Katherine Times Wed 9 Mar 2016
Katherine Times; NewspaperNT
2016-03-09
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Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Katherine; Katherine (N.T.) -- Newspapers
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https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C1968A00045
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/300758
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/373986
WEEKENDER WednesdayMarch 09, 2016KATHERINETIMES16 katherinetimes.com.au PERSPECTIVES WHEN I turn 90 - if I reach 90 - Iwant to be a 90-year-old likeAudrey.I want to be naughty like Audrey, because a naughty 90-year-old, particularly if shes slightly tiddly, is adorable. And a naughty 90-year-old is really adorable, and quite magnificent, when shes telling the Catholic Church - her church - and the blokes in frocks who run it that shes had a gutful of them. But were getting ahead of ourselves. Audrey was adorable last Saturday at her 90th birthday party at a restaurant around the corner from her house. Everybody said so. And because shes 90 and it was her birthday, and she was tiddly after a few 90th birthday celebratory drinks, even Audrey said so. She walked from person to person and group to group with a beaming smile and a twinkle in her eye. Her children were there along with their partners. In a speech one of her sons-in-law was in tears talking about his love for her. Her grandchildren were there, outing Audrey as the Nanna who introduced them to the enthralling delights of The Bold and the Beautiful and the need to watch every episode or completely lose track of whats happening. For example this week in The Bold and the Beautiful, according to an authoritive American soaps website, Quinn reminds Deacon that Liams name is Adam, and viewers learn what Candace said about Zende dumping Nicole. Audrey would know what that means. She gave a speech. Audrey was born in 1926, the year Greta Garbo made her American screen debut, Rudolph Valentino died, Stanley Bruce was Australias prime minister and rayon and chenille dresses were the height of womens fashion. Audrey managed a bag shop at Maitland when she was just 17 and that job - according to her son - is the yardstick by which Audrey measures her childrens professional achievements. Well might they manage a government department, or write a wonderful thesis, or work in China, but Audrey was running a bag shop when she was just 17 and, as her son said, you cant measure up to that. Audrey spoke about the role of whitegoods in her life from the early days when a fridge, a washing machine, and then a television turned the world upside down. The fridge was such an extraordinary advance that Audrey would go to the kitchen at night, in the dark, just to open the fridge door and make the light go on inside. When she got rid of the old copper and bought a washing machine Audreys mother was so astounded she came over to have a look. So the two of them, mother and daughter, pulled up a couple of chairs, made themselves comfortable, and watched the washer go through a cycle. And television? It introduced the world to Audreys home, along with The Bold and the Beautiful, and I dont think I need state which has been the more significant addition to her life. Audrey sang some songs at her birthday party with a voice that took us back to gentler days, when you could actually understand what someone was saying when they sang a song. She sang Patsy Clines Crazy - Im crazy for trying/And crazy for crying/And Im crazy for loving you - with a longneck beer in her hand because she didnt have a microphone. Tiddly 90-year-olds are wild like that. I first met Audrey in early 2013 after her son rang to say his mother had been a strong Catholic all her life, was struggling to understand how the church could have allowed child sex offenders to molest children for so long, and would I meet with her? We met at a cafe, just the three of us, and I showed them church documents as evidence many senior priests had had knowledge of offenders. Audrey said little that day. She was almost in shock after reading too much about the church she had believed in for more than eight decades. She had been friendly with priests, and had worked for priests, who were later convicted for child sex offences. Her children attended Catholic schools. It was only in a phone call some time later that her son told me about his brother, who hanged himself in his bedroom in 1974, aged 13. His death occurred without warning and after an apparently uneventful day. His year master at that time, Marist Brother Romuald, is now in jail for child sex offences against 19 boys in the 1960s and 1970s. The offences occurred in class, at school camps and on swimming trips. Two other students in that class of boys also died young, and under distressing circumstances. The impact on Audrey and her family was devastating beyond words. As one of her relatives said in a speech at Audreys birthday party, there was life before 1974, and life after. On Saturday we raised our glasses to Audrey, the woman who, in her late 80s, was forced to change her view of the church. This week weve watched a prince of the church, and we know he will not change. DRAWING THE LINE She was almost in shockafter reading too muchabout the church she had believed in for more than eight decades. Her grandchildren were there, outing Audrey as the Nanna who introduced them The Bold and and the need to watch every episode or completely lose track of whats The Bold , according to an authoritive American soaps website, Quinn reminds Deacon that Liams name is Adam, and viewers learn what Candace said about Zende Audrey would know what that The fridge was such an extraordinary advance that Audrey would go to the kitchen at night, in the dark, just to open the fridge door and make the light go on inside. When she got rid of the old cop per and bought a washing machine Audreys mother was so astounded she came over to have a look. So the two of them, mother and daughter, pulled up a couple of chairs, made themselves comfortable, and watched the washer go through a cycle. And television? It introduced the world to Audreys home, along with The Bold and the Beautiful and I dont think I need state which has been the more significant addition to her life. some songs at JO A N N E M cC A R T H Y THE reality that the free worlds leader could soon be Donald Trump is slowly starting to sink in. But my mind is boggling at what President Trump could actually do with the Oval Office keys. For example, hes apparently renowned for placing his wife and his mistress at the same table at functions. One, this is living proof (with apologies to Paul and John) that money can actually buy you love. And two, this guy could make John F Kennedy look like husband of the year. But imagine the possible combinations of international leaders Trump could orchestrate at White House dinners. Kim Jong-un meet your southerly neighbour Park Geun-hye and talk all things big bang over the entree. Ben Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, how about you end decades of bloody conflict over dessert and Ill throw in my daughter Ivanka to sweeten the deal. Trump did state on national TV he would date Ivanka, apart from the pesky fact they share DNA, so he clearly wouldnt think twice about using her charms to achieve Middle Eastern peace. Ivanka, meanwhile, just spends her days giving thanks for her mothers genes. But Im not sure how President Trump would go with a certain section of the worlds leaders. Given hes described women as fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals, Im not sure German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be opening her borders to him anytime soon. And speaking of borders, Trumps plan to build a wall to stop those nasty Mexicanos from contaminating US soil could lead to copycats worldwide. Collingwood and Carlton supporters would be erecting barriers all across Melbourne, Tony Abbott would be stonewalling Malcolm Turnbull and the whole world would be chipping in for a dome over Kanye West. Trumpeting a new era? sure German Chancellor Angela Merkel will And speaking of borders, Trumps plan to build a wall to stop those nasty Mexicanos from contaminating US soil could lead to FIONA HENDERSON