RBT: Ravo’s Bush Telegraph

An Occasional Column By

IAN “RAVO” RAVENSCROFT

Tribute To The Colonel

Ravo’s Bush Telegraph starts on a sad note as I advise you that my cousin and great mate Paul (“Johnno” or “The Colonel”,) Johnson recently passed away after a huge fight against pancreatic cancer.

Johnno was a very staunch and loyal supporter of the AHA|SA, along with his wife Lyn, for many years. Paul and Lyn joined my wife Jenny and I when we purchased the Moonta Hotel and commenced operation in April 1985.

In those days the hotel was known as Ravo & Johnno’s Moonta Hotel. Together we developed it to become a very family friendly and social sporting venue. We took considerable joy in supporting and catering for the growing number of local customers.

We also feel we assisted - to a degree at that time - with the era of growth and development of the tourist boom that now exists on Yorke Peninsula. Moonta is now the largest town by postcode on Yorke Peninsula. Special events such as the biannual Cornish Festival and the Paskeville Field days, along with the beautiful, unpolluted pristine beaches, great fishing and history of the Moonta mines have hastened the growth of not only the town of Moonta but the Copper Coast area generally.

Later Johnno and Lyn moved back to Adelaide with their two children, Simon and Amanda. They ran the Prince Albert Hotel in the city for a few years, prior to returning to Edithburgh on Yorke Peninsula, being mine hosts of the Troubridge Hotel for quite a long time.

Johnno was a very popular bloke, loved his Adelaide Crows and was a huge sporting mentor to his two grandsons, Rex and Rory, making their way in life with football and cricket. Johnno was a funny man and loved telling a joke and lived life to the full. “The Colonel” nickname came later in life when he developed a huge resemblance to the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken - Colonel Sanders. If he lived in America, he could have been a double for the great man!

The Colonel was born and raised in Port Lincoln where he lived for a large part of his life. Evidence of his popularity in that town was the magnificent numbers from Port Lincoln who attended his funeral recently in Adelaide, including other hoteliers from the industry. He was a very accomplished junior yachtsman, winning local championships and Queen of the Gulf events.

Later in life he sailed with lifelong mates in many Outer Harbour to Port Lincoln yacht races and regattas. He played cricket for many years in the Waybacks junior and senior cricket teams. The Waybacks’ famous era in football when they won the four grades in 1963 was a huge highlight for him. He was a very talented footballer and was the captain of the successful senior colts team that year and received the winning trophy from none other than the great Neil Kerley on Centenary Oval. Paul succumbed to this insidious disease late August. Following the funeral at Norwood we all gave him a great sendoff at the wake, which was held at the very hospitable Maid & Magpie Hotel (from which I am still recovering).

Rest in peace old mate!

Hotel Observations

I note there are many renovations being done to hotels in and around Adelaide, including Hotel Panorama in the suburb of Panorama, which will be outstanding when completed. The ‘pop up’ pub is aptly named the Tonsarama. Bottleshop, bar, food and gaming areas are now the current home for the old Tonsley staff and clients to keep them in “form”.

The Lockleys Hotel is also undergoing large renovations which are also well under way in the western suburbs of Adelaide. I can’t wait to have a beer with Brian Kelly and family when that is completed.

Likewise, the fabulous Lakes Resort Hotel at West Lakes has had some great changes within and is simply a continuously consistent and popular venue.

By the way, if you love a meal of pork loin chops you must go to the Hotel Royal at Torrensville - simply magnificent! Obviously this hotel will be extremely popular soon, being a couple of drop punts with the wind from the new Crows facility planned to be built at the Thebarton Oval precinct.

In closing, the RBT wishes all hoteliers good trading leading to the summer festive season. Keep smiling all!