Wonthaggi is a beautiful little coastal town with a rich trade
union and political history. On Thursday afternoon 20 February,
Bill Deller, Doctor Louis Irving, Sylvia and your correspondent
took off in Bill's ageing Ford to savour the political fare.
A substantial crowd had gathered in the Arts centre around the
corner from that famous pub. Where else could you find a crocodile
crawling up a wall or perch your glass on the pavement and cast
an eye over the jaw bone of a whale beckoning visitors to step inside?
Where else could you find an octogenarian straight out of that
Ewan MacColl anthem, School Days Over.......you start at the mine
today....?
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| Beth Banks (who runs a local B+B Jongebloed's) takes fright
as the croc considers his next move. |
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Bill Deller takes to the floor.
The crowd left Bill with no doubt that this is a very unpopular
war.
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Among the big crowd was an eighty-eight year old miner
- Allan Opie - who began working in the coal mines in 1928
at age 14 years. If only we heard more from these wise men
and less from political acolytes like Howard and Bush?
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Hi Phil
We met briefly at the end of the wonthaggi evening as I asked
for your web so now have your emial, thank you. I am on the Vic
Peace Net web for Leongatha and was at the Fri march which was
wonderful, also part of the team initiating in this area, Picnic
for Peace last Sun at local McIndoe park, 70 present and we meet
again later today.
Contact: PO Box 165 Leongatha Vic 3953. 03 5662 3481 mob 0414
504 337
Email nawealth@bigpond.com.
It was a great night and I was delighted with all the speakers.
I will be grateful for the opportunity to be able to make contact
with the other speakers, are you able to help please Phil?
Next Wed at Morwell Peter Thain, Gipps FM 5134 8444, 0409 689
043 is hosting the Latrobe Valley Peace Netwwork and has big plans.
I meet him on Tues to get to know one another (am at Cowes for
day Wed)
Will email again soon. Dudley Nicol
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he local band - Reggie's Trio featuring Ruth Chambers,
Peter Chambers, and Dominic Parsons - welcome us with a
number that bore an uncanny similarity to the Irish song
Cunla as played by Planxty on one of their early records.
This is a band (they've done well overseas)you must catch
up with. They finished the night with a Woody Guthrie classic
- This Land is Your Land.......
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Dear Phil
Was most impressed with both your speech and that of the other
contribuitors last night. As an aging Marxist myself and a long
term ALP member disillusioned with Simon's inability to make a
stand....I cannot thank you enough for your wonderful words and
passion.
I was even more thrilled to be accompanied by my ageing Mum,
younger sister and daughter.......girls for peace!
My question submitted at the conclusion regarding availability
of petitions locally still stands...... I know the "feel"
out there, but some folks are just to old, frail or scared to
standup and say "I don't want this".....they may however
sign a petition around the town if one was available......any
ideas?
......maybe we need a targeted local media campaign, difficulty
there the notoriously right wing leanings of our local media!.......
Molly
