The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 24

MILESTONES 16 FRIDAY 22 MAY 1998 THE AGE OBITUARY John Gordon Morrison Author EVENTS TRANSITIONS BIRTHDAYS 1 8 1 1-1 183: Richard Wagner, German composer 1859-1930: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, English author POj i ESCAPED. Pasquale Cuntrera, 63, who has been described by the US Drugs Enforcement Agency as the "richest and most clangerous trafficker of heroin in southern has given the Italian authorities the slip in a wheelchair. Cuntrera disappeared from his seaside home near Rome on 1 1 May on the eve of a Supreme Court decision on his appeal against a 2 1 -year Jail sentence. Italian authorities spent 10 years trying to get Cuntrera extradited from Venezuela. In 1 992 Judge Giovanni Falcone called on the Venezuelan Government to act Four days later Falcone was murdered.

Falcone was said to have established that the Cuntreras family had billion deposited in 52 banks in seven countries, including Britain and Canada. 1907-1989: it Uurence Olivier. 1909-1984: Bob Dyer.TV personality 1 924: Charles Aznavour, French singer 1 927: Tom Conti, Scottish actor 1943: Betty Williams, Northern Irish peace activist 1946: George Best, Northern Irish soccer star 1 950: Iva Davies, pop singer 1959: Morrissey, English pop singer 1 970: Naomi Campbell, English model ANNIVERSARIES INTRIGUED. Super tenor Luciano Pavarotti says he was intrigued by the idea of singing a duet with the Spice Girls. The upshot is that the Spice Girls will join him at a charity concert on 9 June in Moderna, Italy, to raise money for children caught up in the Liberian civil war.

Pavarotti said of the Spice Girls: "Their music is choral, and it seems especially made to draw me in." The funds will go to War Child, a British charity which originally aided children during the Bosnian war. He loved his adopted country and became one of its significant voices. Laboring on the wharves energised his writing. Born: 29.1.1904 Died: 1 1.5.1998 By PHILIP JONES John Morrison, AM, grand old man of Australian literature and lifelong communist, has died in Melbourne at the age of 94. Born in Sunderland, County Durham, England, young lack Morrison arrived in Melbourne In 1923 and loved the land of his adoption from the very beginning.

"By contrast to the sodden landscape of north-east England," he wrote, "Australia is a sunlit paradise." In a port such as Sunderland, where the natural progression from school was the colliery or the shipyard, the 14-year-old Morrison broke tradition by working at the. local museum his lifelong passion being natural history. "Plants, flowers, insects, butterflies, fish, seashells, birds and animals. I took enormous pleasure in observing the way wild things grow and wild creatures act." As well, he was infected by "the writing Always there was this fantasy of Australia and at 19 he emigrated. Imagining a sea journey of three or four days, he was "staggered and thrilled" to learn it would take five weeks to reach Melbourne.

His first Australian job was in the garden of historic Zara Station at Wanganella, outback of Deniliquin. The wide open spaces gave him a sense of freedom: warm friendship with his mates imbued him with the confidence to explore the Australian working class milieu in his stories, and he determined to live out his life in this place of "glamor and Family pressure took him back to England in 1927 there was a crippled brother suffering from infantile paralysis but the brief visit was disastrous due to his intense homesickness for Australia. From this unhappy time comes one of his best short stories, The Incense Burner. An Aussie digger exiled to a shabby London rooming house ian cause. Second, in the early vicious period of the Cold War, authors with questionable political affiliations were demonised by the Commonwealth Government and its agencies.

Morrisoq seems to have survived both fronts due, perhaps, to his courtly manners and sweet nature. In the event he was awarded two Commonwealth literary grants. Not that he was a plaster saint; he possessed the ruthlessness of the artist, his wife and children often suffering his rigidity and his egotism. On the other hand, he led a rigorous life mostly working full time and writing at night in addition to caring for Frances, who was chronically ill. John Morrison's work reflected the paucity of his educatioji: much of it clumsy, a kind of "yarning" rather than achieved imaginative fiction.

Nevertheless, at its best, it can be measured against writers of greater fame and acclaim. He shared with Christina Stead a passion for nature and a belief in the ultimate good of the communist state: each credited a skilful dissection of character to a pitiless observation of the natural world. Consider the following extract from Morrison's writing. "He had the head of an outsize doll, the smooth, perfectly formed features of which were fixed in a faint smile, a smile which chilled because it reached everywhere except the eyes." Nothing primitive about this! A sentence, I suspect, of which Stead would be proud. Morrison's novel, Creeping City, precedes White's The Tree of Man by eight years, yet the two works share similar themes.

Patrick White and the "proletarian" John Morrison meet in celebration of the common man. Frances Morrison died in 1967 and in 1969 John married Rachel Gordon. He was pleased and proud of his second wife because she could read his work in five of the 17 European languages into which it was translated. Rachel died in 1997. Morrison was awarded the Patrick White Prize for fiction in 1986 and received the Order of Australia in 1989.

Let the late, great Alan Marshall have the last word. "John was born in England, but no native-born reflects the spirit of Australia more than he does. This country, of which he is so much a part, has absorbed and re-created him as one of its most significant voices." John Morrison leaves a son, John, a daughter, Marie, a granddaughter, Michelle, and a stepdaughter, Jenny. 337: Death of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, largely responsible for turning the empire into a Christian state. 1819: First steam-propelled vessel to attempt a trans-Atlantic crossing, the Savannah, departs from Savannah, Georgia.

It arrived in Liverpool, England on 20 June. 1 840: Transportation of British convicts to New South Wales officially abolished. 1856: First New South Wales Parliament formally opens. 1 860: First meeting of the Queensland Parliament 5T SUED. Carol Channing, 77, the star of Broadway musicals such as Hello Dolly and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is petitioning for divorce from her husband, Charles Lowe.

Channing claims in a 20-page divorce petition that her 86-year-old husband has spent her multi-million-dollar fortune "like a drunken She also claimed that Lowe regularly beat her and had sex with her only twice "and that was 41 years "His work reflected the paucity of his. education: much of it clumsy, a kind of 'yarning' rather than achieved imaginative fiction. Nevertheless, at its best, it can be measured against writers of greater fame and acclaim' 1 885: Death of Victor 1 iv fl Hugo, French novelist 4 11 and dramatist SCREENED. Lars von Trier, the Danish film director who won great acclaim for his 1 996 prize-winning film Breaking the Waves, has screened his latest work Idioten (Idiots) at Cannes, but failed to i appear at the press conference. Instead, he sent a message saying: "It is no loss for you since I am at a loss for what to 1 908: Wright brothers patent their flying machine in the United States.

1989: India test-fires an intermediate-range ballistic missile, igniting worries over nuclear proliferation and a spiralling arms race on the subcontinent 1 993: Cambodians vote in first multi-party in 21 years. 1996: Japan settles lawsuits to end the mercury-poisoning case called Minamata, named after the village where hundreds died between 1953-60 as a result of eating mercury-tainted seafood. lives and dies with no comfort other than the scent of smouldering eucalyptus leaves. On the voyage "home" Morrison met and subsequently married Frances Jones, "a nice young Irish Through the two young children, he worked as a jobbing gardener around Melbourne and in his beloved Dandenong ranges; he wrote constantly but did not offer his work for publication. In 1938 the family moved to Mentone and Morrison exchanged gardening for wharf laboring.

The money was good but working conditions were brutally harsh. Yet the richly dramatic and colorful side culture energised his writing and, for the first time in his life, his work was published: initially in trade union journals, then in (the Marxist intellectual) Guido Barachi's The Communist Review. Dozens of stories, published and republished, and a novel, Port of Call, emanate from Morrison's decade on the Melbourne waterfront. He joined the Communist Party, which, for a writer, was hazardous on two counts. The party leaders were scarifying in their denunciation of writers who (in their opinion) failed to promote the proletar fr say about the He recently described Idioten as "a film by idiots, about idiots, for Von Trier is seen arriving with actress Trine Michelsen for the official screening.

Target COMICS FOR BETTER OR WORSE by Lynn Johnston AjG Ely A I VOHflTDoVbOTfllNK? WTO UXUMNto Iri There See? -yoO WOK PERFEcTfiy TTlt IT BftCK UKETHIS sood. Now.puryouR CPlW FORWflRD ft little and-smile. the mirror the other DW-rWfMGeTrtJfrA rvsltol ium.1 norwiL, Word a day One's butler is so called from the idea of a Bottle? Door? House? Answer next column. Curiosities DAVID Boyd (Wattle Park, SA) writes: "About 40 years ago in England.The Guardian offered what was said to be a sure-fire cure for insomnia: 'You take a cool shower, rush naked and wet from bathroom to bedroom, plunge between the sheets and in an instant PUTVOUR HEADDCWN in 0D0RSE 1 ARE I III i iS3 THE PHANTOM by Lee Falk 11 rKtlQ) 7HB7V1 PHANTOM. Yl HAP TO SE YOU, OLP 1 I i IgaSgl faSofiiSM FRIENPIW PvlN6J 50W6THIN6 SAPr AN ASSASSIN BULLET.

How many words of four let- ters or more can you make from those shown here? Each letter may be used once per word. Each word must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. No plurals ending in no foreign words; no proper names. Source: Chambers Concise Dictionary. Today's target 40 words, good; 48 words, very good; 55 words, excellent Solution in tomorrow's living.

Yesterday's solution: cider cite city' credit CREDULITY cried crudity curie deity deli dice dicey diet diet dilute dire direct directly dirt dirty drily ductile edict edit iced idle idler idly idyl lice lied lieu lite liter litre lucid ludic luridjyric ridt recti relic relict rice rtcey ricy ride riel rile rite rutile tide tidy tied tier tilde tile tiler tire tired tl redly trice tried ureic uric utricle yeti yield Word answer Butler a chief manservant, having charge of the wine cellar, household plate etc goes back to Old French botele or botaille, bottle. THE WIZARD OF ID by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart CROSSWORDS CjRYPTIC NO. 1 5,309 Across rfi -j i rg-n i Is I PTT 17 I Is I I Subtle winding drive (6) 4 Dr Spock causing delay in African 1 a republic (8) 10 Dad in luxury car with African banker 10 11 (7) II Tolerates er grand total (4,3) 12 Remove top from fishing baskets to 12 I p3i I I i 1 1 I find thesel (5) I I I I I 13 Australian writer knowing Oriental friend (8) 15" lie I 1171 MS I IS Is WLXXX significant? (7) 17 Annoying smoker I rejected (7) 19 Dashing steed or some other attractive -sy -xg- item (7) I I I I I 20 Senior accountant at German car summit (7) 1 1 mm 21 Milk drink for old fox (8) 21 22 23 24 24 Paint one rodent (5) 28 24 Where to keep lids on canned laughter? (3,4) 3T 27 27 Doesn't start high vine contorting rail (7) 21 Superheroine banana on TV nabs a I 1 24 bloke (8) I I I I I I I I 1 1 1 1 2t Lover keeps top of baking dish ablaze 0 229 (6) Solution to Cryptic No. 15,308 Down How CnristPner RoDin saw 1 Australian writer Carey loves breaking 5J5t lAiM'jSffTjN'jSI 2 rncbattieand bluff harsh-hearted 16 Frnch fry controversy 3-6 WRBanWL encn na 'm nar9nmanea 17 He writes of terrorists and UfflSMirpTftl win6 waiter (9) wine in Paris (3 5) lai aa it twtllfl 5 Suddenly appears to supply weaving 18 Isolating East German EftHfllU needs 5 prejudice (9) iLTvlSrola'lyHi'rnaTi i 8. Sitcom measures (5) 22 Dujit priest's final church tiCfflli-g-jit JnT Jol 8 Hoisted a polly Inside, full as a goog composition (5) loijlAMirjnomT 1 Jol (34!) 28 Gejnfish for a hardy native (5) jWMHSilf ftLllL." "JSP 7 Moles ravage German flower (5) 24 Beef from California upset I' xW9WfirV 8 Marsupial slashed at drug (4) Tyler (5) 1 0 ftl 5 111 fsl f1 II 8 Manoeuvred Scot saw (8) 28 Ocore freshwater fish (4) mam 1 M.MJHAI,r I QUICK NO.

1 6,667 j1 a 4 5 6 Fl torn Down a 7" 4 Set aside (7) 1 Own up (7) 8 Take up (6) 8 Assistant (7) 9 8 Disjointed (7) Seem 6 18 Waver (6) 8 Chance (8) 10 Compulsion (6) Sparse (6) 12 Soak (8) 11 18 Sad (8, "Copendatton 2 SEP "(7, 13 1 MStop(6) 18Keenly(7) 1 w- 14 15 22Ese(7) i oration (6) 23 Force (6) 17 Movable (6) i7 I 75" 19 I 24 Cajole (7) 18 Dread (6) 1 4ikNfcl888 20 tana 1 Picturesque; 9 Cue; 1 10 Expulsion; 11 UvM; 13 Amateur; 21 J-' 14 Molest; 18 Hansom; 18 Tonnage; 19 Melon; 20 Steadfast; 21 Wit; 22 22 Premonition. Mem 2 toe; 3 Trend; 4 Repeal; 8 Sultana; 23 8 Urtveratf; 7 AcUrnatlae; 8 rocrtmlnate; 12 Volunteer; 15 Stardom; 24" mmm 17 Ranuiln; 19 Motet; 21 Woo, -V lJ- I ill' ill 1 1 I i I. I I I "11 I I 1 vo You trAve VO HEM I ANP I you are The problem with this cure is that we have never tested it properly. My wife has a somewhat more refined sense of decorum than and didn't think it quite right to carry out the test because she thinks, quite wrongly, that she no longer looks her best in the intermediate stage of life. I have half-tested the procedure.

On the rare days when our bedroom temperature is about 30 degrees at 1 0pm and I have had (unusually for me) some difficulty sleeping, I shower, step straight into pyjamas, walk up to bed and go to sleep. I wonder whether any of your readers, in the interests of science, are prepared to experiment, or can offer an alternative cure for insomnia." Gary Dean Vice-regal notes The Governor, the Honourable Sir James Gobbo, received the Address-in-Reply from the President, the Honourable Bruce Chamberlain, and Members of the Legislative Council at Government House. Parliament Federal: Not sitting. State: Not sitting. Muslim prayer times Prayer times for today, the 25th Muharram 1419 Hijri: 1 2.21pm, 1:6.4 1 pm.

Sabbath Candles Lighting time for Sabbath Candles is 4.55pm. Sabbath ends at 5.56pm tomorrow. Text for today The Lord is good, a. stronghold in the day of trouble. Nahum 1:7 (King James Bible) (Provided by i the note Society).

I BRISTOW by Frank Dtekena Living pass The Initial phase ofihe new Museum complex, theamaHnglMAX Theatre, with screen to tkntsthe size of oon- RPTHER -TVrJ HFME. HQ? RON the. GPuj-nLer -mey smuggled MCR IN THRoOGH THE BrCJc WHPtT'S TWE. NEu) oGF dutw uiK.e. VPOCR MM 6 AS80CWTE0 NCWVAKM LTD.

IMI-tHt TuinurwiEM by Tom Ryan ((ocorpofitinft 3D scrwn) opens to tiSt pub- He tomorrow. Opening 't sessions InckKSi Everest the chronicle of the 1994 i ftMHintilneerlnf dheMny WkiofGM je8 story of the Arte ml 1 route between South Amerlce end Frtnoe end ftds in experience I not nvny vtaffert wouM ettenyc DedJts end bookings on 9(43 $454. To win one of 10 double wi weien panel qj 130 it al A i'f- wvw oe i rvenic S0cnwfej wvm mob4s phoneJ..