Category Archives: OGL STORIES

Luncheon Report.

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Our Legends Luncheon on Friday was an amazing success.

Here are the people who made it a great day:
Trevor Roberts and the wonderful Barbara Roberts, Big Den Grover, Mister and Missus Kevin Stack (hyphenated) Neale, Bob Downs (ankissmyass), Ellen Krueger, Madam Marianne Hunn, The Flacks, Helen and Jack (Globetrotters), Tony Fitzsimmons, Ian (handbinder and sportsman) Pedler, Geoffrey (Giraffe) Michell, Karl ‘Charlie’ Korff,and Ruth, David and Thelma Korff, ‘Happy’ Ray Belt, Alex ‘Toff’ Riley, Rod ‘Honky Tonk’ Parham, Rob and Wendy Powell, Victor Potticary, Conrad and Norma Rogers, Eunice Wright,  Keith (Oko) Oxley, Michael (Undertaker) Burnett, Marilyn and David Harding, Brian ‘Grubby’ Hartshorne. Who did I miss?
Special Thoughts went out to Jyll Watson, Ian Grunert and the others of us who are not feeling too well at this time.

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE CHRISTMAS  

from the Old Guv Legends

Ray Belt.

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Born 5 June, 1935 in Sunshine, Victoria to John and Minnie Belt. His Mum and Dad were originally from Wales and had emigrated to Australia in 1926.
John who was one of 14 children had been a coal miner in South Wales and like most miners was starting to feel the effects of being underground amongst the coal dust.
Minnie his Mum told Ray when he was young that he was their “little Ray of Sunshine.”
He has always been very sorry that he disappointed his Mum, because he is not known by his mates to be a man of “happiness.” 
His Dad ended up a Quality Inspector for Civil Aviation and Minnie worked at Bushells in Melbourne before commencing home duties.
Ray first attended school in Brunswick and completed his education at Moreland Central School.
He commenced an apprenticeship in Printing Machining with the Salvation Army Printing Works, East Melbourne where they printed the weekly “War Cry’’ for the whole of Australia on a Marconi Rotary Web.
Ray married Chris from Murray Bridge on 1 February, 1958. They had met through the Salvation Army in Melbourne where Ray was highly renowned for playing with his horn.
Two weeks later they were living at Clearview in the house they still occupy. They have two children Rick (52 y.o.) and Sheralyn (49 y.o.).
Ray’s Printing career in Adelaide reads like “Gone with the Wind”. Myer Printing, Victoria Square, (12 months), R M Osborne (for 12 years,seemed like 20), W.R. Grace, Flexo., Port Adelaide, (12 months).
Ray started at The Old Guv in KWR on 26 June, 1972. In those early days he remembers asking a comp who George Sparnon was and this being a topic of conversation amongst the comps for the next 6 months.
Ray was an excellent Association Representative, not afraid to speak his mind in debate.
Ray left the Old Guv on 1 October, 1993 along with a lot of other package people. He then spent 7 years working for Ernie Orel at Finsbury Press, finally retiring on 6 July, 2002.
Raymond Belt is a nice man who is known to be a fussy eater, although he loves cornish pasties (just beware) after he has gobbled one up.
Ray you are a Legend.
derwombat

Next OGL Luncheon: Fri. 16 Nov. 2018.

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Photo: A great capture of the Machine Room at the Government Printing Office, King William Road, Adelaide (circa 1910). Note the hazardous ceiling belt drive system for the presses.

Our Final Luncheon for 2018 will be held on Friday, 16 November, 2018.

commencing 12 Noon at the

West Adelaide Football Club, Richmond.

Salad Bar Provided for those who love being Healthy.

Attending: Alex Riley, Rod Parham, Jenny and Gary Easther, Ian Pedler, Keith Oxley, Faye McConnell, Ann and Keith Heilman, Conrad and Norma Rogers, David and Thelma Korff, Marilyn and Dave Harding, Brian Hartshorne, Dennis Duthie, Ellen Krueger, Judy and Kevin Stack-Neale, Dennis and Jeanna Grover, Charlie Korff and Ruth, Rob and Wendy Powell, Eunice Wright, Ray Belt, Jack and Helen Flack, Tony and Elaine Fitzsimmons, Mike Burnett, Geoff Michell, Vic Potticary, Trevor and Barbara Roberts, Bob Downs,

Apologies:Jude Marks, Don Woolman, David Mathews, Helen Dobie, David and Wendy Walker, Marianne Hunn, Garth Mugford, Wayne and Angela Brown,

For Bookings ring

Alex on 0419 035 970.

Rod on 0424 294 450.

or Reply to this Email.

Dawn Fraser & Big Pretzel at the Adelaide City Baths.

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A Photo of the Adelaide City Baths taken in 1919 (SA Collections).
The Old Government Printing Office was right next to the old Adelaide City Baths in King William Road.
Both the City Baths and the Old Government Printing Office buildings have been gone for many years now.
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A Slim and Great Aussie Swimmer, Dawn Fraser.
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Adelaide entertainer and celebrity Big Pretzel in Vietnam, 1966.

Photo: The Crazy Horse Striptease Revue, Hindley Street, Adelaide in the 1970s where Big Pretzel danced.
When the weather was hot and it was Ladies and Girls day at the City Baths I am sure there would have been typesetters, comps and binders hanging their leering and sinful heads out of the ground floor window and lusting after the semi nude female talent on display below in the pool.
During the 1950s the centre of attraction was a young and fit Dawn Fraser who was training for the Olympics and was Sunbathing with her mate the equally young “Big Pretzel” a legendary singer, dancer and striptease artist.
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A Photo taken by Paul Korff of the City Baths being pulled down.
It was probably out of one of the Guv’s windows that the late Paul Korff (Monotype Operator) who took the above picture peered down the lane just in time to see his wonderful little car which had just been stolen disappearing around the corner and down King William Road. Gone.
derwombat

Old Guv Slang.

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language“wacka” A juicy rumour so important that an instant crowd of workers would gather on hearing the wacka alert whistle. No good ever came out of spreading a “wacka.”
“Like blowflies around a lump of shit” The Dago’s masterly description of a “wacka” crowd gathering and hovering around like eager to hear the latest gossip.
“Clicker” An archaic term used to describe a Leading Hand in the printing trade.
“The Long Weight” A joke played on an unsuspecting new apprentice who was sent off for a long weight. They would be left waiting for bloody ages, until the penny dropped. “Meggsy” Grunert fell for it ten times in a row.
“The Old Guv at KWR” Meaning the Old Government Printing Office in King William Road, Adelaide. It was knocked down by the Government in 1974. One hundred years of history down the drain for a bloody car park. A disgrace!
“The Netley Complex” The new Government Printing Office on Marion Road. Opened in 1974 through to the mid 1990s. Famous as the Home of the largest parquet dance floor in the Southern Hemisphere.
“Things will get better when we get to Monarto” Saying coined by Brian “Grubby” Hartshorne. Monarto was a bush area miles from Adelaide where half the population of Adelaide were to be relocated. It never happened.
“Artful Dodger” one of the young villans from Dickens “Oliver Twist,” also used by the “Flash” to describe a compulsive sickie taker, a work bludger and compo bludger.
“The Fish” Metal bar with a hook eye on the end, it was made of lead, tin and antimony and was fed by a chain into the Intertype typesetting machine’s casting pot. Apart from casting lines of type “The Fish’ were made into the most amazing range of fishing sinkers on the planet. This was illegal of course.
“The Minda Bus” a totally cruel term for anyone born in Adelaide and used to describe the Special Bus from the Adelaide Railway Station to Marion Road where the Old Guv day shift workers could be seen staggering and lurching their way down the steps of the bus.
“The Wayzgoose” Printers’ Picnic where the members of the Old Guv Chapel would travel to a picnic spot or hotel usually miles from Adelaide. Originally for men and boys the ladies and girls became part of the Wayzgoose program in the 1920s. Dinner, speeches, running races and novelty events were the order of the day.
“The Phantom Shitter” This man had the ability to block a loo with ONE continuous loop of poo. A long piece of printing wooden furniture was needed to break up the loop to enable it to be flushed away.
“The Rocket Room” Home of a monstrous vacuum driven delivery system which had a giant clear plastic rocket used to carry Hansard galley proofs across the ceilings of the Netley Complex. You could hear them rattling along a mile away just like the doodle bugs in the London blitz. Our older English comps scattered each time they heard one going over.
“The Log Cabin” A wooden add-on built between the comp room and machine room in the late 1970s. Generally populated with arse crawlers, “yes” men, bullshit artists and no hopers. It was where most of the Bosses were located.
“A Flash in the Pan” Infamous quote from the late 1960s by Brian “Jumbo” James, Govt. Printer and Frank Johnson, Printing Overseer and used by them to describe what they thought of the future of Offset Printing.
“Clang Out” When an old Comp retired his workmates would gather by their work stones and grab any metal object especially type galleys and small chases and proceed to belt the shit out of them creating an avalanche of noise to send our retiring comrade off in a respectful manner. With the advent of cold type technology the “clang outs” became a thing of the past.
“Follow copy out the window” Expression used to describe a comp setting exactly what’s in the copy even when he suspects it is incorrect. Playing it safe!
“Foreignee, buckey, foreign order” Job done done under the lap or under the counter using the company’s paper, ink and materials. Illegal of course, but endemic in the printing trade.
“It wouldn’t happen in Hot Metal” A painful and sad lament offered up by hot metal comps whenever the computer typesetter stuffed up. Eventually, this expression fell by the wayside as the new technology got better and more reliable
Rod Parham

‘The Wacka.’

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Caption: “Is that a wacka alert whistle we can hear in the distance?”
In the Language of the Old Guv Printing Office nothing was more important to hear the announcement of a new “Wacka”. Why?
A “wacka” was a juicy rumour so important that an instant crowd of workers would gather on hearing the wacka alert whistle.
Normally they were bullshit and no real good ever came out of spreading a “wacka.”
“Like blowflies gathering around a lump of shit.” That was Kevin “Dago” Stack-Neale’s masterly description of a “wacka crowd” gathering and hovering around eager to hear the latest gossip.
And the English Version goes like this: Whack !– When compositors are gathered together and a tall story is told, or it be doubted that the truth has been told by a speaker, a whack with the composing stick on the frame is given as an indication of unphilosophic doubt.
That is interesting don’t you think?
derwombat