Category: My Diary

Australia won the Second Test by 348 runs, when Pakistan was dismissed in its second innings for 151.

During the course of the day: I watched the left-handed American, Roscoe Tanner, easily win the first set of an eventual three-set match in a round of the Australian Open, from Kooyong, in which he played Australian Phil Dent; listened to Sue Smith, of Channel Nine’s “A Current Affair”, being interviewed by the radio personality, Keith McGowan, and tell of the loss of her four-year-old son, and of how she tried for seven years to have another child, before doing so; bought a bottle of Mateus Rose, at Epping, for $2.99; and at 8.30 p.m., on “World Masters’ Snooker” — sponsored by Berger paints — from the Seymour Centre, in Sydney, watched the young, tall and seemingly modest Canadian Cliff Thorburn defeat his Welsh opponent, Ray Reardon, by 135 points to 87, over two frames.

I watched Ken “Muscles” Rosewall, whom, at forty-two years of age, battled to stave off defeat at the hands of the American Roscoe Tanner before the former succumbed in four sets. Yesterday Rosewall defeated the unlikely winner of last year’s Australian Open, Mark Edmondson, in four sets. Ken’s nickname is “Muscles” because his body looks as though it has none.

At 7.30p.m., on A.B.C. TV’s Channel Two, the “Sportsman Of The Year Award” for 1976 was presented. Cricketer, Greg Chappell, was adjudged to be the winner because of his outstanding form with the bat.

Elvis Presley celebrates his forty-second birthday.

Brad Drewett defeated American Tim Wilkinson 6-4  7-6 to win the Australian Open’s junior title. Kerry Reid (nee Melville) defeated Diane Fromholtz 7-5  6-2.

“Private Vices, Public Virtues” screened at the Roma ($4.00 a seat), while across George Street, in Cinema 3 of the Village complex, “Obsession” starring Cliff Robertson and Canadian Genevieve Bujold was screened. A chocolate shake at McDonald’s, in George Street, cost forty cents.

A smorgasbord lunch at The Australia Tavern in the new M.L.C. Centre cost $2.95 per head; a glass of lemon squash was forty cents extra. A ‘Gaytime’ ice-cream, on a stick, cost twenty-five cents. What was the Angus and Coote jewellery store at the corner of King and Pitt streets is now Radio Rentals. The activities that are a part of the City Of Sydney Festival continue. We saw an elongated bus, manufactured by Volvo, in Pitt Street. The bus bends literally, via a concertinaed section built into its body, when it negotiates a corner. The weather today was overcast and six degrees cooler than yesterday, with a maximum temperature of twenty-five Celsius.

A pocket-sized television is to be released in Britain. Each set will cost the approximate equivalent of $A275.

This evening on the current affairs programme, “Willessee”, which is presented by Michael Willessee on ATN Channel Seven from seven o’clock, one segment investigates the alleged victimisation of homosexuals by the police at Black Rock Beach, in Melbourne. Another features an elderly scientist who reiterates his belief that Antarctic icebergs should be towed northwards in order to provide the city of Adelaide with a new and sustainable source of much-needed drinking water.

A cappuccino cost forty-five cents at The Coffee Loft, in the Roselands Shopping Centre. At the Mr Whippy bar, in the same complex, a giant nut sundae, in a cardboard cup, cost thirty-five cents, and a sundae parfait, which consisted of layers of different syrups separated by ice-cream, forty-five cents.

John Alexander defeated American Tom Gorman, 6-4  6-4, to advance to the semifinals of the $75,000 Marlboro Men’s Championship, in Adelaide.

It has been an extremely humid day, with a maximum of twenty-seven degrees Celsius. At the Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia has collapsed to be 9-198 (Gary Cosier, 50), at stumps, on the first day of the Third Test. Play had been interrupted on more than one occasion, due to rain.

On Berger’s “World Masters’ Snooker”, Eddie Charlton defeats his Welsh opponent, Gary Owen, by one hundred and sixty-five to seventy-nine over two frames.

Actor, Peter Finch, died this morning, from a heart attack, in Los Angeles. He was sixty years of age. The Australian actor was born in London, England. Films in which he played a major role include “A Town Like Alice” (1956), “The Shiralee” (1957),”The Pumpkin Eater” (1964), “Sunday Bloody Sunday” (1971) and “Network” (1976).

On the pop music programme, “Sounds Unlimited”, on ATN Channel Seven, this morning, Cliff Richard was seen to sing his latest release, “I Can’t Ask For Anymore Than You”.

At stumps in the Third Test, Pakistan is 5-281 in reply to Australia’s two hundred and eleven.

This morning is heavily overcast and humid. A copy of today’s “The Sun-Herald” cost fifteen cents.

Pakistan was dismissed in the last over before lunch for 360, after Asif Iqbal had top scored with 120. Australia has collapsed to be 9-180 at stumps (Rodney Marsh, 41; Doug Walters, 38), and holds a lead of just thirty-one runs.

From 7.30p.m., on ATN Channel Seven, “This Is Your Life” is examining that of the elderly comedian, Reg Quartley. Because of a stroke, Reg walks with the aid of a walking stick.