From 'Dubbo' Dave

Rod Hard sent the following note from Dave Kesby:


Dear friends,

I know that it looks like a lot of people up there but it’s the same rules as before.

You have either sent an email you have contacted Elissa by phone or at school to enquire about my health or whatever but thanks you for your interest.

I have also included a couple of old mates I met at my old alma mater reunion, the fabulous  Dubbo High, who don’t even know I have been crook.

This is my version of events.


Elissa is slightly different, especially on the 2 month part so be aware of that.

As you know I spent 21 days most of November in the Sydney Adventist  Hospital... they put various stents inside me some with complete anaesthetic, and others with local anaesthetic.. I dealt mainly with an Interventionist Radiologist by the name of Dr Liang, who Elissa had complete faith in.


They had plans to do this massive operation on me where they would go behind the liver and take the tumour out. I would have been in hospital for about 5 weeks and have a recovery period of about 6 months. Elissa and I agreed to this they would have had to get a special
Liver surgeon in to do this..they then decided that it was too risky and  that there was no guarantee it would work

The   oncologist  who was managing me announced that he would see me this day, it was about 3 or 4 days before I left hospital.  Elissa arrived early, about 7am. He stated there was not much more they could do for me and that they would try to get the jaundice down but to go home get my affairs in order I then said,
“How long have I got..a couple of months?” and my version is he agreed. He said come and see him in a fortnight.

The  oncologist left, Elissa & I  kissed cuddled  and cried told each other we loved our 38 years together..we were proud of our 2  boys and all was good.

For the next 3 days in hospital I was visited by Social workers, chaplains etc.

I left hospital on Monday  29th November weighing 68kgs I still have the jaundice, I live on a drug called maxolon which helps keep food down and I have a cocktail of drugs at night that give me a good night sleep.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that since I have been home I have put myself on a high fat diet (Homer Simpson would be proud of me) I am doing little jobs around the house and with the beautiful Elissa.

Getting better each day. In hospital I had to weigh myself each day which gave me the shits as I lost a kilo each day  ..now I weigh myself each Monday and I have put on 2 kilos knocking on the door of 71 kilos.

I haven’t given up alcohol ..it has given up on me..have tried a red wine and my favourite beer, Carlsberg, got as far as the throat and have had to spit it out the throat has said “No way Jose”

Thanks for reading so far. We now get to the crux of the story ..yesterday 14th  December we go and visit  the oncologist.. Elissa decided that we would fill-in the day before the visit by sitting under the trees at Newport.

It was beautiful ...at 4pm we go to the oncologist I tell him with the help of lovely Elissa I am getting better each day all is good when do I start to die and he says you will have” many months”..Elissa and I left the surgery.

Couldn’t believe it..he gave us all these permutations which I won’t go into but at the moment all is good I have Jack & Miah  and my grand kids coming around on Christmas eve, my other  son Pete and his lovely wife Beau, rock in from Dubai so we plan a party on Christmas Eve.


On Boxing Day Pete and Beau go with us to my sisters place in Canberra where they all play golf with all the cousins and we have a “Hooley “ at night so all is good.

Once again thanks for your interest. Elissa has been fantastic as before the last time I wrote to you she is out earning a dollar at Cherrybrook, but when you are as crook as I was in October she was the rock and I love her.

Well that’s all... will keep you in the loop. Hope I haven’t left anybody out

Dave Kesby

THE BURRA CONECTION

On our recent coach trip to Lake Eyre we had a short stop in Burra. I rang Val to let her know we were passing through and she waved to us from her lovely old home and then drove to meet us at the Town Hall rest stop. Following is an excerpt from my blog.

Val and Diane in Burra-old room mates from the 60's

Then we drove on further south and stopped at a historic mining town, Burra, which is still thriving today on tourism. It so happens that I have an old friend living in this far away place. We used to room together when we were at teachers' college. Her home is the oldest hotel building in Australia that has not had the original floor plan altered. It was fun to catch up with her even if it was for only half an hour.

Burra is a fascinating historical copper mining town with many wonderful buildings to see. Unfortunately, we were not there long enough.

submitted by Diane Bohlen.

Old 16mm movie footage Bill Bohlen shot in 1967 - 68 in TPNG

A note from Dave Kesbey

I finally found how to get to the photos I just wish I was not in the Haus Sik at the time . 


I was really happy to see people enjoying the Sunday morning coffee.  I spent 21 days in the Haus Sik came home on Monday  and as they say in rugby league circles, "Elissa and I are taking it one game at a time".


Dubbo Dave 

1962-63 Reunion Sydney 2010 Cont.

The festivities continued on Saturday night. The Sydney team had organised an excellent dinner cruise on Sydney harbour.

Bob, Janelle, Rod and Henry waiting to board at Darling Harbour

There was lot of reminiscing going on during the meal.

Peter and Wendy

Rod enjoys a glass of red

Henry and Bob in great spirit

Margaret, Diane, Bill B and Colin B.

On Sunday morning, some gathered at Chowder Bay for morning tea

Bob, Keith and Les

Bill W

Bill B and Lorraine

Rod, Lorraine and Warwick

Rod and David

Photos by Ian McLean

A great time was had by all

1962-63 Reunion Sydney 2010

Finally some pictures from the recent Sydney Reunion.

Les, Colin, Ian and Rod at the Meet and Greet on Friday night

Henry, Janell and Keith at the Meet and Greet on Friday night

Wendy, Margaret and Diane, Friday night

Ingrid and Bill W at the Oaks

A pleasant Saturday lunch meeting under the big Oak tree

Janelle and Lorraine, Saturday lunch

More pictures to follow of the Saturday night cruise and Sunday brunch 

Henry reports

Just back from Dave Argent's funeral and submit the following for the interest of your readers.

On Friday 5th Janelle and I travelled from Brisbane to the beautiful Nambucca Valley which, like all of the country in between looked great after good rains. We were told to get to Bowraville ...does this ring a bell with anyone?  Well right now there is a "Sniff" tragic from there playing ducks and drakes to the highest bidder - the Bronos having pulled out of the race and the Rabbitos and The Storm now trying to sort out what might be the final outcome. A big Aboriginal community near Bowraville so they probably have a pretty good side- all sporting facilities are in the town except the premier footy code, AFL, but give it a few years and.....

As we pulled up in front of the hostelry where our reservations had been made Rod Hard and the Big Bob "Moose" Davis leaned over the balcony and welcomed us with words which were pretty clearly aided by an early start on the 'red'.  As I was more than 500 kms away from Godzilla I was in the mood and had enough courage to join them ('red' and all alcohol being off the menu as part of the strategy of regaining my health)  From the balcony and after a couple of glasses we had time to look the town over and it was a very neat place with substantial buildings - many erected in the early 20th Century. The place we stayed in was built of very solid timber (the town obviously prospered on its timber getting- two sawmills still operating there) as not even Bob's trip to the ablutions at night (15 yards away from the bedrooms -four poster beds) did NOT  manage to elicit one creak!!

The following day we travelled quite a distance to C3 Nambucca Valley, WIRRIMBI, where we joined a large gathering of people to support Kerry and the family through the ceremony and later the burial. This place is the home of some Calathumpian religious sect - as preferred by the Argents when the Anglicans refused approval for the now popular power-point presentation of birth to death and limited the time for eulogies. In all it was a very nice service and the atmosphere less funereal which I am sure was a great help to Kerry who has been a tower of strength matching Dave's great last fight..

Dave had a favourite niece, an attractive MD who liked sport and betting, a beer and could play the piano - as it seems all of the Argents can. She advised that despite her classical training, after three beers she had to get off the keyboard as her playing deteriorated so badly....Dave by contrast could not read a note of music (it got in the way of his spontaneity) but by his thirteenth beer he would have shamed Liberace.  Fortunately, as part of the powerpoint there was Dave playing a known piece and one he had created  only a few weeks before his affliction took him from the family...wonderful clip to have.

From the ASOPA side Rod,. Bob, Janelle and I represented the 1962 intake while Glen Warwick was of the 1963 intake. Glen had known Dave before he went to ASOPA and was staying with his mother in the area - over the years in PNG, and since, Glen has  been very close to the Dave and Kerry family and I was pretty certain he would do the honours for us all in the eulogy stakes- he didn't offer. Without a voice I was out of the game so up jumps fearless Big Bob and lays 'em in the aisles lightening the atmosphere with some amusing memories  - and most appreciated was his desciption of those invited to join Dave on "The Drive" - a look for femmes around Sydney town. Their first sortie occurred in a Town Hall Saturday Night Dance and after half an hour Dave said to Bob, " I have found THE ONE" - no need to look any further.."

And it turned out to be so. Dave and Kerry were married less than three months later in January 1963. "The Drive" died right there", reported Bob.

It was then off to the cemetery about 20 kms away and guess where?  Argents'Hill. It turns out that the place was originally settled by an Argent 110 years ago- at least-  and Dave had been brought from Tassy to Argents' Hill to join the family. All of the big number of  Argents present had put down their $2 to reserving their plot. Unfortunately Dave's older brother  and a nephew have recently preceded him to this peaceful resting place among the gum trees....the nephew due to a freak accident on a skate board at age 17.

So, here was I (as his best man) thinking I knew the guy-  contact for wedding anniversary and birthday 47 times and called into the three or four places he had settled over the years and had no idea of his background. Who else do you know who will be buried in a cemetery carrying your family name? And a composer to boot..........isn't it great to receive these surprises but so late in the day, Dave!!!!

With so many talented Argent musicians present readers can probably guess the course the after interment ceremony  took...a wonderful variety of instrumentals and voices.

I am confident that the day would have helped Kerry a great deal after such a long and protracted period of watching   a courageous husband's battle and then the huge job of arranging to get Dave from Tasmania to the home cemetery.

Janelle and I had to take off early but I understand that Bob and Rod were entertaining Kerry back at our digs after the afternoon nibbles and entertainment in such idyllic surrounds.

We all hope that Kerry will be able to make the necessary adjustments to her new circumstances and will spend some time with her daughter's family before returning to Tasmania and making arrangements for the move back to the Wauchope area where her son and  daughter's families live.

I am sure that she would appreciate hearing from others of our ASOPA intake and others of the Argent friends.

What a girl.

And what a loss with Davy Baby not with us to add to the stories we associate with Dave Argent. It was nice knowing you mate.


Henry Bodman