Ronald Beswick Blogspot

  In 1984 I transferred my home port from Newcastle to Melbourne. My sister lived in Dandenong and I had many relations in Victoria. I had a house built at Cape Patterson and my aunties and cousins lived in Wonthaggi. Melbourne was a busy port and I did enjoy being there. Ronald Reagan was US President at the time and the anti war culture was active. Nelson Mandella was still in prison and Margaret Thatcher was governing the United Kingdom. General Augusto Pinochet was torturing civilians and banned Trade Unions in Chile. Sir Joh Bjelkepeterson made sure he was premier of Queensland even though most people didn't vote for him. Peter Garrett failed to become a Senator but he inspired environmentalist everywhere. Bob Hawke was the Australian Prime Minister and universal health care was reinstated. John Cain was the premier of Victoria when the transport Accident Commission was created. I joined MUSA and got to know a lot of other Seafarers that were progressive minded. The Trade ...

 Up the gangway (part 2) Japan was the first foreign country that I visited. In February 1982 I picked up the Australian Pioneer from the Newcastle Engagement centre and the Land of the Rising Sun was my next destiny. It began with a scenic Aero Pelican flight to Sydney that connected with a 1st class flight to Perth. I stayed for a night in the Westos Motor Inn and the next day flew to Port Hedland and joined the ship. It was there I met the crankiest Cook in the world. John Mackay was an Irishman who was also known as the Leprechaun. He suffered from small man syndrome and he'd argue with almost everybody. I had to spend nearly 4 months with him and I survived. The Australian Pioneer was about 126,00 tons when loaded. You could walk around it twice and you'd done a kilometre. Built in Sweden with a 7 cylinder 2 stroke engine and part of 4 ships purchased for ANL when Charlie Jones was the minister for Transport. They were called 'P Boats' because of their names and ...