Book launch bowls them over
A Family Affair: Back row from left, Author Chris Bourne, Rebecca Callanan, Jim Gardener, Penny Hatchman. Front row from left Rod’s 96 year old sister and last remaining relative, Pam Hatchman and daughter Linda Hatchman
Woombye Bowls Club was the venue for the launch of a book “The Last Mile - Memoir of a Travelling Showman”, Rod Coomber.
Rod Coomber and Thelma, his wife of 63 years, were local residents in Wakefield Street, Woombye when Rod retired to the Sunshine Coast. They joined the Woombye Bowls Club and Rod was well known for reciting a poem or two as he played. It’s not known if that was to settle his own nerves or to unnerve his opponents, but the poems were often humorous and well received.
The Last Mile is the story of Rod’s life as a boxer, vaudeville show performer, soldier, gem hunter, travelling showman, writer and poet. The book also tells the story of the love of his life, his wife Thelma, how they met, what they did and in the latter part of the book, how he looked after her as Alzheimers set in after Thelma suffered a stroke in 2001.
While Rod did many things, the most fascinating are the years he was a travelling showman, working in sideshow alley at country shows and capital cities all over Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
The book provides a brief history of how and when shows started in Australia. Excerpts were read from the book describing the popular entertainment of the 50s and 60s, with tent shows - the illusions, the freak shows, Slim Dusty and Tex Morton, the rides, the games of skill and gambling and insight into the travelling show community.
Fifty years of travelling in a unique occupation delivers many funny stories and anecdotes of the characters he met, the places he went and how he dealt with the ups and downs of a nomadic life. He says in the book that “they were grey nomads before grey nomads became part of our language, a catchphrase for seeking adventure and a seachange”.
Guests at the launch were moved from laughter to tears as Earle Taylor, performed three poems – “Ballad to M.T. (Motor Transport) Drivers”, a poem set in the war years; “Curly K.O.” an hilarious poem about a boxer in Jimmy Sharman’s Boxing Tent and “50th Anniversary” a poignant expression of love to Thelma, not a dry eye in the house!
Written in collaboration with his daughter Christine J Bourne, the book took over ten years to be finished, fulfilling a promise made to Rod before he passed in 2009.
The launch of the book was held on what would have been Rod’s 100th birthday and it was made more significant by the arrival of Mrs Pam Hatchman, Rod’s only sister and last remaining relative. Pam, 96 years old and a resident of Regis Aged Care, was given special permission to attend.
The Last Mile is available by going to www.christinejbourneauthor.com