RANANIM OCTOBER 2013 PAGE 2

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A GATHERING OF THE
"TRUE BELIEVERS" cont'd from previous page


Rob Darroch began by mentioning the contributions made to his research by Paul Delprat, Peter Coleman and Garry Shead (pictured on previous page)...

Paul Delprat's cousin, D.G. Hum, whom Lawrence had first met on board the Osterley en route to Ceylon, had introduced Lawrence to the Friend family and Jack Scott at that afternoon tea party.

Peter Coleman, as NSW Chief Secretary in 1976, had given Rob privileged access to the "Secret Bundles" in the Mitchell Library which contained information about members of the secret army organisation in the 1920s.

Garry Shead, the creator of an extensive suite of paintings and etchings about Lawrence and Kangaroo, provided many illustrations for Rob's e-book, along with Paul Delprat. Shead is currently making a film about Lawrence and Kangaroo.


Robert Whitelaw with his copy of the
Scaly Back CD

 

Robert Whitelaw discovered the "house set sideways by the lagoon" at Narrabeen where Lawrence and Frieda, on the day after they arrived in Sydney, met some of the members of the secret army at an afternoon tea party (as described in Kangaroo).

 

Rob Douglass's (right) great-uncle was Jock Garden, Secretary of the NSW Trades & Labor Council, on whom Lawrence based the trade union boss, Willie Struthers, in Kangaroo.

 


John Ruffels
contributed invaluable research for many decades, particularly during the 1980s when Rob Darroch was away in London.


John Ruffels

 


Rob Douglass


Sue Delprat and John Ruffels

Four other people had contributed invaluable information and help, but were unable to attend. They are: Andrew Moore, whose knowledge of secrat army activity in Australia is second to none; Humphrey MacQueen, who provided Rob with information about the Australian Protective League; Evan Williams, who was responsible for saving Wyewurk from destruction by having it listed as a Heritage property; and Sally Rothwell (Oatley), whose father was Jack Scott's step-son.

Rose Gissing (back) Peter Coleman (l)
and Garry Shead (r)

 

Also present at the lunch were Rose Gissing, who is helping to produce Garry's film; Sue Delprat, wife of Paul Delprat and manager of the Julian Ashton Art School; and Sandra Darroch, who produced the e-book and has been a firm believer in the "Darroch Thesis", while also acting as devil's advocate to test Rob's research.

 

Sandra Darroch - the truest of
the True-Believers

The lunch took place on the Darrochs' balcony overlooking Bondi Beach, and the conversation criss-crossed over a table laden with salmon and a symbolic dish of kangaroo curry.

Click HERE to read Rob's latest diary entry on the subject.

Report of the launch by Peter Coleman in his Spectator column 12/10/13

 


ROB DARROCH'S TALK AT THE OCTOBER ROCKS MEDIA LUNCH

On October 23, Rob Darroch gave a talk about his 40-odd years' research
into DH Lawrence's time in Sydney and Thirroul in 1922

Rob Darroch (right) addressing Rocks Media Lunchers following the launch of
his e-book, Scaly Back...(From left to right) Robert Whitelaw, Jill Lester,
John Lawrence, Michael Lester at Curry at the Rocks restaurant

 

 

Also among the attendees at the Rocks Media Lunch were (l to r) Sally Rothwell (whose father was
the step-son of Jack Scott, a central character in Lawrence's time in NSW), John Rothwell, Antony Carr and Graham Bates

 

 

 

(l to r) David Say, Chris Fox,
Evie Harrison, Greg Lenthen and Lindsay Foyle