*"QUO FATA VOCANT" - "WHERE THE FATES MAY CALL"

THE FATES WERE CALLING

1959 1960 "QUO FATA VOCANT" 

The Motto of the ill fated H.M.A.S. VOYAGER was "QUO FATA VOCANT" (“Where the Fates May Call).

The next stage in my career development had something of the mysterious , or perhaps accidental, about it.It was almost as if I was being guided , or being operated by some remote control.  Having decided to get out of the N.S.W. Department of Railways and its advancement by seniority trap, I began to cast about for opportunities. I could see that my preferred career in the Law was not going to happen, as my Mum and Dad could not afford to support me through Uni. And I could not get articled on an employed wage paying basis with satisfactory terms. I was open to suggestions via the media. In the best Aussie tradition, I would be pragmatic and take what I could get.

As it happened, I found an ad in the paper from the Commonwealth Bank, looking to recruit clerical staff. So I walked down to George &Market Streets, went up to the Staff Department and said I was interested in talking about the ad I was asked to take a seat. After a few minutes a Mr. Christie introduced himself and invited me in for a chat. That all went well, though I can't remember a single detail other than that he invited me to go outside and fill out a form. I did this giving my personal particulars. It was returned to his office. Some minutes later, a beaming Mr. Christie welcomed me to the staff of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and informed me that I would commence work on such and such a date at BERALA Branch!

(It is sad to record that in researching this post, I came across the information that Mr. Vern Christie, who went on to become the General Manager of the Commonwealth Bank, committed suicide in 1991. A subsequent Press report on another financial story mentioned his suicide in passing, tying it in to another deceased person's irregular business dealings, but with no evidence adduced. God have mercy on his soul.)

I was genuinely surprised. I did not believe I had applied for a job, but merely enquired about the ad. I was more than a little taken aback. However, I decided to say nothing of that, but merely thank him and preserve my options.

As I left to return to the Green House, I decided that I would accept the appointment, at least on a temporary basis. It would get me out of the seniority mire - because the Bank promoted firstly on ability - and allow me time to check out whatever else might be available. It would be 1974 before I would make any further change.

Banking had never seemed t offer excitement , or very great interest(!!)

I had often had people of varying ages suggest to me that I should work in a Bank, but I always rejected the idea summarily. Despite what I actually saw with my own eyes, the mere mention of working in a Bank always conjured up the image of some geeky person wearing an eye shade and a vest a la the 1860s!

My stay at my home Branch BERALA, was very brief, and it taught me nothing and similarly did nothing for the Bank!

But I was there little more than 10 days I think, when one of those famous letters came from Staff Department: " It has been decided..." to transfer Mr Anthony Dixon to Stock and Share Department at George and Market Sts in the City. To-day this operation would be called a Share Registry. It maintained the Share Registers of client companies and oversaw the payment of their dividends etc. It also maintained the Bond and Debenture Registries of a number of Semi Government Authorities ( Nigerian friends read "Parastatals" )which operated the various Public Utilities. This was not classical Banking - so much the better! It was an extremely busy and demanding place to work with many long hours of overtime being worked to meet corporate deadlines. It was a time of intense share market activity with many New Issues of Shares, which involved us in producing all manner of documents and receiving mail by the hundredweight! There were a variety of rights and entitlements to be dealt with and, at all  times  the tension of deadlines.

TYPICAL SHARE CERTIFICATE

For much of this time, I was involved in the rather more sedate Bond and Debenture Registry area, and only became involved in the excitement when asked to do some overtime, working late on the laborious hack work of the share issues and dividend payments.

Through this whole period, the Bank was using for this work, a Computer driven by Punch Cards. These were Cards a little larger than a cheque which had punched into them in code, all the relevant information to issue a cheque, or a Share Certificate. We thought it was marvellous. But only for a year or two. The reconciliation of the Share Registers  and the Share Certificates issued and the dividend cheques with the Shareholdings still came down to much machine addition and ticking off and proving of Batches of Work. This would produce the scene around 9.00 p.m. on an overtime night, of the Chief Clerk, a short chain -smoking loud mouthed little bloke steaming up and down the aisle with yards and yards of adding machine tape trailing behind him, wreathed in cigarette smoke and haranguing whoever he deemed responsible for the latest failure to reconcile.

The place was full of characters. The Registrar was a real gentleman - not a common type in the Commonwealth Bank. His name was Grant Lawry, he was related to a famous Australian Cricketer Bill Lawry about whom I knew, and know, nothing. But I admired Mr. Lawry for his calm, measured, gentlemanly manner at all times. His deputy was a Queenslander Bill Packman; he did not bear any resemblance to the Registrar in character, though he was not a rowdy. It is strange that in the Commonwealth Bank at the time people promoted from Queensland to Head Office (which we were part of) had an aura of formidable achievement about them. The original Chief Clerk was a Victorian named Ian Bailey a somewhat younger man with a reputation for brilliance, who quickly moved on to greater things.He was succeeded by the little bloke referred to above. 

It may have been the invincible arrogance of youth, but I never felt overawed by the reputed intellectual capabilities of these fellows. In truth I didn't see much evidence of it. That is not to deny them considerable talents. But I found that the skills necessary to flourish in the Bank were a certain basic facility with numbers and quick reflexes in the performance of repetitive work.

Happily I was not too often involved in these exploits other than in the course of overtime. I became involved in the handling of deceased estate matters, where bond and debenture holders had died and solicitors had to satisfy our requirements to transfer title to the Estate or to Beneficiaries.I thus gained exposure to even more aspects of the Law. I got to know even more people in the Legal fraternity in the course of this work. One I got to know really well and I had a bet with him about the Kennedy vs. Nixon Election. He was for Nixon and I was for Kennedy! So I ended up collecting from the future Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia! Michael Kirby used to regularly call at our office and we talked across the counter about the events of the day as well as deceased estates and Probates. He has since become an active and radical advocate of a disordered lifestyle. He showed nothing of that at the time, and I was sad to see his decline.

It is interesting how our positions in political matters have changed. He was for the Republican free enterprise advocate  and Conservative Nixon, whereas he is now seen as an advocate for radical Left issues such as homosexuality and other Green Agenda items. I was supporting the Democrat anti business Kennedy, but have for 40 years, been firmly  committed to a conservative political agenda both here and overseas.My advocacy of Kennedy was based on a personal belief in him and his approach.I have long since been thoroughly disillusioned by subsequent revelations of the disparity between his then media image and revelations about his personal life.

KENNEDY V NIXON TV DEBATE 1960

I met some interesting people at that counter. One was a very short gentleman who was a delivery clerk for Stockbrokers J.B.Were &Co. He had been a Royal Australian Navy Engineer Officer during World War II.He stays in my memory on account of his wit. He claimed that his family motto was: "In moments of crisis, absence of body is better than presence of mind."! A married couple of advanced age also stuck in my memory. They insisted on me guessing their age. They looked about ninety, pale and emaciated. I wanted to give them their victory, so I said “I imagine about 70?" No they told me, they were 75! But wait, did I want to know their secret of good health? I had nowhere to go with this, so I had to say “Certainly". Back came their boastful reply: “A dose of Epsom Salts in a pint of warm water EVERY night!"(For the moderns unfamiliar with Epsom Salts , they are a VERY effective laxative and, in a pint of warm water....must be devastating!

The combination of horror, and an all but uncontrollable fit of laughter, must have made my face something to see - but nothing could have penetrated their sense of earnest self righteous satisfaction!

My immediate Boss was a man of about 35. His name was Des Kelly; he was a great fellow, intelligent, efficient and a good friend. Our section was a small group of very mixed abilities and personalities, and Des did very well to make it function as efficiently as it did. I was sad to stumble across the information that he recently (2016) died May he rest in peace.

NO SHACKLED SLAVE CAN BREATHE THE AIR

AUSTRALIA

"CORE OF MY HEART, MY COUNTRY"

To-day is Australia Day! I thank God for bringing me to Conception and Birth in this remarkable Country.

Not the most beautiful country in the world, not the strongest country in the world, not the leading country in the world. You can have all that.

My Country is a place of real freedom, of real peace, of frank and trustworthy folk, whose friendship isn't feigned. An open, generally trusting people who are nevertheless not too easily fooled. They abhor pretension and if they have a fault it is a desire to ensure that no-one rises too high - it is called the "tall poppy syndrome" - tall poppies get cut down to size!

AUSTRALIANS GATHERED AT ANZAC COVE GALLIPOLI  -   LEST WE FORGET

Australians are a pragmatic people, no doubt a product of the sometimes harsh extremes of weather, and the lack of almost everything except land in early colonial days. As a result public discourse is not big on principles, but more on what will work. Our political system and legal system are born out of our English colonial origins. Our independence was sought and given, rather than fought for and won. We remain a constitutional monarchy, with the British Monarch as our Head of State, but our pragmatic nature makes the majority of Australians see that we are really and factually independent; and advocates of a Republic have been unable to gain traction. The system works, the pragmatists don't need to fix it.

AUSTRALIAN ICONS

Politically, we are fairly evenly divided between political Conservatives and a Labor based group. The latter have a fragile balance of power in the Federal sphere at present, but seem certain to be rolled out of office at the next election. There is an underlying small "c" conservatism in the Australian psyche, which, combined with pragmatism, kills off such ideas as a Republic, identity cards, or anything that excites modern radicals.

One of the best summaries of Australia, the land, is contained in Dorothea Mackellar's 1904 poem "My Country”. It is a fine piece of work, addressed to many of the British citizens of Australia who, at the time it was written, would still speak of "home" and mean England! So it begins:

"The love of field and coppice,

Of green and shaded lanes,

Of ordered woods and gardens,

Is running in your veins.......................

I know, but cannot share it,

My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and flooding rains............

Her beauty and her terror,

The wide brown land for me!

AYERS ROCK

An opal - hearted country,

A willful lavish land -

All you who have not loved her,

You will not understand,

Though Earth holds many splendors,

Wherever I may die,

I know to what brown country

My homing thoughts will fly!

AMEN to that!

Yet another lady, this time English - born Caroline Carleton, wrote in 1859 the Song of Australia which was set to music by the German Carl Linger. It won a competition sponsored by the South Australian Gawler Institute for a patriotic song. It also has things to say, which merit attention, despite some of the flourishes of its time. It begins:

"There is a land where summer skies

  Are gleaming with a thousand dyes,

  Blending in witching harmonies, in harmonies;

  And grassy knoll, and forest height,

  Are flushing in the rosy light,

  And all above in azure bright-

  Australia!

BOUNTEOUS CROP IN WAKE OF DROUGHT BREAKING RAIN

........

  On hill and plain the clust'ring vine

  Is gushing out with purple wine,

  And cups are quaffed to thee and thine-

  Australia!                

  .........

  There is a land, where floating free,

  From mountain top to girdling sea,

  A proud flag waves exultingly,

  And freedom’s sons the banner bear,

  No shackled slave can breathe the air,

   Fairest of Britain's daughters fair,

   Australia!

I love it!  - Australia, Yes - But the Song of Australia too! Oh, I know it's more than a little over the top! But it has the spirit of my country. And any lady who can write about "gushing out with purple wine and cups are quaffed to thee and thine" has got my vote!

There is another patriotic song by Father Maurice Reilly C.M. Which is more subtle and substantive, which I also love, and which I first heard in First Class at my Convent School in 1946:

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL HYMN

God bless our lovely morning land!

God keep her with enfolding hand

Close to His side.

While booms the distant battle's roar

From out some rude, barbaric shore.

In blessed peace forever more,

There to abide.

............

Land of the dawning! Lo! At last,

The shadows of the night are past;

Across the sea,

Is spreading far the purple light,

The lonely mountain peaks are bright,

And visions crowd upon the sight,

Of days to be.

"THE WARM OF HEART AND STOUT OF HAND"
CREW OF HMAS PERTH - LOST IN THE BATTLE OF SUNDA STRAIT
DEFENDING AUSTRALIA FROM THE EMPIRE OF JAPAN

The future is thine own, loved land,

The warm of heart, the stout of hand,

The noble mind,

Shall build a Nation truly great,

With Christ for King; where love not hate,

Shall be the charter of the State

To all mankind.

There is much more, all warm with faith in God and belief in Australia's promise.

PATRONISING  ENGLISH VIEW AT THE TIME OF FEDERATION !
THE AUSTRALIAN COMMENTS MIGHT HAVE SURPRISED THE CARTOONIST AND EDITOR

In fact, at the time of Federation there was a widespread confidence in Australia's unique character and mission to show the world a new way of true freedom and peace and justice for all. It was a heady idealism, which sadly seemed to be overwhelmed by the tragedy of the First World War, the Great Depression, and the crusade of the Second World War. It still survives in wisps of spirit which are caught here and there. But is largely lost to the national consciousness.

Let's not get too analytical - it is a day for Fair Dinkum CELEBRATION. With a very great deal to celebrate! We can save the “cerebration" for another day!

And so off to Lunch with dear friends - “AUSTRALIA!” as Caroline Carleton would have exclaimed.

 

*THROUGH MANY DANGERS

S.PIETRO

"Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...
as long as life endures."

Extract from the Spiritual " AMAZING GRACE"

The music at our Parish Church is usually fraught with all manner of risks from Marty Haug's horrors to the St.Louis Jesuits equally trivial offerings. But this morning we were treated to "Amazing Grace"with a few gratuitous trills thrown in. Nevertheless, though not suitable as Liturgical music its peculiar power holds.

 I thought the above two verses especially  helpful considering life's sometimes trying vicissitudes and God's constant ,generous Providence despite our repeated failings. How blessed beyond measure we are to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion and His forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance. 

Even on the Battlefield He comes to the Soldier-
his"..shield and portion as long as life endures"..

"DEO GRATIAS"

PRESENT AT THE BEGINNING : "HUGO IN 3 D "

BEGINNING A NEW MOVIE ERA

I have not previously had the experience of witnessing the beginning of a new era in any global,or even national experience. But to-day, as Robyn and I watched "HUGO in 3D", I had the distinct feeling that we were watching the very first movie into which 3D technology had been successfully integrated fully. It was not used for mere SPFX sensation but was simply the normal mode for the film, and it worked naturally and successfully.


It is true that its use was not perfect. Just as many conventional films to-day ,in their use of normal 2D cinematography are still not perfect. But it was very good, and at times brilliant. The acting of the two young leading actors was a joy.


I hope that very many people will see and enjoy this film. It is very realistic in portraying some emotional reactions and for that reason, is particularly UNSUITABLE for very young children under say 5 yrs. In fact we witnessed some such problems to-day.For young boys and girls of 7 and upwards there should be no problems, and in fact a great deal of wonderful and adventurous appeal!

*THE PENSIONERS - WHO SEES THE TRUTH?

BILLIONS FOR WASTE,AND FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS
NOTHING FOR THE AGED

We see them in most normal situations,in the shops, on the trains and buses, in our churches. They are usually neatly dressed.They do not stand out. They are, simply put, part of the scene.They are Age Pensioners.

But do we see the truth behind their normality? Lord Tweedsmuir who, under the nom de plume John Buchan , wrote The Thirty Nine Steps, wrote before the Second World War that he foresaw man in modern societies living a life of "quiet desperation". He had in mind the multiplication of material goods and the inability of the average person to afford them. His prediction has NOT generally come true, and there is a much better distribution of material goods in modern Western societies than anyone could have predicted. But there are those who have been left behind, or passed by, as the gravy train accelerated.The young unemployed and Age Pensioners are the largest groups.

But the Age Pensioners tend to be invisible. I have always loved the English institutions advertising themselves as Homes "for Distressed Gentle Folk".So many of our Age Pensioners fall into that category. But they are "invisible" because they still appear neat and tidy in the respectable clothes they had at the end of their employed lives - maybe even to excess at that time.And they still get around normally, but notice - more of them use cheap concessional public transport - even when they have a car which has itself grown old, they cannot afford much fuel at to-day's prices, and certainly not repairs . New tyres or Registration Fees and Insurance are causes of crisis for them. 

Take note of their habits in the Supermarket - prices are always carefully checked and the cheapest option taken. Items in the basket are few and basic. The truth is, that the Pensioner has virtually lost the ability to survive financially after rent is paid , it is a fortnight of struggle until the next payment gives a brief gasp of financial "air ".

And yet our Federal Government wastes TENS OF BILLIONS of Dollars on Pink Batts, unnecessary and unwanted  extra School buildings and an unwanted and ill-judged National Broadband Network and, to rub salt into the aged wounds, gives Parliamentarians Salary rises which themselves represent between 10 and 20 Pensioners annual pension income. That was the size of their Salary rise - imagine how many pensioners could be paid from the Parliamentarian's total salary. 

About 10% of Australia's population receives the Age Pension, or roughly 2,000,000 people. Surely in a country which can squander tens of Billions of Dollars on mis-begotten policy disasters and pile cash up around its Parliamentarians, it is not too much to ask that Age Pensioners be given a more reasonable income. They deserve an income which will enable them to live reasonably and be able to plan occasional outings, rather than hanging on like grim death until at the end of their misery, death becomes a reality. Reduction in income to a stage where one cannot plan something positive creates a destructive state of hopelessness, a detachment from life and a subversion of any creative spark.

Who will relieve their plight? Certainly not people whose pre-occupations are homosexual matters, facilitating abortion and imagined Climate Change ( as if it had not always been changing , as the geophysical record shows).

These victims of the trendy and the greedy will finally get their say at the Ballot Box!

"Send in the clowns....DON'T BOTHER, THEY'RE HERE."

Our Dog Leader

I rarely touch on politics in this Blog, but this is going to be an intensely political year, both here and in the Great Republic, and things are getting outrageous so, here goes:

Fresh from the people who brought you the Pink Batts Fiasco (aging rocker as Minister,Billions of Dollars down the drain, numerous houses destroyed by fire, and several workmen tragically killed). and followed it with Building Education Fiasco ( treacherous red headed female minister,tens of billions down the drain, unwanted buildings crowding school yards, State School rip-offs) ....comes the NATIONAL BROADBAND FIASCO beating all previous records for disaster!

Consider  the numbers:

Number of Employees:     900

Number of Clients:           4000  (4.4 per staff member!)

Average Staff Salary: $166,000 p.a.

Average Travel Costs : $ 7,500 per Employee

NBN Cost so far :  $1 Billion ( $49 to 59 Billion to be spent)

Cost per connection so far : $ 250,000

Our Clown Government, led by the Mad Pink Hatter, has steadfastly refused to do a cost : benefit analysis study on the NBN - NO WONDER!

Polls show surging opposition to this FIASCO .

For once Malcolm Turnbull in doing this research has stuck to his job and become a team player. And we can be grateful to Christopher Pearson at THE AUSTRALIAN for shining a light on it even in the silly season of Sport.

THIS IS THE DAY

CONRAD BECKMANN MY GREAT GRANDFATHER

           DIED FRIDAY 3rd JANUARY,1902

You would find a visit to the Blog:http://conradbeckmann.blogspot.com/ at the very least, interesting, even fascinating. It opens a window on the world of North Europe pre World War I and even further back.


My Great Grandfather, Conrad Beckmann was a very successful painter of the time with major commisssions in Germany, sales in America and England and even having some of his work reported on in pre Federation Sydney!


His success had been marred by the long term tragic illness of his wife , with what appears to have been stomach cancer over more than ten years. Her care and "treatment"such as it was in those days consumed most of his income it seems , and led, after her death to my Grandfather's decision to migrate to Australia.The Blog :http://edwardbeckmann.blogspot.com/
tells his colourful story without which I would not be tapping the keys on this Notebook!


They were both good men of pleasant humour, not without faults no doubt,but solid citizens. Now they are literally out of time - may they rest in peace!