the tour .
“ Neil asked me as a matter of urgency to arrange for Bob Hawke to talk to Prime Minister Thatcher and try and convince her of the urgency of the situation .
“ If the British Lions undertook the
South African tour , their first game would coincide with the Edinburgh Games opening ceremony which would lead to a withdrawal from the games by all black nations .
“ I managed in Bob ’ s presence , to get Maggie Thatcher on the ‘ phone . The first 10 minutes or so proceeded along conventional , diplomatic lines . Suddenly the mood changed when it became obvious that Thatcher was determined in her support of the Lions touring South Africa .
“ Bob was becoming angry and eventually reached the limit of his patience .
“ Suddenly he shouted into the ‘ phone , ‘ Listen you effing bitch , get that effing team to withdraw from South Africa or otherwise the Commonwealth Games will implode and possibly the British Commonwealth of Nations .
‘ You are the effing Prime Minister of England and the future of both is in your hands ’.”
John writes , “ Silence prevailed for a few seconds and then Thatcher replied , rather meekly , ‘ I will withdraw that team from South Africa ’.”
Brownie Minister for Good times is chockful of spell-binding anecdotes from a life well lived .
Get yourself a copy of Brownie ’ s book – you won ’ t be able to put it down .
I truly believe a copy should be in the History section of every library around the country .
A Whos ’ Who of sport , politics and business rocked up to the book launch at Royal Randwick on December 4 – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Paul Hogan had much delight in addressing the gathered throng .
The website to view information on John and / or to purchase the book is www . john-brown . com . au .
HIGH MARKS : Travis Head ’ s superb form with bat and ball at the business end of the Cricket World Cup . Want to pick a player to have on your side ? Give me Head every time .
Barrier Rise with
TONY BRASSEL
SPACE TRACKER is a lightly raced 5YO out of the Annabel Neasham yard . Showed plenty of toe and raced away to win 1200m trial at Randwick on November 20 . Has sound first-up record .
HOW DARE YOU wound up 6 th in 1050m trial at Randwick on November 20 but was under a stronghold down the running behind slow horses up front .
FICKLE is an unraced I Am Invincible 3YO filly trained by Camp Snowden . Displayed abundant pace and then very strong final stages in winning 1050m trial at Randwick on November 20 .
SNEAKY PAIGE and SNEAKY SHARK ran 1 st and 2 nd in 740m trial at Randwick on November 20 . Both hit the line powerfully and indicated they will improve vastly on previous form .
MADRINA is an unraced Street Boss
2YO out of the Waterhouse-Bott yard and indicated plenty of ability in racing away to win 740m trial in smart time at Randwick on November 20 .
SALUTE AGAIN , PARTICIPATOR and PILLAR OF STENGTH wound up in the placings in a 1000m trial at Gundagai on November 18 . All three have good form to their credit and indicated they are set for successful campaigns . Participator was narrowly the best trialer .
The
difference is the music
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BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS ! ISSUE 33 // NOVEMBER 2023 29