It's Official

It's Official. 

I've been to see the movie AUSTRALIA in Cinema 3 at the Alice Springs Cinema Centre.

But what is MORE official is that I am a Senior Citizen!

Have a look at the 4th line and see what it says: SENIOR CITIZEN

Apart from getting the Senior Citizen discount because I am now a Senior; I think I deserved it anyway.  I first came to the Northern Territory in 1967 and have known about the bombing of Darwin since that time. Baz Luhrmann didn't need to educate me about that.

I also have a friend who had an Uncle who was a missionary on one of the islands north of Darwin. The Japanese decapitated him. Baz didn't show that in the movie.  But, hey, what can you expect for $8.50?

Maybe that's is why they give Seniors a discount.  We might just know a thing or two that the youngsters have yet to learn.

I found the movie to be a bit of a tear-jerker; but that is probably only me wanting to turn the clock back to when I was 19 and was brave [or foolish] enough to hitch-hike to Darwin.  I got a lift in a car which had already picked up another hitch-hiker.  He was older than me but was in tears, asking the driver to slow down.  It was the wet season and visibility in the tropical downpour, which dropped on us like a Zero out of the sun, was about 2 metres in front of the vehicle.

We made it through the rain but got into Darwin after night fall. The driver dropped me off and pointed to a vacant lot of land.  He said, You'll be right sleeping in there. 

I spread out my sleeping bag and happily dozed off.

The next morning I woke to find that I had been dossing next door to the home of the Commissioner of Police.  I guess that is why the bloke who picked me up thought I would be safe enough in that vacant lot. I'd either end up with a good talking to, or maybe I'd end up in the watch house, but either way I would be safe.

Comments

[kim]

welcome to the elder tribe. 'course, your knowledge and wisdom (most o' the time :-) ) has long been recognized.

[Tjilpi]

Thanks Kimmi. Today, 19 Feb, is the anniversary of the day that those Zeros and Betsy Bombers raided Darwin for the first time.

Altogether there were 97 raids on the Australian mainland - though public announcements were not made about them at the time!

There is a Japanese ship tied up in Darwin Harbour today. Some people have objected to its presence but the Master has agreed to fly both the Japanese and Australian flags at half mast. Nice compromise. I'll have to check how many Japanese planes, if any, "bought it".

By the way, I've been to Japan four times and really liked it.

The USS Perry was sunk in the first raid on Darwin. Today the ashes of the last surviving member of the crew, who died recently, had his ashes sprinkled over Darwin Harbour so that he could rejoin his shipmates.

The Japanese Commander of the first raid on Darwin was the same guy who led the raid on Pearl Harbour. And now, Japan is our largest trading partner, though the Chinese are soon to catch up.

It's lucky that our new Prime Minister speaks fluent Mandarin!!