G’day From Melbourne

G’Day

from Melbourne

ISN’T IT WONDERFUL TO SEE SOME GOOD NEWS COMING OUT OF IRELAND WITH THE COVID19 RESTRICTIONS BEING LIFTED?

I was beginning to forget what it was like to hold a hard copy of the Sunday Independent and the Cork Echo, thanks to the Australia Post being back in operation again. I do like to read newspapers from home, in a strange way, it makes me feel more connected. As soon as the papers arrive in my letterbox, I’m like a dog chasing a bone off down the pathway. I then spend hours reading every item even the deaths, remembrances and classifieds. Many years ago growing up in Cork one of my jobs at home was to cut up the newspapers into tidy size squares and then hang them up on a hook in the outside toilet. I first had hoped that there might be some serious money in this work, when a few of the neighbors gave me the job of cutting up their papers for the large sum of a penny to do their weekly lot of papers. I suppose the reason why a lot of papers and magazines have gone online is because politicians and celebrities were not amused seeing their words in print going down the toilet. The job of cutting up used newspapers for a penny was no longer fashionable with the introduction of toilet rolls and I knew from then on that there was no future in that job for me anyway. It just shows that starting off in humble beginnings doesn’t mean that you won’t succeed, of course you will if you’re determined to. I have written many times in past articles ‘that the road you start out on isn’t always the one you will finish on, as life’s road has many turns and always be prepared for the unexpected’. Who would have believed it way back then that I would spend thirty five years as a financial advisor, and then I would go on to write for many newspapers and magazines here in Australia, as well as in Ireland and the USA for another twenty years. I suppose you could say that I did start out as a paperboy? Ha ha. Having mentioned The Cork Echo earlier, I should also mention to everyone out there from Cork, see if you can get your hand on a copy the 17th of May edition. If you can’t find one, try the net, because there is a two page spread on Joe McCarthy, only ever known as Joe Mac, the legendary drummer and a brilliant comedian with the Dixies Showband for many years. Joe was one of the legends in the music showband era. He started out as a drummer and took to comedy, he once told me that sometimes he got bored looking at the backs of the other band members. One night he decided to move forward on the stage to see what he was missing, he liked what he saw and that’s when the comic in him let go. So from then on, he often moved his drum set in front of the band on stage and played the clown. So when you went to see the Dixies expecting to dance you would

MIKE BOWEN

Above left: Joe Mac, drummer & comedian for the Dixies Showband. Above right: Actor Jim Bartley (centre) pictured as Willy Wolfe with the Dixies Showband in a scene from the RTÃ Television Christmas pantomime ‘The True Story of Red Riding Hood’ during filming in 1968.

often be treated to breaks of comedy and mischief. I do hope you can find a copy of the Echo and enjoy some of the magic nostalgic history of Joe Mac. Melbourne, once known as the most livable city in the world. Now the laughing stock of the nation and the city having the most lock-downed days in Australia. Not exactly the brightest news to start off an article on my home state with, is it? Well to be honest, when you go through four lockdowns plus an economy that has been totally wrecked by the Victorian state government, it’s very hard to write about optimism, here in Melbourne right now. As a matter of fact, it’s virtually impossible to even plan a visit to family or a friend for fear of extended lockdowns. What kind of a world are we living in, here in Victoria? In reality we are controlled by fear, by health officers who declare lockdowns showing no evidence or transparency for their decision. One would have to ask why we have a state government who can’t or won’t make decisions. Premier Dan Andrews (locally known as Dictator Dan) and his government are afraid to lead and are being led by the nose by his bunch of self-proclaimed ‘health experts’, who have no understanding of the effects that their snap lockdowns are causing on the mental health of the Victorian population. This whole mess that our state is in right now reminded me of the 1967 hit song by that great English band The Hollies “King Midas in Reverse”. Just like our Premier, everything he touches turns to dust, he has broken our spirit, wrecked our economy and accumulated massive debts that will never be paid back in ours or our children’s lifetime. When Dan decided to go it alone and jump into bed with China, to take their pot of silver coins without consultation with the Federal government, he put a wedge between Victoria and the Federal Government. His decision to grab the Chinese cash then put the Federal Government at odds with China was irresponsible. I better stop here because I’m afraid I might go on for another few pages complaining and I don’t want your ears to be burning. In spite of my report re: Melbourne and the problems here at this time, I say to all my fellow Irishmen and women, rise above this. You came to this country for a better life, not for an average one. The world’s your oyster, you have youth on your side - use all the great gifts and skills that God gave you. A new world awaits for the emergence of creative and inspirational minds. When you succeed, imagine how proud your family will be knowing what you achieved on the other side of the world from theirs. Now is the time to look for opportunities as there will be many in the not too far future. Covid19 will leave a lot of businesses in ruins and from the ashes of that, creative minds will rise like phoenixes to benefit from the countless losses that Covid19 will leave in its wake.