“The Swedes love summer”, my Swedish teacher told me last week. “And if they don’t get out, they go crazy”, she added.
Last summer, of course, I spent a few months travelling around Europe, including several weeks in Sweden.
In case you’ve ever wondered what a Swedish person looks like, here’s some examples…
All of these images were captured in public places such as concerts, parks, festivals and so on.
It’s such a beautiful sunny day in Sydney, which is terrific, because it’s the first day of my three week holiday. Admittedly, I have to go in to work for a 1-hour meeting this afternoon, but it was terrific to go to bed last night not really worrying about setting an alarm or anything.
I woke, as per usual around 5-5.30, read the papers, and then went back to sleep until mid-morning. Then, with the spirit of someone who has only only a few things on his agenda for the day, I set out with a spirit of adventure. Enjoying the sunshine, I started walking and randomly catching buses, until I arrived at Köket café https://www.funkis.com/koket in Paddington, which sells lots of Swedish food, including kanelbullar. Very tasty. Excellent coffee.
As much as I love my job, I also really enjoy taking a break. And it’s been almost two years since I’ve had a “proper” holiday. So here’s to sunshine, relaxation, watching great movies and television, listening to great music, reading great books, chatting with great people, some great travel, and lots of new adventures, Hopefully lots of good blogging also.
In the next couple of years, I’ll likely be taking a step back from full-time work and embracing semi-retirement.
As I transition, I’ve started the fascinating and sometimes daunting process of sifting through the ABC Radio archives—particularly the early work that has now been digitised to rediscover moments of my on-air career.
On top of that, I’ve got a treasure trove of content sitting on hundreds of cassette tapes and DATs in boxes at home.
The exciting part is how effortless it is now to dive into that analogue archive: finding a specific clip, generating a transcript, and pulling out the best bits is simple, opening up a world of old material.
I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing the Australian swimming legend Dawn Fraser on a number of occasions. Today, I’m sharing one such interview from the time leading up to the announcement that Sydney would host the 2000 Olympics.
Dawn Fraser explained her upcoming move from Sydney’s Balmain to the Riverina town of Barellan was primarily driven by the people and her health, specifically to avoid the city’s pollution and allergens that aggravate her asthma, which had recently led to emergency hospital visits.
She said she would continue with paid guest speaking under her Sydney agent and was looking at semi-retirement, having bought a three hundred-acre property where she planned to put on stock, leveraging the help and advice of her new neighbours, and supporting her daughter who had just been accepted as a swimming coach in nearby Narrandera.
She was optimistic about Sydney’s bid for the 2000 Olympics, citing its superior technical and security packages. She also addressed the persistent myth about the Tokyo Olympic flag incident, denying the popular version of the story.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Well, it’s only a matter of weeks now until we find out whether or not Sydney will host the year two thousand Olympics. But the region is about to gain its own contact with the games. Former Olympian and parliamentarian Dawn Fraser is packing her bags later this year, leaving Sydney from Balmain to Barellan, east of Griffith, the hometown also of that other great sporting achiever, Evonne Goolagong. She’s in Barellan at the moment and is my guest this morning. Dawn Fraser, thank you very much for your time this morning and welcome to the program and welcome to the region.
DAWN FRASER: Well, thank you, James, and I’m very happy to be here, I must admit.
JAMES O’BRIEN: What do you think of the two thousand Olympic bid? Do you think we’re going to be successful?
DAWN FRASER: I think that we’re very successful. In fact, I think the other cities now are getting very aware of Sydney’s bid. And their technical bid is the best that the IOC, which is International Olympic Committee have ever seen. And I think that’s probably what will win the Sydney bid.
JAMES O’BRIEN: But that’s that’s the technical things. And of course you’ve been to just about every Olympic Games since then. Is it always the the technical things which wins or does politics also play a role in this.
DAWN FRASER: Oh, politics always play a role in the Olympic Games, of course. But I think technical and security that our security right throughout the world is the best in, in Australia. And also, you know, our technical is probably, as I said before, the best that the IOC have ever seen.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Since you began at the games back in the early sixties. What sort of changes have there been to the games?
DAWN FRASER: Well, for instance, uh, the hosting country now, uh, prepares and looks after quite a lot of third world countries. In fact, uh, you know, in, in nineteen eighty, we looked after Zimbabwe. We took the whole team. Australia, I’m saying took the whole team to Moscow. And then we looked after them as far as medical, uh, physiotherapists, coaches and trainers. Uh, since then and last year in Barcelona, we had three South African countries that we looked after.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Terrific. Now, in terms of actually moving to the area, what has prompted this move from Balmain to Barellan?
DAWN FRASER: Well, first of all, let me say it’s been the people. And secondly, may I say it’s been my health. Um, and also, you know, the fact that it starts with a B, I think coming.
JAMES O’BRIEN: From.
DAWN FRASER: Them.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Yes. I’ve been noticing in the paper the last year that you’ve been making quite a few visits to the area and especially being involved with the swimming club.
DAWN FRASER: Yes. Well, I’ve, I’ve actually been coming down to Barellan now for the last seven years with the, with the Barellan Swimming Club, and last year they made me a life member. Um, so, you know, the kids are from around the area and surrounding areas have improved greatly over the last seven years. And of course, you know, we’ve been a bit of a very competitive club now. And I think my daughter has just been accepted as the swimming coach at Narrandera. So there’s going to be a lot of competition around the area. And I think that’s going to be very good for this particular region.
JAMES O’BRIEN: But you mentioned, for example, your health and there is that the issue of the asthma. We’ve just had some figures come out the other week showing that this area has a high rate of asthma. So I’m just wondering why you’re moving to this area if you’ve got to avoid asthma.
DAWN FRASER: Well, it’s very interesting because the things that I’m allergic to only happen in the city. For instance, I’m allergic to, uh, to yeast and, uh, and and pollution, air conditioning. Well, you don’t need that very much out here in the country. And, uh, and we haven’t got the pollution out here that that’s in the city. The pollution around Sydney has been so great in the last, and it’s been increasing in the last two years. But, uh, any sort of virus that I get just increases my asthma. So I think, and I feel that I’ve got to do something about it. I enjoy living, and I don’t want to sort of, uh, be overtaken by the particular sickness. So I think it’s better if I do that.
JAMES O’BRIEN: So you’ve had some substantial problems the last couple of years. Have you in Sydney?
DAWN FRASER: Yes, I certainly have. I mean, uh, you know, over the last three and a half years, I’ve had two emergency sort of dashes to the local hospital. And, uh, and that’s been sort of, uh, a bit frightening. And it’s made me sit up and be aware of the situation that I’m in.
JAMES O’BRIEN: I’m just wondering, though, what you all do. I mean, are you looking at a career in politics? Would you would you like to be the member for Murrumbidgee or or are you looking at a hotel or what will you do in Barellan?
DAWN FRASER: Well, I still I still will be, um, under control of my agent in Sydney, and I still will do guest speaking positions, which I will be. I get paid for doing those things. And then, you know, I am looking at a semi-retirement sort of thing. And with the three hundred acres that, um, that I’m looking at at the moment here in Barellan, well, I’ve put some stock on that. And then, uh, you know, I think that semi-retirement is going to be good. My daughter’s going, as I said, going to be working at Narrandera. And if she goes very well out there, which I think she will, it’s about time she started looking after mum.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Now you’re putting some stock on the land. I mean, do you have a background in farming at all?
DAWN FRASER: No, I don’t, but I have a lot of very good friends here in Barellan that help me. And you know, I’ve been learning a lot over the last two or three years since I’ve been here, and I do know a little bit about it. And I have spent a lot of time on, on, on land. You know, when I went to Adelaide to live, I had forty five acres at a place called prospect.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Oh, yes.
DAWN FRASER: And I had some cattle and sheep, and I looked after the, the land by sowing it and putting pulling trees down and putting trees up and with a tractor and stuff like that. So I’m not afraid of the hard work that I know is in store for me. And while I’m healthy and things like that which I am when I come out here, I can’t see any hassles. And, you know, as I said, the people of Barellan have been very good to us and we’ve fitted in and I think we’ve been accepted into the community, which is a big plus and it’s just a matter of, um, of asking the right people for the advice and going off and doing it yourself. If you make mistakes, you then go back and ask advice again.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Now I’ve been meaning. I’ve been wanting to actually chat with you ever since. Late last year when I interviewed a fellow on the morning program about their memories of the Olympic Games, and this fellow said that it wasn’t you who climbed up the flagpole and stole that flag in Tokyo. It was in fact, him.
DAWN FRASER: Well, if that guy was named Desmond and he came from, um, from Western Australia, which I don’t think he was, it wasn’t him at all, because.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Was it a fellow called Peter Hawkins?
DAWN FRASER: No, it was not.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Who was it?
DAWN FRASER: Uh, well, actually, it was Des Piper from Western Australia, and he was in the Australian hockey team. So I don’t know the guy that, in fact, I. Someone sent me the, uh, the paper clipping of the Wagga Wagga news.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Oh, yes.
DAWN FRASER: I wrote back to the editor and just said, you know, that this isn’t the true story, and please tell the person that he stopped using my name.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Oh, dear.
DAWN FRASER: Because it wasn’t correct. Yeah. But I mean, you know, everyone sort of has dinners on those sort of stories. And they say that they know they know those people. In fact, the the flag wasn’t taking anywhere near anyone else. There was only three of us. And those three people know who they were.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Okay, Dawn, thank you very much. And welcome to the area. Thank you.
DAWN FRASER: James, thanks very much.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Dawn Fraser, who’s moving to the area from Balmain to Barellan. My guest this morning on the morning show and you’re listening to ABC Radio Riverina, James O’Brien with you until eleven.
Over dinner last night with Kristen and Damien, it was revealed we were all due to go Carriageworks to see Klub Koori present “Bart Willoughby & Friends”. Having not seen each other for a few months, it was a real surprise to realise we would end up seeing each other two nights in a row. In both cases, a friend (not a mutual one) had asked us to go along. So there you go.
Bart was a member of some legendary Australian rock bands, including No Fixed Address (Since 1978), The Black Arm Band, Yothu Yindi (1988 – 1989), and Mixed Relations. With one or two exceptions, drummers generally aren’t also vocalists, so it’s really interesting to see someone combine the stage presence of a lead vocalist with being seated behind a drum set. The set included a bit of reggae, a bit of rock, and a degree of experimental works also.
He was supported by Leah Flanagan, Brenda Gifford, and the absolutely awesome soul-pop band, Microwave Jenny. An excellent night, overall.
The day started early for me. I set the alarm for 2.55, so I could be at work by about 3.30, which gave me plenty of time to prepare for our broadcast of the Martin Place Dawn Service.
Like a lot of my peers, when I was a late teens, early twenties person, I was of the view Anzac Day “glorified war”.
But when you go to a parade, and to a Dawn Service in particuar, and REALLY look around at the assembling crowd you realise it isn’t.
One of the figures that stunned me today was that 40% of Australian men enlisted in World War I. I can’t begin to imagine the impact that had on the mindset of the country.
And of course, they were ordinary run-of-the-mill people doing what they felt was the right thing to do.
So yeah, I spent a fair amount of the day in Hyde Park enjoying the atmosphere near the Red Cross tent. It’s a great place, actually, since you see lots of people gathering around for a cup of tea after the march, which must be quite exhausting. Quite often you’ll see three (sometimes more) generations of people together for the day. I am always particularly touched when I see a grand-child taking care of someone who has just marched, who needs a seat, who needs a cup of tea, and who is sometimes a little overwhelmed by the day.
After that, I headed home for a while for a bit of an afternoon nap.
But when I caught up with friends tonight on Oxford Street, I was pleased to see there was still a bit of military colour around, with lots of service personnel on the streets.
One of the great untold stories, of course, is the large and significant number of gays and lesbians in the defence forces. And tonight, there were a lot of them in the bars.
And while maybe ten years ago, they would never have felt they could do this, for fear of losing their jobs, tonight they seemed a lot more confident.
We went out tonight on Oxford Street to catch up with a fellow ABBA fan visiting from Adelaide. He and a friend were over for a few days of fun in the “big smoke”.
After dinner and some drinks, we ended up at Palms for a bit of a disco dance.
As we joined the queue (I can’t believe the Oxford Street queuing policy!!), we got to talking to a couple of people behind us. There was a young German bloke who seemed lovely, and the most humourless Swede (I don’t THINK that’s a tautology or maybe it is?) I’ve ever come across. As our friend’s friend was German (born and raised in the East), she had a great time chatting with the young bloke (also born and raised in the East). It was great to see bonding across the generations, as he was about 25 and she was 60. Meanwhile, the humourless Swede stood there with a bored look on his face. Through my mind, I was trying to work out how to say “Get over it, you humourless prick” in Swedish.
And then we got inside, had a few drinks, and a few laughs, and we had a great dance.
I love the way at Palms how they combine all sorts of music together, and how the DJ has absolutely note pretentious about the music he plays. I get the impression his view is that “so long as people dance” it doesn’t matter what they play.
This was also perhaps the philosophy of David Hiscock, a well known Sydney DJ.
In an otherwise joyous night, there was one sad moment. As we arrived at the Midnight Shift, there was a “service” underway in memory of David who passed away yesterday morning from a heart-attack (I understand).
I guess David was most familiar to people at the Shift and the Newtown Hotel by his famous toupee. But for me, the most striking thing about his work was the absolute joy in the music he played. He was well known for playing good sing-a-long music with a great pop sensibility. He was also known to slip in the occasional Swedish pop song upon request. There always seemed to be a lot of heart and soul and passion in his work, and I was a little sad to hear of his passing.
So yes, it was a day of contrasts.
The original plan involved dinner with visiting friends on Friday night. But thanks to a Jetstar cancellation of their flight from the NSW North Coast, our dinner was postponed twenty four hours. I made a “don’t fly with Jetstar” resolution earlier this year, I told my friend. Too many cancelled flights, too many “rules”, and not enough care for the customers, in my view. A friend in Tasmania told me via email she loathed Jetstar for precisely those reasons. And besides, for most of the flights where I’d have to choose between Virgin and Jetstar, Virgin is generally about the same price, and offers a better service.
So yeah, the plan was to catch up with an old school friend (we’ve known each other since we were both thirteen), his partner, and another old school friend of ours for dinner. My school friend and his partner were coming to Sydney for a wedding. We thought about heading off to Nomad again, but the restaurant was booked out, with only late bookings an option. So instead, we decided on Baccomatto Osteria, an Italian restaurant on Riley Street, Surry Hills.
And what a good choice it was. The food was excellent and the waiter we had was brilliant. She was friendly, very knowledgeable and passionate about the food, and, as it turned out, has a NSW North Coast connection, via family in Mullumbimby. Though at times the restaurant was a little noisy, we really enjoyed it, and I would definitely go back there. Highly recommended.
Walking back to Surry Hills, we popped into Messina for the obligatory “Surry Hills gelato experience”, and enjoyed our ice-cream in the nearby park. And, as my friends are cheese-makers, we also popped in to take in what was on offer at the nearby Maloney’s Grocery store to see what was on offer. The night was capped off with a cup of tea. A terrific Saturday night with great friends and great food.
“Wouldn’t it be great if I could just swipe a card like I do at work? And even better, if it was the same card?”, I thought to myself as I walked through the gate/door to the back of my apartment block tonight.
I was carrying a bag, I’d been wearing a suit for close to twelve hours, and I was feeling a little bit tired.
My day at work was both full and interesting, with lots of interesting conversations, and some real progress on a couple of projects I’ve been working on.
And then tonight it was Swedish class which was also, both interesting and joyful.
But by the end of it all, I was so tired I even passed on my usual night at the pub with mates after class.
And besides I’ve got a big day tomorrow.
Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.