Last word: Retiring Peter Gardiner serves up six of Noosa’s colourful characters

“I was accosted by all manner of money men who thought they owned the place. And by bloody hell, most of them did hold large chunks of Hastings St.”

A real Noosa character and WWII pilot Ian Murray.

Here are six great Noosa characters I have met in my past 29 years reporting in Noosa.

It would be remiss of me to leave the good shire of Noosa, where there are no nukes, no mines and no buts about nasty development, without giving you my last addled insights into the great characters of Noosa I have run into and up against in my 29 years of reporting here.

I reckon I was tagged a rabid green sympathiser from the moment I set up shop as the editor of the Noosa Citizen back in September 1992, just after Liberal local bait and tackle seller Bruce ‘Davo’ Davidson ousted Labor’s Ray Barber for the new seat of Noosa.

Which was a little strange because I’d come from and been raised in Ipswich, world capital of whopping great holes in the ground and smouldering coal slag heaps.

In my time at the ‘Cit’, before I joined the Noosa News/Sunshine Coast Daily team, I was accosted by all manner of money men who thought they owned the place. And by bloody hell, most of them did hold large chunks of Hastings St.

They threatened loudly and often to pull all their advertising and their mates, if you dared paint Noosa in a bad light.

On first arrival in town, I remember the warning/welcome visit by the unshaven, barefoot “bum” who walked in off the street. He turned out to be one of the big deals in town.

And way back, a well-connected cafe owner told me he was thinking of putting together a private police force of Hawaiian-shirted security guards to keep any riffraff off the streets, should they dare slink into town at holiday times. Nice work.

The following memorable six are certainly by no means the only great characters to have graced this town – you would need a book series for that. Nor are they the most worthy, noble or near to my heart, though a couple are for sure.

There are plenty who just missed the cut, like Ida Duncan, “the perfumed steamroller” as then Mayor Noel Playford fondly called this former Victorian and local socialite who Noosa has to thank for its Botanical Gardens at classic amphitheatre at Lake Macdonald.

This was a rare time I’ve seen anyone get the better of the mayor, who gave in to her demands for council backing for what now is a Noosa treasure - just like the diminutive, but determined force of nature that was Ida.

Noosa character and WWII pilot Ian Murray with his navigator Don Mitchell.

Ian Murray: Ian was “my” photographer at the Citizen who suffered no fools (except me) and answered to no one, except his good wife Judith. He is by far and away the biggest character I met in Noosa.

This former jackaroo, and WWII bomber pilot who performed a miracle belly landing at his home base at 200 miles an hour after his Beaufort torpedo bomber was shot up badly by five German fighters, was also known as “One Shot”.

Noosa mayor Noel Playford called him that because he would take one or two snaps only on his old trusty camera and then develop his photos in his dark room at his home nestled beside Noosa National Park entrance. He would then snip off the spare film so he could reuse it for his next “one” shot.

Formerly from Texas out west, Ian was high up in the United Graziers and once defied a wharfies strike to load a shipment of stock.

He became a former shire chairman out there, who was well connected in the Country Party.

His biggest strength was he never listened to a single thing I said, usually exclaiming “what rot” to any of my opinions I voiced on the many assignments we did in his trusty old white Suzuki four-wheel drive.

Funnily enough, our jobs together all seemed to end with a soothing ale at either the RSL, or the Tewantin Noosa Bowls Club where we happily disagreed on everything.

Ian was a talented artist whose portraits of the many bar room characters adorned the top bar of the Tewantin RSL.

He was an institution at the Noosa Anzac Day parades snapping away for the local paper, and usually started his day with a traditional “gunfire” breakfast of rum.

One of the true greats of Noosa.

Noel Playford campaigning for mayor one more time.

Noel Playford: Perhaps the most formidable shire chairman/mayor Noosa or any other council in Queensland has ever seen.

The former teacher turned tourism operator was the ultimate mind with a steel trap, who could terrify even council department heads by correcting the grammar in their reports.

Noel was part of a close-knit team with Michael Gloster of Noosa Parks Association and lawyer Bob Cartwright, who largely took over the reins of local environmental warriors Dr Arthur Harrold and Bill Huxley.

He was much maligned by the developers he upset and was sued for $20 million once upon a time but stood his ground.

Noel coined the “population cap” tag for Noosa’s stand against rampant development and along with the likes of feisty councillor Heather Melrose, helped secure the Marcus Shores high dunes as national park as a green buffer against wall-to-wall development.

He was a leading architect of the clever campaign to Free Noosa from the regional council and was unbackable for the de-amalgamated mayoralty, despite the concerns of his number one ally, wife Diana, for coming out of retirement.

He’s still going strong I believe, but we’ll never see his like again.

Big Bob did a very big job here on the Coast.

Bob Abbot: The first time I saw the bushy bearded former electrician, he was leaning back in his chair at the table of the Noosa Council.

I thought why have they got a bikie, or was he a bushranger? at the councillors’ table.

Apart from successfully running for council for a life of public service, Bob was many other things.

He used to cook the Sunday special pig on the spit at the Apollonian Hotel outdoor roasts at Boreen Point and his blues harmonica playing in gigs around Noosa and beyond was a special blast.

This no-nonsense character was a staunch defender of Noosa’s distinct way of doing things differently and succeeded Noel as mayor.

His shining moment came when he led about 10,000 Noosa locals down to Brisbane to march in protest at the State Government’s forced amalgamation.

And when that failed he became Big Bob for a Big Job to fly the flag for Noosa’s point of difference as the Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s first mayor.

Among Bob’s many passions was his support for the Stolen Generation and led Noosa’s major Sorry Day commemoration at Noosa Woods.

And just like Noel, after Noosa de-amalgamated, Bob came back to serve on council to help steady the ship for the first two-year term.

Another one-off.

A $1 Betty's Burger to go please they say as Betty Wallace delivers.

Betty Wallace: Noosa’s original Betty’s Burgers creator whose offerings are still the stuff of legend and fed many a hungry surfer after a long session on the water at Main Beach.

Her $1 burgers served up from Hastings St were a mainstay and the highlight for many locals and visitors.

Betty came to town within the early 1970s with husband Bill, a local surfing legend, and opened up her cheap eats to feed the masses from her laneway shop.

The story goes she originally teamed up with that other beachside character Hey Bill Watson, the man with the mobile drinks and ice-creams van on the sand, to open Sunshine Coast Snacks and Things.

Betty’s recipe of an ordinary mince meat patty with lettuce, tomato, beetroot, coleslaw and optional fried onions, salt and pepper on a sesame seed bun never failed to hit the mark with many thousands of satisfied customers who to this day sing her praises.

When her business was demolished to make way for a new resort along one of Australia’s most expensive shopping strips, she was forced to take a break.

However she came back along Noosa Spit in her Betty’s Burgers van.

The one and only Noosa travelling marvel Ann Rickard.

Ann Rickard: One of Noosa and the Daily’s most loved writers in her day, had being a larger-than-life colourful character down to a fine art.

Long before she was my good workmate at Noosa News sitting alongside another great character, editor Gail Forrer, I first met her when she was trying to sell ads for the Noosa Citizen.

Then former Daily editor Peter Owen saved her sanity by appointing her as a specialist colour and travel writer in the day when “junkets” were to be enjoyed to the hilt not hidden from your boss.

Ann knew everyone in Noosa and partied with most.

She become a local celebrity through her irreverent travel book series which were the perfect excuse to have lavish literary lunches.

With titles like Ooh La La! A French Romp and Three In A Bed In The Med, readers lapped up all she had to offer and Ann knew how to keep a room entertained.

Much of her material was gathered leading her travel tours over to France and Italy, and she probably is the only tour guide to fall foul of one provincial mayor for her tour group kicking up their heels too much in a quiet little village.

There was never a dull moment for Ann.

Former Premier Rob Borbidge, breaks the first sod for the Noosa Hospital alongside Member for Noosa Bruce Davidson, right, and Health Minister Mike Horan.

Bruce ‘Davo’ Davidson: Noosa’s number one political larrikin, whose cheeky personality endeared himself to his many voters.

As mentioned, Davo founded and made his name around town as the man behind Davo’s Bait & Tackle store, a short cast away from the Noosaville boat ramp.

He would be among the first pollies to champion a Noosa River Plan to try and bring some order to Noosa’s over-loved liquid asset and delivered the Noosa Hospital while in office.

Davo’s political star would rise to become Tourism Minister in the Coalition Government back in the 1990s, only for it to splutter after “rhinogate”, when he went on a mission to bring about 50 black and white rhinos to Queensland to bring in some valuable tourist bucks.

He was dubbed the minister for rhinos.

After being defeated by Labor’s equally colourful nude sunbathing Cate Molloy in 2001, he showed he is no spent force by masterminding the campaign to have political first-timer Clare Stewart elected as mayor last election.

Grinners are winners, eh Davo?