recollections of Port Macquarie: in general

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)

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When we went to Port Macquarie, we took our peacocks with us in the car, as well as some chooks and guinea fowl, but due to complaints from the neighbours, made to Sgt Plain, I had to give them away to Sea-Acres Tourist Park at Shelly Beach, Port Macquarie (now known as Sea Acres Rainforest Centre - click here to see their website)
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We lived in the 'lock-up' at Port Macquarie (where the prison cells were attached to the house we lived in) and our yard was where the Police Station now stands, right on the River.

Sally (my wife) used to feed up to a dozen prisoners at a time, and got paid a few cents for each meal.  I think it was $0.50c for brekky, $0.70 cents for lunch and $1.00 for tea.  They used to get good meals, the same as what the family (us) ate.

Iin those days, there were only 5 Police Officers stationed at Port Macquarie on General Duties and 2 on Highway Patrol.  I had the phone from 5pm each day to 8am the next morning (on call every night) and would be called out to accidents, etc. every night.

It was very tough, as many nights I was up most of the night up the Cooperabung and Kundabung Mountains between Kempsey and Port Macquarie, doing terrible accidents and then had to work 8am-5pm during the days.  I used to get time off for this but when they brought in payment for overtime, they extended the shifts at Port from 8-12midnight to save paying me, and I then only had the 'phone after midnight, which wasn't so bad.

I joined a group of Jewy (jew fish) fisherman at Port Macquarie and spent a lot of time with Bunny Coates, Ron Whiting, Tom Clark and Garry Rae, fishing for jewies off the breakwall.  We used to catch quite a lot, between 25lb and 76lb - beautiful fish.

We used to play heaps of practical jokes at Port Macquarie - tacks in the Highway Patrol boots, wet toilet paper bombs in the high tree outside the Police Station door, released by string bungers let off in the toilet, etc, and heaps more.

I was on the volunteer Jet Rescue Boat as a driver and did 80 odd rescues on the Hastings River Bar and when we left Port, had a big send-off at the RSL and the Port Council presented us with an inscribed  briefcase in appreciation.

I started marine fish keeping at Port Macqurie and had 3 beautiful tanks of fish.  Once, one broke in the middle of the night and we were up all night cleaning up saltwater.

recollections about myself: meeting Sally

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)

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I was a member of Bondi Surfbathers Surf Club and spent a lot of time on the beach.  Several of us blokes were sitting on the beach one day in 1960 and I had a radio and it was playing "Barefoot Boy" by Noelene Batley - a big hit of the day, when thee cheeky nurses came up and sat with us on the beach to listen to the song.  One of these, was a cute little redhead called Sally Lynch who I fell for immediately!  I had sort've  noticed her on the beach for a while.

We began going out together.  I was a bit doubtful as to Sal's family, because I wasn't a  Catholic.  Sal's Dad, Ray, was a senior fireman and they lived on top of the Kings Cross Fire Station.  Sally was in her first year of nursing at Sydney Hospital.  Sally's brothers are Ray and Chris, sisters Karin, Ellen (now Genevieve) and Hilary. (see Sally's father Ray below the day he received a medal in his form Fireman's uniform in Sydney - John is far right at the back, Aunty Karin in pink mini dress, white hat is Betty Joan Clarke (John's mother) and green hat is Sally's mother Thelma (Ray's wife), the red head is Sally, lady in yellow is Colleen Lynch (sister in law) with their son Mark Lynch carried by Colleen, and her husband Ray (Sally's brother).  Karin is in the front in a green dress posing with Ray (her grandfather in formal Fireman attire)

Sally lived at home, but later had to board at the Hospital or at the sydney Eye Hospital in Woolloomooloo.  Sally used to get free tickets every now and then through the Hospital to go to the tivoli and we went and saw shows there quite often.  We used to go to the movies and have coffee in a little coffee shop at Kings Cross and to to the beach.  The Coffee Shop was called "The Mignon".  Sally's real name was Sylvia Anne Lynch and as her initials were S.A.L. everyone called her Sal.

I had use of Dad's car for a short period, an old Austin A40 convertible and one weekend I took Sal to Austinmer where Mum and Dad and Isabel were holidaying.  On the way back to Sydney at night on the Sunday, the car broke down in the deepest darkest portion of the National Park (no F3 freeway in those days).

Eventually, I got a car to stop and asked him to call the NRMA down when he got to Sutherland.  We waited for hours.  Big trouble as Sal's Dad would be pacing the floor waiting for his daughter.

While we were waiting, a car stopped to see if he could help and told us another car loaded with hoodlums had crashed further back down the road and that whey were suspicious characters.  The NRMA arrived about 3am and I asked him to call the depot and request them to advise Sutherland Police about the crash.  He did so.  Turned out the A40 had to be towed to Sutherland as it had a broken axle.  So we got a lift to Sutherland Police Station with the NRMA and arrived there about 6am!  I went into the Police Station to use the phone to ring Sal's Dad, who naturally got stuck right into me.  Then the Police Sergeant at Sutherland asked me if I was the bloke who had rung about the car crash.  He congratulated me, as it turned out the Police went down and caught a gang of car thieves they had been after for a long time.  I got a good mark on my Service Register for this, but was regarded with deep suspicion by Sal's Dad, Ray.

I got transferred to Parkes in 1961, but prior to being transferred, I had 14 weeks leave and with 3 other Police, including George Leighton, we went opal mining at Lightning Ridge in my 1952 blue Holden Sedan.  Had a wonderful time spotlight shooting 'roos at night for skins and mining in the day.  We cleaned out a deep old mine and chipped in with our picks where the old miners had stopped.  We found some opal which paid for our trip.  Sally's opal earrings were dug out during that trip.  I had a terrible accident in the car coming back to Lightning Ridge from Walgett with supplies.  I ran into the blade of a bulldozer who was grading the road at night and the blade was on the wrong side of the road.  It cut right into the car from front to back, just missing my knee!  Luckily the blade was turned away instead of in towards us, in which case, it would have dragged us right into the bulldozer.  We were flat out at 90mph at the time, very lucky!

After my transfer to Parkes in 1961, Sally and I wrote lots of letters and I visited Sydney when I could.  By this time, Mum and Dad had moved to Gordon.  I boarded at Parkes iwth Lila Davis.  Michael was her son who later married my sister Isabel.  He fell in love with a photo of Isable that i had on my dressing table.  Whilst at Parkes I used to reliee at Condobolin, Bogan Gate and Tullamore.  It was at Condobolin, that an aboriginal climbed a tree and got Cocky Clarke (a white cockatoo) out of a nest for me and I gave her to Mum and Dad on one of my trips to Sydney.  We had to fee her Weet-Bix on a spoon til she was old enough for seed.

I had a lot of interesting cases (police) at Parkes and attended some dreadful crashes.

The big day came on 19/6/64 when Sal and I were married at St Canices, Darlinghurst.  The same day The Beatles came to Sydney - traffic was really heavy.  We were married by Father Hazeler and had a lovely reception at the Australia Hotel.  Ian Park and Frank Clare were our best man and groomsman and our bridesmaids were Karin (Sal's sister) and Isabel (my sister).  We went on our honeymoon to Hayman Island, where we had a wondrful time.

recollections of Katoomba: olympic flags and bush fires

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)

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• In 1956 I went to the Olympic Games in Melbourne.  I stayed with Aunty Jill and Phil Gilbert at Cantebury with their kids, Louise (who died a few years ago of breast cancer), Warwick (who I haven't seen since) and Graham (who we seem to see every now and again - he works for the Tax Dept.  Jill isMum's half sister and Sue Griffin is her other half sister and Neville Carr is her half brother.  Phil Gilbert was a Doctor and the City Health Officer for Melbourne.  They had a beautiful home at 12 Chaucer Crescent, East Cantebury or Camberwell, with a lovely tennis court down the back.  White staying with Phil and Jill, I knocked off a flag that was flying at the shopping centre - there were heaps there for the Games and I knocked it off for a souvenir.  Big trouble from Uncle Phil and we had to return it.

• Also in 1956, there was a terrible bush fire in Katoomba - Leura - Wentworth Falls.  It started at Katoomba Rubbish Tip and there was a howling hot westerly blowing.  I was one of the volunteers iwth one of the ttankers.  Therw were several guesthouses, a church and 80 homes burnt out.  It was one of the worst first in Australia up to that time.

recollections of Katoomba: golf swings and flying saucers

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)

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• In my last year at school, Dad got transferred to Kandos and I stayed on with Nin (my grandmother) to finish the year.  While in Nin's house at Katoomba, I was supposed to be studying but instead, I was practising my golf swing in the bedroom and smashed her beautiful chandelier light on my follow-through (big trouble!!) 

• I was in the CEBS for several years (Church of England Boys Society) with Neil Elphick - it was like the Scouts and we wore a blue uniform with airforce type caps.  We were coming home one night when we saw a flying saucer.  It was only a couple of hundred feet high and it was circular with red and green lights revolving 'round its edge.  Many others also saw it and it was in the Sydney papers - headlines - and the next night it was seen again by hundreds of people and they sent up airforce planes from Richmond to check it out but they couldn't find it.

recollections of Katoomba: tv, tripe & hepatitis

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)

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• TV came when we were at Katoomba (about 1956) and I remember big crowds watching TV through the windows of the electrical stores at night.

• Dad was in terrible pain one night and was taken to hospital and had an operation on his stomach.  Scar tissue had blocked off his bowel.  Apparently when he was a boy, he was jucking around and a girl stuck the end of an umbrella into his stomach near his navel where the scar tissue was.  He spent a few days in hospital.  When recovering Jack was starving and his first meal - TRIPE!  Dad used to shudder when telling the story and had a few more days without eating!!

• In my last year at school (1957) I went camping with mates down the Megalong Valley over Easter where I caught a really bad dose of hepatitis.  I was really sick, vomiting, etc.., and could hardly move.  I spent 6 weeks flat on my back.. I recall Mum took me for my first game of golf and I collapsed on the course and said 'Mum I can't go any further...' When I went back to school, Mr Eric Johnston the headmaster told Mum and Dad that I had no chance of passing the Leaving Certificate and to  repeat the year, anyway I ended up passing it with flying colours!! I completed the Leaving Certificate in 1957 and got 5B's - an average pass.

recollections of Katoomba: my beautiful overcoat

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)

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Aunty Meg was living in England back then and she used to send me Ian's (Nathan) cast off clothing which was great because they were warm corduroy type clothes, etc.  She sent me this beautiful gabardine overcoat.  On e day I was running flat-out down the Katoomba Street Hill with my coat open and flying in the breeze when one of the buttons caught between the brick wall and a tin fence in a lane and ripped a piece of gabardine 1" wide from one side of the coat where the button was, right round to the button hole - big trouble!!

recollections of Katoomba: coppers, gas stoves and old friends

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)

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• Saturday mornings I had to cut wood and get the copper boiling for my Mum to do the washing.  I was always in a hurry to get away with my mates and Mum wouldn't let me go til the whole surface of the copper was bubbling.  There were no washing machines back then.  During this time, Mum's mother, Nin, (Zillah) came to live across the road.  We had a gas stove and in those days gas was piped to the houses from the Katoomba gas works which have since been demolished.

• I had a good mate - Ian Smith who had a Dalmation called 'Rheema'  He was a terrific cricketer and footballer and was killed on a motorbike just after he left school, he had a job at the Port Kembla Steel Works.  His parents were pommies and had the 'Bluebird Arts and Crafts' in Katoomba Street.  He was in the class ahead of me.  He used to win all my marbles off me.

Recollections of Katoomba: my first day

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)

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When I was a boy, we went to Katoomba in 1950 and lived in "Arahana"a house owned by the Bank  (where my father Jack worked) on the corner of Kurrawong Road and Mortin St.  Sal (my wife) and I called in their during our 40 year School Reunion and met the guy who now lives there and had a lovely tour of the house and a cuppa (Nov 1977).

The day we moved in, I met a local boy and we went on our bikes down the Cliff Drive and explored some bush.  We were late back and Mum and Dad called out the Police as they reckoned we had fallen over the cliff - 'specially when they found our bikes as the cliff top!'

A True Story by Colleen Lynch

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)

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seems my father has been the subject of many funny stories and poems, here is yet another ridiculous situation he found himself in, whilst on holiday at Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island, Qld, Australia a few years back with my uncle Ray and his wife Colleen Lynch (my mother Sally's brother and sister in law)  ...   Colleen is a great poet and penned this amusing poem to relate the story

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Tangalooma has a rumour,
That once upon one steamy morn,
A tall and fearless fisherman,
Set out to fish and prawn.

His eyes were glazed with purpose,
His goal this day was set,
To catch himself a trophy,
The biggest flathead yet!

He strode along the seafront,
In true bronzed Aussie pose,
Though above the Aussie beergut,
He couldn't see his toes.

The hordes of Japanese tourists,
Were admiring him, he figured,
He allowed for cultural difference
When behind their hands they sniggered.

His mind was still abstracted,
The lure of conquest shone,
Then he heard one Japanese giggle,
'He got no Speedos on!'

He looked down in amazement,
Quick/exit was his wish,
And the tourists nodded discovery
Of how the Aussies fish.....

Steaming Poo

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)

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It was 'round 1982.  I was the boss of Kingsliff Police Station when I received word that a garage had been help up down south and that the offenders were in a certain car heading north.

Took off for the scene in the Police wagon but prior to getting there, got word by radio that the offender's car had turned over on a bush road and that they had decamped into the scrub.

By the time I arrived on the scene, there were four or five Police cars there already, with all the Police standing around on the road near the overturned stolen car.  No sign of the offenders.

I decided to have a look in the paddock nearby for signs of the direction of the fugitives and about a hundred yards away under a large gum tree found fresh steaming human faeces with some used newspaper and thought I was in luck...

I called out 'this way fellows, there is a big pile of....'.

I looked down to the officers some who were bent over, others leaning on their cards, but they wouldn't come.

I went back to the group and after some difficult conversation because they were laughing so much, eventually discovered that the culprit was one of our own - my own lockup keeper.

that's how i got the nickname 'Tracker'...

The Blue Hole

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)

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this is one of my favourite stories dad, as told by dad's mate, Neal - karin


One of my favourite outings as a boy growing up in Katoomba was to the Blue Hole in the company of a group of mates.

The Blue Hole was a deep pool below a cascade in a creek well into the thick bush at North Katoomba.  I don't know why we called it the Blue Hole because the water always appeared greenish even though the creek flowing into it was crystal clear.

We would pack our lunch, walk or ride to the edge of the bush at North Katoomba, hid our bikes if we had them, then walk a couple of kilometres along the creek while looking for 'possums nests' and freshwater crayfish and things.

We went there to catch rainbow trout.  We never caught many, if we caught one in an outing between us, we considered it a successful catch.  But the expectation was always exciting.  We didn't know much about catching trout, but I remember one day when we were having no luck I walked a little way down the creek from the pool.  I spotted a trout under a bank.  In the usual fashion I threw in a line baited with a worm.  The fish took no interest  So I suspended bait under a piece of stick and floated it past the fish.  Immediately the fish struck and was landed.  I got such a thrill.  We changed our techniques after that.

We had to climb down a short cliff to get to the waters edge at the hole.  On this particular day we had bought three bottles of soft drink (an absolute treat for us) at Katoomba.  Clarkey (John Clarke - myself) was  carrying them in his backpack.  When we got to the cliff, he threw his backpack from the top to the bottom to save carrying it down without a single thought for its contents.  Of course, one of the bottles broke, it was amazing they didn't all break.  We complained bitterly but Clarkey rather indignantly claimed he couldn't see the justification, after all, we still had two bottles left!

Another day, John (these incidents always seemed to involve him!) somehow managed to sink a fish hook into his finger.  We were all standing in a huddle earnestly looking down at Clarkey's pointer.  While the patient groaned, a few of us took turns at tattempting to manipulate the hook free, without success.  Someody then pulled out a blunt fishing knife and suggested we cut it out.  Whoever it was confidently made some pretended cutting strokes in the air over the finger, but then lost courage.  Another kid called out...'ive us a go!' but this was interrupted by the bright idea of going to Arthur Analzark's place.  He lived nearby, his sister was a nurse, so she would be able to fix it for sure.  We found her at home and explained our situation.  With us all looking on eagerly, she examined John's finger for about 3 seconds, grabbed the line and just yanked it out.  We continued out trip with John in considerable pain.

They were great days, even when they didn't go to plan.

Neal (thank you Neal!)