Thread: For people like me who don't know about Fraser Island's history. Interesting.

[QUOTE=bob10;3049033]

Originally Posted by 4bee

We are a rugby league family, Dad played A grade for Fortitude Valley after the war, and played for Qld Country after we went bush. Those days if you had any talent in league the towns out west would get you a job, as long as you played for them. Dad managed properties for cockies just out of town, around Longreach, Ilfracombe and such. I played when we moved to Rockhampton, for Central Boys School, then down in Brisbane , and was selected for the Brisbane High School side to play Ipswich and Toowoomba, just before I joined the Navy. In the Navy I played Rugby Union, [ had to they didn't play league] Captained the Naval Apprentices U/20 side in the local comp.,[ which we won] and captained the Naval Apprentices side in the inter-service rugby [ which we won] Played for the Fleet side against the New Zealand Navy, in Auckland [ which we lost] .

Whilst at sea on Vampire, we played the Taiwan National side in Taipei [ won] The New Zealand Navy under lights in Singapore, [lost] the USN in Subic Bay [ one half of rugby one half of American football 'gridiron '] still don't know who won that, but it was a lot of fun. Played numerous games of rugby all around the world, mostly for fun, met some great people. Rugby is a wonderful game for spreading good will, and getting to know people [ and politely bashing them ]

After I left the Navy, I played Old Boys Rugby for Redcliffe Settlers, with a wonderful man called Keni Nalatu. He played rugby for Fiji , in the centres, was in the Fijian Army during the Malayan Emergency, and was the Government representative for Fiji in QLD. His son played League for the Sandgate Gators, the Broncos and rugby for the Qld REDS, his daughter played netball for Qld. Lovely people, salt of the Earth. When Keni died his body was flown back to Fiji, and a huge funeral ceremony was carried out at his village up the river near Lautoka, it was a chiefly ceremony, he was held in high esteem. I feel privileged to have known him. Here he is third from the left in the front row, before Fiji Vs Tonga, 1967.


I helped my Dad coaching junior sides at the Brighton Juniors Rugby League club for a few years, after Dad died I hung around like a bad smell doing odd jobs and just being your average club hanger on until now I'm just waiting for our Grandchildren to get a bit older so I can introduce them to a team sport of their choice .

Thank you Bob, I'm sure 5 eyes has copied that.

so I can introduce them to a team sport of their choice

So long as it Rugby eh? Or a knowing clip around the lughole for good measure.

It certainly filled your life with enjoyment & taught you a bit of underhand "thuggery".

Strange how when you mention New Zealand Games, you bracket (lost) after each time. I wonder why that is? Not surprising in today's sporting climate though these days is it?

Originally Posted by scarry

We were there a lot between '68 and '74.My father worked on the island, doing research for QIT,as it was called in those days, and for the QLd museum, and the ANU,Australian National University.Students came over as well, learning about whatever.He also did some of the very first of the environmental impact statements, for Dilinghams(spelling),who were doing the sand mining.
A lot of bird research was also done with Don Vernon,who was the curator of birds at the Qld Museum,and bird lists were published.Trapping for native rats was also done as was recording of plants in many areas.Reptile research also done with Janette Covachovich,curater of reptiles,Qld Museum.We used to also set up mist nets for bats, which were also recorded.
Many Brumbies were on the island in those days, and dingos, but they stayed well away, although they came around the camp after dark,as we could see their tracks in the sand in the morning.
We generally stayed at the forestry huts, at Coomboo lake.That was the base camp, with trips made all over the island from there,generally working with Ariel photographs as there were no maps.Supplies came in by air, there was a landing strip near the camp.Hard going as well,tracks were very rough, there was no one around if we needed help while away from camp.Dragging trailers was tuff going, for the Land Rovers.Even getting around, say, middle rocks was a hard slog, winching,etc.Trips to the top of the island were impossible some years due to the state of the tracks.I remember some days, being bogged most of the day.The LWB vehicles were not much fun in the sand, the SWB ones being much better.Mechanical repairs and servicing was done on the vehicles, at the camp, parts flown in.
Many loggers on the island as well, most of the logs went to the Puthoo logging dump, on the Western side of the island, from memory.They used huge all wheel drive prime movers pulling trailers to move the logs around.
We used to go to quite a few beautiful lakes that are now in accessible to the public.Yankee Jack lake comes to mind, crystal clear water, and very deep.We used to snorkel in them and catch the turtles for fun,just let them go again.
One year the young ones were hatching at Coomboo lake, hundreds of them making their way down to the water.We caught lots of them and took them to the water,as the crows and dingos were after them.
Fishing in the surf on the eastern beach was fantastic, used pipis as bait, were easily found in those days.They were also good eating in fried rice.Worralee Ck estuary was another great fishing area we used to go to a lotion the western beach.
We used to catch lobby's as we called them around some of the lakes, nice eating.We used to get a stick,tie a pice of string on the end, then a bit of meat on it as bait, dangle it over a lobby hole, and out they would come.Then into the billy of boiling water.
In those days, we often didnt see a tourists vehicle for two or three weeks,unlike today.

Anyway,enough rambling about a great place.We have a few pics, i will try to find them and post them up.

Thanks Paul the images would be good to see if can eventually dig those up. Another interesting life, you have the makings of good book I reckon "The life & times of an Errant Fridgie to be"


I'm curious about the Satinay Trees though as I think there are about 3 o r4 outside the Uraidla Pub. (makes note to self to take camera one day soon) But looking at the images we always refer to those as Sequoias but I would bet my 'nads on them being the Satinay. No idea where we got that name from.
Trunks are identical with the coarse bark. These are also huge trees & are in a group By whom, no one seems to know but it is quite possible the seeds were brought back to SA by some early settler. There is also a Monkey Puzzle tree nearby I wonder??

Watch this space.

Originally Posted by PhilipA

My mother used to holiday there in the 20s and 30s, and get the train to Central Station. That is why it is called Central Station. The line was used mainly to shift logs to the West coast.

When I first visited in 1978 there were lots of brumbies which were descendants of the horses on the Eliza Fraser and probably horses used in the timber getting, but they were moved/shot out by the government.

I can clearly remember a couple of stallions streaking through my campsite , fighting over a bevy of beauties. You had to be careful of your tent ropes and when you left your tent.
Another is 4 brumbies pacing my FJ40 along the beach one early morning, two each side.

We used to camp on the south bank of Ely Creek about where the toilets are now!

Regards PhilipA

I remember the Brumbies , My dad I I used to go to Fraser Island when the Taylor were running, one night around 11pm I was driving back to camp down at the water line & this Brumby came out of the water after a mid night dip , I jumped on the brakes & due to the L/H brakes being wet the LR S3 swerved to the right & the horse turned left . We added some extra lights for our next trip.

[QUOTE=4bee;3049065]

Originally Posted by bob10

Thank you Bob, I'm sure 5 eyes has copied that.


So long as it Rugby eh? Or a knowing clip around the lughole for good measure.

It certainly filled your life with enjoyment & taught you a bit of underhand "thuggery".

Strange how when you mention New Zealand Games, you bracket (lost) after each time. I wonder why that is? Not surprising in today's sporting climate though these days is it?

The truth is, we were all complete newbies to the game, league players Aussie rules & soccer players, just making up the numbers. Very few qualified coaches, learning as we went along. Our rugby development was years behind the NZ Navy, back then. Every NZ Navy side had players who played grade at home [ even if only 5th grade] We normally held our own until the Kiwis got technical, in the rucks and scrums, & lineouts. It was a steep learning curve, and playing them in Auckland, where they could select their best players, well, it was very difficult. Doesn't mean we didn't enjoy it, though. We worked out early the best way to disrupt their play was the Biff. Usually the biggest and ugliest forward for us would bung on a blue in the scrum, and when it started, the other forwards would target their danger men, and try to take them out of the game. In the early days that was about the limit of our tactics.

Then along came Jeff Sayle, a Wallaby Test forward who played for Randwick. He coached the DDG team in the Dempster cup, the local Aussie navy comp, which involved all ships alongside and depots in the Sydney area, including Albatross. I should say Jeff Sayle, OAM, Randwick legend. There were three DDG's , [guided missile destroyers] and the team would be picked from whichever one was alongside. [ some times we cheated, and kept the best players ashore, but only if the ship was exercising local.] What can I say about Jeff Sayle ? Another man I feel very privileged to have known. Absolute legend . I remember his first moments in coaching us. Before the game, he said " righto you bastards, We've had a couple of training runs, I've seen what you've got, the only way you are going to win this game is with the secret play ". He then passed a bottle of sweet sherry around the playing group, saying " just a sip, Just a sip". At halftime we were down by a few points, so he passed the bottle around again. " Drink it all, I've got another one" He said. We ended up winning.

That wasn't the extent of Jeff's coaching knowledge, he got some of us into the Randwick lower grades, for experience. He introduced us to some Randwick legends, at the bar, immersing us in the rugby culture. He taught our forwards how to actually scrummage, and we found out the difference between a ruck & a maul. A wonderful man, who gave his all to rugby.

You know rugby gave me the best time at a period when outside of rugby was a bit grim. Vietnam, protesters, the whole box of dice. I met some top people, like our front row forward for the HMAS Penguin side, the year we won the Dempster Cup. " Cowboy" Garrett, Clearance diver, M.I.D. Vietnam for diving into the murky waters of Vung Tau harbour and disarming a VC sapper diver who had placed a limpet mine on a ship alongside. He then retrieved the mine[ it was the first Russian mine of it's type captured, a new type, the Yanks snatched it away and studied it. ] . He taught me how to play rugby, as well. One game I was kicking the ball a lot, and he said " give you a tip, kick that bloody ball again, I'll break your ****ing leg!" Thanks for the tip, Cowboy. Cowboy opened a restaurant in Cairns called the Ring of Fire, with his Asian partner. We called it payback. Any way Jeff Sayle;

JEM JEFF SAYLE SPEECH - YouTube

Rugby mourns passing of Randwick icon Jeff Sayle | RUGBY.com.au

[QUOTE=bob10;3049081]

Originally Posted by 4bee

The truth is, we were all complete newbies to the game, league players Aussie rules & soccer players, just making up the numbers. Very few qualified coaches, learning as we went along. Our rugby development was years behind the NZ Navy, back then. Every NZ Navy side had players who played grade at home [ even if only 5th grade] We normally held our own until the Kiwis got technical, in the rucks and scrums, & lineouts. It was a steep learning curve, and playing them in Auckland, where they could select their best players, well, it was very difficult. Doesn't mean we didn't enjoy it, though. We worked out early the best way to disrupt their play was the Biff. Usually the biggest and ugliest forward for us would bung on a blue in the scrum, and when it started, the other forwards would target their danger men, and try to take them out of the game. In the early days that was about the limit of our tactics.

Then along came Jeff Sayle, a Wallaby Test forward who played for Randwick. He coached the DDG team in the Dempster cup, the local Aussie navy comp, which involved all ships alongside and depots in the Sydney area, including Albatross. I should say Jeff Sayle, OAM, Randwick legend. There were three DDG's , [guided missile destroyers] and the team would be picked from whichever one was alongside. [ some times we cheated, and kept the best players ashore, but only if the ship was exercising local.] What can I say about Jeff Sayle ? Another man I feel very privileged to have known. Absolute legend . I remember his first moments in coaching us. Before the game, he said " righto you bastards, We've had a couple of training runs, I've seen what you've got, the only way you are going to win this game is with the secret play ". He then passed a bottle of sweet sherry around the playing group, saying " just a sip, Just a sip". At halftime we were down by a few points, so he passed the bottle around again. " Drink it all, I've got another one" He said. We ended up winning.

That wasn't the extent of Jeff's coaching knowledge, he got some of us into the Randwick lower grades, for experience. He introduced us to some Randwick legends, at the bar, immersing us in the rugby culture. He taught our forwards how to actually scrummage, and we found out the difference between a ruck & a maul. A wonderful man, who gave his all to rugby.

You know rugby gave me the best time at a period when outside of rugby was a bit grim. Vietnam, protesters, the whole box of dice. I met some top people, like our front row forward for the HMAS Penguin side, the year we won the Dempster Cup. " Cowboy" Garrett, Clearance diver, M.I.D. Vietnam for diving into the murky waters of Vung Tau harbour and disarming a VC sapper diver who had placed a limpet mine on a ship alongside. He then retrieved the mine[ it was the first Russian mine of it's type captured, a new type, the Yanks snatched it away and studied it. ] . He taught me how to play rugby, as well. One game I was kicking the ball a lot, and he said " give you a tip, kick that bloody ball again, I'll break your ****ing leg!" Thanks for the tip, Cowboy. Cowboy opened a restaurant in Cairns called the Ring of Fire, with his Asian partner. We called it payback. Any way Jeff Sayle;

JEM JEFF SAYLE SPEECH - YouTube

Rugby mourns passing of Randwick icon Jeff Sayle | RUGBY.com.au

Ring of Fire? I've been there. Thought it was a Curry Restaurant (as one would) but it wasn't then, maybe now?

You & Paul should think about co-authoring a book.

[QUOTE=4bee;3049084]

Originally Posted by bob10

Ring of Fire? I've been there. Thought it was a Curry Restaurant (as one would) but it wasn't then, maybe now?

You & Paul should think about co-authoring a book.

They'd fight over the pencil!

[QUOTE=V8Ian;3049085][QUOTE=4bee;3049084]
They'd fight over the pencil! [/QUOTE


so give the crayon to the loser .

[QUOTE=4bee;3049084]

Originally Posted by bob10

Ring of Fire? I've been there. Thought it was a Curry Restaurant (as one would) but it wasn't then, maybe now?

You & Paul should think about co-authoring a book.

A curry restaurant indeed. Cowboy no longer runs it, he was last heard of on Russel Island in Moreton Bay, making bespoke furniture. That was after running a diving company in Cairns, doing commercial diving .