Readers Write
A few random but enticing comments and observations from the SWS readership this week.
In reference to the Bill Nance article that we republished last week, Martin Chambers (Author of 'Sailing the Seven Sustainable Seas') writes
“Further to the article about Bill Nance I thought the attached cartoon might be of interest. Published in the West when Bill was in Fremantle. Drawn by Fred Harffey, one of the cartoonists at the newspaper where my father was a journalist. This cartoon is on the wall at my fathers house and I never gave it any value as it is obviously inaccurate. But then it is a cartoon, and now I think it is quite special.”
Mike Strong (Custodian of the S&S LANDFALL) and my litereary gate keeper, recommends a Cook Book. No not that sort of Cook Book!
If you haven't read it or if I've bored you with this before apologies, HMS Bark Endeavour by Parkin is worth every cent, in one book beautifully illustrated by the author it gathers together all the diaries available from all the crew including the official log, it gives a real balanced into events free of later myth and re interpretation, the other book is again drawings by the author of the ship Endeavour
Parkin was a merchant seaman toredoed early in WW2, marooned on an atoll then imprisoned, he survived changi and the Burma railway to end his war in a coal mine in Japan, he drew constantly .
After the war he wrote two best selling books about this, again self illustrated.
His English publishers well in advance of the 88 bicentennial said pick a topic that suits and this book is the result, however, when he first presented it he found his publisher in a different, very, financial situation so the project lapsed
He lived in Melbourne and for some reason he seems to me like the character Dr Maturin in O'Brian's books, slightly sardonic, but one neighbour struck a strong friendship with him, learnt about this book and convinced Melbourne Uni publishing I think to finally release it.
The neighbour as you might know was that great environmentalist and satirist ,John Clarke aka Fred Dagg.
And finally back to Martin Chambers with a request for infomation
I am looking for any information on John Fairfax, who wrote a book 'Run o Waters' in 1948. Beautifully written description of canoe trips down the Clarence, Shoalhaven and Murray River, and some character history. This is not, as far as I can tell, the John Fairfax who Rowed the Atlantic and Pacific (in a boat designed by Uffa Fox, now in the Maritime Museum in Cornwall) but I can find little else. Perhaps there are some wooden boat enthusiasts in the East who might know something about this John Fairfax.
If you have any intel for Martin the LET US KNOW
