Remember When: Sir Bruce Small’s planned Dancethon against a General did not take place

A RUEFUL Sir Bruce Small had to admit the Great Filipino Danceathon he travelled more than 2000 miles to attend never took place.

Gold Coast History: Gold Coast Bulletin 1975, June 12. Front page.

Gold Coast Bulletin, Thursday June 12, 1975

A RUEFUL Sir Bruce Small had to admit the Great Filipino Danceathon he travelled more than 2000 miles to attend never took place.

“The general put his heel right on that with an embargo against any kind of danceathon,” he said.

Sir Bruce, the 79-year-old ward Alderman and state Member for Surfers Paradise was referring to General Carlos Romulo, 76, the Secretary of State and External Affairs for the Philippines and right-hand man to President Marcos.

Earlier the previous month the Bulletin was the first Gold Coast paper to disclose that the much ballyhood danceathon between Sir Bruce and General Romulo would not take place — because the General claimed his original marathon dance challenge to the Gold Coast knight was only a joke.

Gold Coast Bulletin 1975, June 12. Front page.

But other Gold Coast enterprises concerned in promoting the event quickly announced that a replacement danceathon challenger had been found to challenge Sir Bruce.

But the day before there was a fanfare of smokescreen publicity announcing the success of the Filipino venture — but skilfully avoided mention of the danceathon.

Meanwhile, a Gold Coast man began a tour of Australian capital cities to gain Federal and State backing for a Special Olympic Games for intellectually handicapped children and teenagers.

Preliminary plans for the Special Olympics, which were also to cover New Zealand, would provide for the finals to be held on the Gold Coast in late 1976.

Ian Walliker, 53 of Burleigh Waters, said he already had support of Queensland Health.