Category: My Diary

Having consumed the contents of a tin of Berri orange juice, at a cost of forty-five cents, I listened to ABC radio for several minutes from 1.40 p.m. Lindsay Hassett, a former Australian captain, was of the opinion that England was doing well enough to win. As we stopped, on the way home from work, to make a delivery, England passed 404, hitherto the largest score achieved in the fourth innings of a Test. It was achieved by Sir Donald Bradman’s  team, which was dubbed ‘The Invincibles’, on the tour of England, in 1948.

As I was about to alight to open the front gates, Dennis Lillee bowled right-hand batsman, Derek Underwood. England was then nine wickets down and this meant that the diminutive wicket-keeper, Alan Knott, and fast bowler, Bob Willis, were left to score the fifty-odd runs still required for victory.

Just after 5.oo p.m., Lillee trapped the right-handed Knott in front and England was all out for 417: the highest total in a fourth innings, ever!

Australia had won the Centenary Test by forty-five runs, exactly the same margin by which it had won the first Test in 1877. Derek Randall, who had taken his overnight score to 174, in this his first Test, was named ‘Man Of The Match’. During the Test Australian wicket-keeper, Rodney Marsh, took his tally of victims to 187, passing the record previously held by Wally Grout; and his 110 not out in Australia’s second innings meant that he became the first Australian wicket-keeper to score a century in a Test. Dennis Lillee, who had created a bit of a stir when he asked Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II for her autograph when he was presented to her during the tea interval today, cannot tour England this winter because of his troublesome back.

I awoke at 6.30 to a nice sunny day and, once again, a temperature of seven degrees Celsius. Just before 7.30, 2KY’s breakfast announcer, John Burles, broadcast the news that Elvis is dead. On 2UW, Wayne (or “Wayney Pooh”, as he calls himself) Roberts really sounded upset and played “Heartbreak Hotel”, Elvis’s first truly successful recording that became a hit in January, 1956. I hummed and sang along, upsetting Tiki, who doesn’t feel well and isn’t a fan of Elvis, anyway. I heard “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” and “Love Me Tender”, on 2KY, en route to work. I sang along as it only just began to dawn on me that Elvis is no more.

Elvis’s body was rushed to the Baptist Hospital in Memphis from his mansion, Graceland. He had been dead for about five and a half hours, the result of an irregularity in his heart.

I had his songs — “(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame”, “Follow That Dream”, “Love Me Tender” et cetera — on the brain as I walked up the Princes Highway, to work. As I passed St. Peters Railway Station an elderly gentleman, walking in the opposite direction, enquired of me, “How do you feel about Elvis?” ‘It’s pretty sad, isn’t it?’ I replied. He agreed.

On my way home, I bought a copy of “The Sun”. It states that Elvis was a tragic drug addict in his later years, spending one thousand dollars per week to support his habit. His former wife, Priscilla, is quoted as saying that it’s better that he died now as he’d only end up a vegetable at the pace he was going — mainlining every hard drug, except heroin.

At 5.30 p.m., I watched “Flashez”: a ‘Special’ on Elvis; 6.oo, “Wild, Wild World Of Animals”. Sandy went to bed at half past six.

Elvis’s totally unexpected death has taken the news headlines away from the Federal Budget, released this morning by the Treasurer, Phillip Lynch.

A post-mortem has shown signs of disease, to the heart, as well as blood vessels.

At 7.00, “Willesee”, understandably, mostly focuses on Elvis’s death. “The Miracle Months”, a programme about childbirth, screens from 7.30. At 8.30, Channel 9 is showing the movie, “Hit Lady”, which was produced in 1974. It stars Yvette Mimieux as a professional assassin. Western Suburbs led Eastern Suburbs by four points to two at half-time in this evening’s $60,000 final of the Amco Cup, and 5-2 at three-quarter time. However, an outstanding try by Russell Fairfax provided Eastern Suburbs with the scent of victory, only to have its hopes dashed when he missed the relatively simple opportunity to convert his own try. Western Suburbs clung on to win by six points to five.

Another glorious day with the temperature ranging from a minimum of nine degrees Celsius to a maximum of twenty. Tiki apologised for her recent behaviour and we agreed that we are in need of a holiday to somewhere overseas. We plan to take one, as soon as our finances allow. “Willesee” screened from 7.00 p.m.; 8.00, “Mother Makes Five”, a British comedy series, starring Wendy Craig; 8.30, the 1971 movie, “Terror In The Sky”, with Doug McClure, Roddy McDowell, Kenneth “The Whirlybirds” Tobey, Keenan Wynn and Leif Erickson. Following a bout of food poisoning an ex-helicopter pilot is called upon to land a four-engined aeroplane with many passengers aboard. It’s a remake of a motion picture from 1957, which stars Steve Forrest’s older brother, Dana Andrews.

Fifty thousand people attended Elvis’s funeral in Memphis, at 5.00 a.m. A.E.S.T.

The hearse was followed by ten white Cadillacs.

There has been a horrific train crash at Granville at about 8.00 a.m. The train, travelling from Mount Victoria to Sydney’s C.B.D., apparently left the lines and crashed into an overhead traffic bridge which, in turn, plummeted on to the fourth carriage of the train, killing up to sixty or seventy people; mostly women.

I ventured upstairs at 11.30 a.m. to view hourly coverages, on TCN Channel Nine, during the western film, “Showdown”, from 1963, which stars Audie Murphy and Skip Homeier; and from 12.45 p.m., the film, ” Heller In Pink Tights” (1960), which stars Sophia Loren, Anthony Quinn and Steve Forrest.

Rescue workers will be at the site of the disaster in Granville all night, trying to free victims.

Killer, Gary Gilmore, has been executed by a firing squad in Utah.

Australia was dismissed in its second innings without having added to Sunday’s score. Pakistan replied by scoring the thirty-two runs required for victory, with the loss of two wickets, and thereby drew this series of  three Tests, one all. Today’s victory is only Pakistan’s second against Australia and its first on Australian soil.

Chicago has experienced its coldest day this century: minus eighteen degrees Celsius.