Off the Record: The US envoy who could follow MacArthur to Terowie
In this week’s Off the Record, the US ambassador is considering a ‘return’ to Terowie where Douglas MacArthur made his famous speech, big changes at Adelaide Casino, and shockingly, an academic at Flinders doesn’t like The Advertiser — and has forbidden students to read it.
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In this week’s Off the Record, the US ambassador is considering a ‘return’ to Terowie where Douglas MacArthur made his famous speech, big changes at Adelaide Casino and the long history of ICAC Commissioner Bruce Lander and his “reviewer” John Sulan.
US envoy plans Terowie ‘return’
As Australia shuddered under the threat of Japanese invasion in 1942, American General Douglas MacArthur famously stopped at a Mid North railway station and declared: “I shall return”.
The Allies’ Supreme Commander in the Southwest Pacific, MacArthur had just fled the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, escaping on a boat from Bataan.
He was on his way from Alice Springs to Adelaide when The Advertiser, having heard he was on his way, took his photograph.
As he changed trains, MacArthur inspired Australians by saying: “I came out of Bataan and I shall return.”
A plaque on the Terowie station platform, 220km from Adelaide, commemorates the famous event.
One of the cars MacArthur used is still looked after by the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society in Quorn.
Since that time, no US ambassador to Australia has visited the historic scene.
But now, the newly appointed Ambassador Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr is considering a visit, as part of his desire to see parts of Australia off the beaten track.
He has been prompted by a suggestion from SA Labor Senator Don Farrell, who politely interrupted a press conference by Ambassador Culvahouse on Wednesday to raise the idea.
A persistent Farrell, Labor’s deputy Senate leader, again prompted the Ambassador on Thursday at the epicentre of Canberra networking, Aussies Cafe, in Parliament House.
Ambassador Culvahouse might well look favourably on the idea.
One of his favourite books is American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964, by William Manchester.
Poppy Cut
IT’S been more than a year since the election but Steven Marshall’s Liberals continue to shake up government boards.
This time it’s down at the SA Film Corporation. Newly appointed to the board is Ann-Maree Davies, head of campus at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment, a place where animation and game design is taught.
On the way out is author and broadcaster Susan Mitchell. Last year, former Health Minister John Hill made way for Peter Hanlon as the organisation’s chair
The watcher and the watched go back a long way
It’s fair to say ICAC Commissioner Bruce Lander and John Sulan, the bloke who has just been appointed as the “reviewer’’ of said body go back a long way.
Lander and Sulan, studied law at Adelaide University together, all the way back in the heady days of the swinging sixties.
Last month, Lander and Sulan were among the many former law students who gathered at the Adelaide Hilton to commemorate 55 years since they started their studies and 50 years since they were admitted to the bar.
It must have been a stellar year.
It also produced Supreme Court justices Tom Gray, Tim Anderson and Federal Court justice John Mansfield.
Former senator Robert Hill also turned up to swap old stories.
A blog on the Adelaide Uni website by David Jervis said they were a close group.
“We spent most of our spare time on campus, studying and socialising with the usual undergraduate zeal. This set up meant we spent a tremendous amount of time together.’’
Of course, Lander and Sulan were both also justices of the SA Supreme Court.
Sulan was there from 2003 until 2016, while Lander left in 2003 to become a Federal Court justice, meaning their time together was brief.
But Attorney-General Vickie Chapman has again thrust them together — in a manner of speaking.
Sulan is replacing Kevin Duggan as “Reviewer of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’’.
“The ICAC Reviewer, in providing independent oversight of the ICAC and the Office for Public Integrity, is critical for maintaining public confidence in the operations of those agencies.’’
Chapman said. Well, it should give them something to talk about at the next class reunion in five years.
Casino rolls the dice on old friend
Big changes at the top at Adelaide Casino, which is working on its $330 million luxury hotel, dining and entertainment extension.
General manager Luke Walker has left parent company SKYCITY, effective yesterday, and been replaced by former Adelaide Casino general manager David Christian.
The latter, who was in the Adelaide role from 2008-14, had been heading SKYCITY’s Darwin resort operation since mid-2016.
But that hotel and casino complex was sold to Delaware North in April and it is understood SKYCITY did not want to lose Christian’s experience running a resort-style casino operation. His skill set was particularly suited to Adelaide, his former workplace, given it is about to transform from a casino operation with some dining, including Sean’s Kitchen, as part of the long-awaited Casino redevelopment.
Walker had come to Adelaide in 2016 and had previously worked as executive general manager of gaming machines at Melbourne’s Crown Casino and had worked in senior roles at various clubs in Sydney including Paramatta Leagues, Wests Leagues and the Panthers Group.
Christian’s previous roles within SKYCITY, apart from Adelaide and Darwin, include general manager SKYCITY Auckland and general manager SKYCITY Hamilton.
According to SKYCITY’s statement to the Australian Stock Exchange on Friday morning, he has more than 30 years’ experience in hospitality, hotel and casino management, including working in several Australian states and Singapore.
Blind DeBats
Ah, academics. So open-minded.
Take the case of Don DeBats, head of American Studies at Flinders Uni, who recently told students: “If you take this topic with me you’re prohibited from reading The Advertiser. This is proved to be harmful to your health and your mental development.”
Off the Record asked DeBats for the “evidence’’ but no reply. But we know our correspondence arrived because DeBats has been asking his students who leaked.
Wonder what else is on his banned reading list.
Good news is that according to a Flinders’ spokesperson, DeBats does not prohibit any reading material and it was meant to be “lighthearted’’.
Simon Says
There was some hoopla last week when Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham announced the government would tip in $15 million to help the Crows move to the city.
It all seemed to come out of the blue. And the idea that it was all a bit last-minute was amplified when no mention of the deal was to be found in this week’s Budget.
But fear not Crows fans. The money does exist. It’s under a community development program buried in Budget Paper 2, but not broken out by name.
Good news for Crows is Labor is also likes the plan.
Not quite
Looks like a prospective Liberal federal election candidate in the north-eastern suburbs seat of Makin got a little ahead of himself. Hemant Dave updated his Facebook page this week saying he was “privileged to contest as Liberal Federal Candidate for Member for Parliament for Makin’’.
But he took it down soon after, prompting Off the Record to ask state director Sascha Meldrum what was going on.
“Hemant has put himself forward and is very enthusiastic … however, no candidate has yet been endorsed.’
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