Jeff Kennett

[Gary Harding]

Many years ago I enjoyed a friendship with Jeff Kennett.
Jeff is an ex-Premier of Victoria.

He then had a company called KNF Advertising and they had a real photocopier! WOW! very handy.
He was in the front row when I did a recitation of "How McDougall Topped The Score", and the audience went beserk. We were mates.

I would humbly front up with bits of Bush Poems on scraps of paper (pretty tatty really!) and Jeff would be really keen... but then he hit the Big Time. He wanted to publish and really go for it... but other things suddenly took priority. He became Premier.

On a plane to Sydney then which I was doing every week for work, I met a fellow who said for $120 we could go to the Melbourne Cup and The Cup Eve Ball.

So, to his amazement, I handed over $120 in cash on the spot on the plane. Talk about trusting!!

Anyway he was a Crazy Guy but also an incredibly Good Guy, and we went to the Cup in the Members, top hats, wonderful people there ... and I made $80 betting on Black Knight for a win.

At the Cup Eve Ball, which is the THE biggest social event of the year in Victoria, Jeff was coming up the broad hotel stairs, flanked by his minders. When he saw me at the top of the stairs, he broke away, raced up the stairs and shook my hand. "What are you doing here!!?" he said. "Luckily they let anyone in!" I replied.

I was going to wittily say "And what are YOU doing here" but as he was the Premier then, the joke would have fallen flat.

So.. Jeff Kennett to me is always No. 1. I do not care what side of politics you sit on. Jeff Kennett is/was an amazing bloke... tough when toughness was needed, he put the fear of God into some lazy public servants as I recall!! .... and was a Man for all Seasons. Someone who got into the engine room, got down and dirty and was.. A Man Of The People.
Even if he sanctioned the demolition and sale of my old High School... grrr.. that's life. Ah well. A great guy is Jeff. Someone who loves and appreciates Bush Poetry too. He.. Understands.. as they say. He could see what others could not, and is a remarkable fellow.

[warooa]

Yes he did have that bull-in-a-china shop attitude, but he wasn't Premier in 1984 when Black Knight won The Cup, John Cain was. He would've been Opposition leader.

My most indelible recollection of him engaging his mouth before brain was after the 2008 Grand Final victory when (as President of my beloved Hawthorn Football club) he said "Geelong didn't have the psychological drive to beat Hawthorn".

This became known as "Kennett's Curse" - because Geelong made a pact not lose against the Hawks, and didn't for 5 long years. Onya Jeff. He was though, and still is, great for the club.

Thanks for sharing your man-crush, Gary

Marty

[Gary Harding]

Thanks Marty, I just like to share memories like that and time does fog things. There is much less time ahead for me to make them now, so they get to be more cherished I guess.
It was 30 years ago so yes I was wondering about that last night... he was Opposition leader, and I can still see him coming up the stairs. Tickets to the Cup Eve Ball were by invitation.. you had to be Someone, not riff-raff as I was. Hence his surprise I guess...

Jeff liked Traditional style poetry and if there was a chance to promote it, well he would.

Later on he had a radio program on 3AW (I think it was). Talkback radio. I recall going on Jeff's program to discuss my Australian-produced traditional-style book of verse and then reciting some lines from it. They tell you approximately when you will be on... not much notice though. Time to build up the nervousness!

It may be OK to recite to an audience where expressions and gestures help to carry it as most would understand, but reciting into a telephone handset, in one's pyjmas, to an audience that mostly do not have Bush Poetry at the top of their interest list, was no great joy... but a good memory nevertheless.

Jeff was a very kind bloke, well he was to me at least .... but he had a strong personality and really told it as it was... I do that a bit too. His career and personal life are out there for those interested, but I am just recording his interest in and support for Bush Poetry.