Friday the 13th of June is the anniversary of the 1951 death of former Australian Prime Minister, Ben Chifley. Wiki reports that: "Chifley is remembered by the left as the only Labor Prime Minister who tried to implement the party's socialist objective. The fact that this preceded an electoral defeat and 23 years in opposition has not detracted from this esteem."You can still visit former train driver Chifley's modest cottage in the NSW town of Bathurst, with a toilet positioned outside the house on a high grassy knoll. It was this convenience that inspired Chifley's famous "Light on the Hill" speech.
The two great loves of Chifley's life were reputedly working for the Labor movement and rogering his secretary, Phyllis. As such, he was the first of a string of Australian Prime Ministers rumoured to be less than faithful to their wives - ending with current PM Kevin Rudd who is said to be a celibate ladyboy.
The great traditions of the Australian Labor Party continue to the present day through representatives such as Belinda Neal seen here enjoying her spare time on the roller rink.
3 comments:
I confess to being mostly ignorant about Australian history (sorry), but Mr. Chifley must have been ignorant indeed. Everybody knows you don't put an outhouse on a hill above the house where you live.
He didn't happen to die "on the job" with Phylis did he?
Not sure if Chiff died on the job, but Phyllis is said to have been there at the end. Who knows, maybe she was taking dictation.
Former opposition leader, Billy Snedden is the one who is reputed to have died in the saddle.
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