Paul Hogan steals show as Anthony Albanese launches memoirs of ‘minister for good times’ JJ Brown

JJ Brown — the Hawke government minister who exposed the ugly truth about koalas and whose wife infamously revealed they’d made love on his desk, unveils his book, with help from some famous mates.

Technically he was minister for arts, sport, and tourism, but unofficially he was Bob Hawke’s “minister for good times.”

Now, the full story can be told, with the release of JJ “Brownie” Brown’s memoirs.

Simply titled “Brownie”, the autobiography was officially launched Monday at Randwick Racecourse.

While the book was formally launched by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – a leader whose calm and steady style could be described as the polar opposite of Bob Hawke’s flamboyant government – it was the presentation by Paul Hogan that brought down the house.

Paul Hogan – Hoges to all – was instrumental in working with Brown to put Australia on the map through the “Come and Say G’Day” campaign that presented Australia as a hip sophisticated destination and not just a place of outback and desert.

Paul Hogan, left, with JJ Brown at the launch of 'Brownie'. The pair worked together when Brown, as then-Minister for Tourism, oversaw the ''G'Day' campaign in which Hoges invited tourists to come to Australia, where he'd 'throw a shrimp on the barbie', bottom right. Pictures: Richard Dobson/Supplied

Not everyone was thrilled by the effort: It was as tourism minister that Mr Brown famously snubbed the iconic Aussie koala.

“The belief of Americans that they are a lovely, cuddly little bear is fairly well exploded when they get here and pick one of the rotten little things up,” Brown told a Brisbane tourism industry luncheon in 1983.

Brownie infamously told the truth about koalas. Picture: Supplied

John Brown, ledft, with former PM Bob Hawke. Picture: Supplied

“They find it’s flea-ridden, it piddles on you, it stinks and it scratches.”

News of the koala snub made it all the way around the world, with even the Washington Post picking up on the news.

He also was outed for using his office for more than just ministerial briefings by his wife Jan in a 60 Minutes interview when she revealed the pair had once made love on his Parliament House desk.

Yet among the laugh and scandals there was also real achievement – particularly around the establishment of the Australian Sport Commission – and memories of major events.

When the British and Irish Lions were due to tour apartheid era South Africa, threatening a boycott of the Commonwealth Games by African nations, Brown recalled hearing Bob Hawke tell Margaret Thatcher: “Listen, you f---ing bitch, get that f---ing team to withdraw from South Africa or otherwise the Commonwealth Games will implode and possibly the British Commonwealth of Nations.”

Originally published as Paul Hogan steals show as Anthony Albanese launches memoirs of ‘minister for good times’ JJ Brown