Cartoon: Natasha Williams-Novak Bass Coasters share precious memories of the private man behind the public profile.
By Anne Davie
I CANNOT recall such outpourings of regret and sadness and expressions of love and respect from people from all walks of life as occurred following the news of John’s death. He was special and unique in so many ways and for those of us who knew him as one of us – a Phillip Islander – his loss is raw and real.
John’s love of the island’s natural environment was his motivation to buy a property with his wife, Helen, to restore and establish native habitat and to leave a meaningful legacy for future generations.
We enjoyed seeing him at some local events but most when, with his camera, he was listening and looking at various Island sites for his beloved birds. He will be well remembered at the Barb Martin Bushbank which he regularly visited with Helen to purchase plants. He always stopped for a chat with the volunteers.
I enjoyed talking to him about the current Island issues. In recent times, he strongly supported the community effort to lobby against a container port in Western Port, a bay he valued so highly.
Bob and I recall with pleasure and amusement an evening, some years ago, when there was a knock on our front door as we were watching television. At the door was John Clarke, with a mischievous grin. “Sorry to bother you, Bob and Anne, but I’ve run out of petrol.”
He said he’d decided to follow up the reported sighting of a rare bird at Pyramid Rock by photographing it at dusk. In his eagerness to be there as the light faded, he forgot to check the fuel. The car stopped just as he headed for home.
John had to walk in the pitch black more than two kilometres to our place, Bimbadeen, on Back Beach Road. He said it was a small price to pay as he had the best photo ever in his camera!
After a cup of tea and a chat, Bob returned John and some fuel to his car, then watched and waved as he drove off. Two weeks later we found a thank you gift on our doormat and a beautiful note. It will always be a very special memory for us.
I CANNOT recall such outpourings of regret and sadness and expressions of love and respect from people from all walks of life as occurred following the news of John’s death. He was special and unique in so many ways and for those of us who knew him as one of us – a Phillip Islander – his loss is raw and real.
John’s love of the island’s natural environment was his motivation to buy a property with his wife, Helen, to restore and establish native habitat and to leave a meaningful legacy for future generations.
We enjoyed seeing him at some local events but most when, with his camera, he was listening and looking at various Island sites for his beloved birds. He will be well remembered at the Barb Martin Bushbank which he regularly visited with Helen to purchase plants. He always stopped for a chat with the volunteers.
I enjoyed talking to him about the current Island issues. In recent times, he strongly supported the community effort to lobby against a container port in Western Port, a bay he valued so highly.
Bob and I recall with pleasure and amusement an evening, some years ago, when there was a knock on our front door as we were watching television. At the door was John Clarke, with a mischievous grin. “Sorry to bother you, Bob and Anne, but I’ve run out of petrol.”
He said he’d decided to follow up the reported sighting of a rare bird at Pyramid Rock by photographing it at dusk. In his eagerness to be there as the light faded, he forgot to check the fuel. The car stopped just as he headed for home.
John had to walk in the pitch black more than two kilometres to our place, Bimbadeen, on Back Beach Road. He said it was a small price to pay as he had the best photo ever in his camera!
After a cup of tea and a chat, Bob returned John and some fuel to his car, then watched and waved as he drove off. Two weeks later we found a thank you gift on our doormat and a beautiful note. It will always be a very special memory for us.
John Clarke (camera at the ready, as always) with the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne at his Rhyll property, 2013. Photo: Alex Smart By Liz McDonald
I FIRST met John Clarke more than three decades ago when I worked with the publisher of his Fred Dagg books and saw him only very occasionally over the following years. I was always simply delighted to be recognised without a moment's hesitation, called by name and greeted joyfully. This kindness and generosity was typical of John – he had a boundless memory for people. A giant amongst us, and we mourn his passing.
What is less well known about John Clarke is that he was a passionate environmentalist, and we in Bass Coast mark the legacy he has left us. John and his wife Helen McDonald (no relation) owned a house on Phillip Island, where they made a garden, as well as a parcel of land overlooking the Rhyll estuary. The Rhyll estuary and other tidal mudflats around Western Port together are a declared Ramsar site under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, nesting and feeding ground for as many as 40 local bird species and nearly as many again migratory species. The site periodically supports over 10,000 waders and 10,000 ducks and swans and more than 1300 invertebrate species.
Here John and Helen worked for 20-plus years with other interested friends and neighbours to preserve, restore and protect the precious strip of coastal bushland bordering the estuary. The foreshore and clifftop walk, now managed by Phillip Island Nature Parks, is now mostly buffered against urban development by protected bush. With the long-term future of this land in mind, John and Helen organised for their property to be covenanted by Trust for Nature.
On their land John and Helen concentrated on weed management and restoring bird habitat. John said that one of his most pleasurable pastimes was bird photography and he'd spend his few spare hours there practising his skills. He was to joke at the 40th anniversary of Trust for Nature luncheon that he had 20,000 photographs, all with a tiny bird flying out of the top left-hand corner.
In 2013 John and Helen invited the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne to visit their land, giving us introductions to people on the island who also had an interesting story to tell us. We were delighted that they both joined us for the whole day. We tramped through lush muddy paddocks on Cleeland's farm. We browsed the nursery plants at the Barb Martin Bushbank, familiar territory to Helen who has, John said, “a weakness for tubestock”, like many of us.
We picnicked and explored John and Helen's land, spotting birds and wallabies, and ate “very big” scones and bushfood jam at the Trout Farm. John took the trouble to make a photographic record of our activities, with telling captions, to share with us. The day was memorable for the beautiful land and seascapes of this area, but more so because we were privileged to be able to share it with this gentle, quietly observant and very special man.
Thank you, John Clarke.
I FIRST met John Clarke more than three decades ago when I worked with the publisher of his Fred Dagg books and saw him only very occasionally over the following years. I was always simply delighted to be recognised without a moment's hesitation, called by name and greeted joyfully. This kindness and generosity was typical of John – he had a boundless memory for people. A giant amongst us, and we mourn his passing.
What is less well known about John Clarke is that he was a passionate environmentalist, and we in Bass Coast mark the legacy he has left us. John and his wife Helen McDonald (no relation) owned a house on Phillip Island, where they made a garden, as well as a parcel of land overlooking the Rhyll estuary. The Rhyll estuary and other tidal mudflats around Western Port together are a declared Ramsar site under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, nesting and feeding ground for as many as 40 local bird species and nearly as many again migratory species. The site periodically supports over 10,000 waders and 10,000 ducks and swans and more than 1300 invertebrate species.
Here John and Helen worked for 20-plus years with other interested friends and neighbours to preserve, restore and protect the precious strip of coastal bushland bordering the estuary. The foreshore and clifftop walk, now managed by Phillip Island Nature Parks, is now mostly buffered against urban development by protected bush. With the long-term future of this land in mind, John and Helen organised for their property to be covenanted by Trust for Nature.
On their land John and Helen concentrated on weed management and restoring bird habitat. John said that one of his most pleasurable pastimes was bird photography and he'd spend his few spare hours there practising his skills. He was to joke at the 40th anniversary of Trust for Nature luncheon that he had 20,000 photographs, all with a tiny bird flying out of the top left-hand corner.
In 2013 John and Helen invited the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne to visit their land, giving us introductions to people on the island who also had an interesting story to tell us. We were delighted that they both joined us for the whole day. We tramped through lush muddy paddocks on Cleeland's farm. We browsed the nursery plants at the Barb Martin Bushbank, familiar territory to Helen who has, John said, “a weakness for tubestock”, like many of us.
We picnicked and explored John and Helen's land, spotting birds and wallabies, and ate “very big” scones and bushfood jam at the Trout Farm. John took the trouble to make a photographic record of our activities, with telling captions, to share with us. The day was memorable for the beautiful land and seascapes of this area, but more so because we were privileged to be able to share it with this gentle, quietly observant and very special man.
Thank you, John Clarke.
By Kellie Nichols
Bass Coast Landcare Network
JOHN Clarke had a passion for the natural world, where he could slip out of the public eye and indulge in endless amounts of observation of his surrounds. Observing birds and capturing their images on camera was one of his passions which he was able to do on a regular basis when they stayed at Phillip Island.
The Clarke family continuously worked to enhance environmental conditions on their Rhyll property. They are very proud of their Trust for Nature Covenant and always appreciated the support provided by Phillip Island Landcare, financially but also the advice and practical assistance. A Phillip Island Landcare community planting day on their property in 2015 helped plant out a wildlife corridor. John was always excited that the replanting works were encouraging more bird life to the property and sent us update photos showing the growth of plants in their project.
John supported numerous environmental causes that were linked to the island in a direct and indirect sense. He served on the Board of the Western Port Sea Grass Partnership and was a strong supporter of Birds Australia. While he preferred to stay out of the limelight when he was not performing in a professional sense, he never shied away from providing support to programs that were working to improve the health of the natural world, Landcare included.
Bass Coast Landcare Network
JOHN Clarke had a passion for the natural world, where he could slip out of the public eye and indulge in endless amounts of observation of his surrounds. Observing birds and capturing their images on camera was one of his passions which he was able to do on a regular basis when they stayed at Phillip Island.
The Clarke family continuously worked to enhance environmental conditions on their Rhyll property. They are very proud of their Trust for Nature Covenant and always appreciated the support provided by Phillip Island Landcare, financially but also the advice and practical assistance. A Phillip Island Landcare community planting day on their property in 2015 helped plant out a wildlife corridor. John was always excited that the replanting works were encouraging more bird life to the property and sent us update photos showing the growth of plants in their project.
John supported numerous environmental causes that were linked to the island in a direct and indirect sense. He served on the Board of the Western Port Sea Grass Partnership and was a strong supporter of Birds Australia. While he preferred to stay out of the limelight when he was not performing in a professional sense, he never shied away from providing support to programs that were working to improve the health of the natural world, Landcare included.
April 18, 2017
I immediately grabbed my phone and called many friends. "John Clarke Has died!" were the first words I spoke. Most of the calls I received that day, those were the first words spoken to me. Incredulity, shock followed by despair and desolation for this irreplaceable loss.
That day I attended a fundraising lunch for Emilys List, the financial and mentoring network that works to increase the number of ALP women MPs in Australian Parliaments,where Julia Gillard, the first Woman Prime Minister of Australia, was the guest speaker.
Almost the first words spoken to me from Julia were "John Clarke has died" followed by the most sincere comments on how much she enjoyed the Clarke/Dawe interviews, they were an absolute must to see on TV.
Julia said that no matter who is in Government, political satire as John wrote and performed year after year, is the cornerstone of a true democracy. We have to be prepared for such close uncomfortable scrutiny and the resultant comedy.
I have been an MP and Minister in former state Governments, and have a particular insight into the effectiveness and discomfort of such incisive, surgical and topical hilarious comedy. I hope we can learn from John's played back observations.
Like all good and valued people, we can't imagine a world without them until the calamity of their loss.
His marvellous mischievous, highly intelligent observations turned into so many types of visual and written comedy has been a great gift from John to all of us.
What will I do now on Wednesday evenings prior to the ABC TV news?
Kay Setches, Surf Beach
April 16, 2015
Thank you Liz and Anne and Kellie for sharing your memories and comments about John Clarke. While his mother country was New Zealand we have every right to embrace him as a Bass Coaster. Both he and his long time friend and brother in arms Brian Dawes had strong Island connections.
Bob Middleton, Wonthaggi
April 15, 2017
John Clarke, along with Dr Tim Ealey, John Barnard, QC, and the late Professor John
Swan, started the Western Port Seagrass Partnership in 2001 at a time when seagrass loss in Western Port was dire. Clarke conceived of and hosted a beautiful and hard-hitting DVD on Western Port's environment, including footage from the research program of the 1970s. The DVD has been widely distributed for free by the WPSP and is still available from their website.
Last October Clarke was the guest speaker for the dinner of the Museums Australia Victoria conference on Churchill Island. Rather than crack jokes, he took advantage of being in the company of many of Australia's brightest museum and gallery people to tell them about the battles to save the Western Port environment, and urge them to take action to save their local environments. Clarke also practised what he preached, planting seagrass and revegetating the land he had at Rhyll. Western Port will greatly miss such a champion.
Christine Grayden, Cowes
It was lovely to read tributes to John Clarke by Anne Davie, Liz McDonald and Kellie Nichols in Bass Coast Post. As they showed, he was a very special person. Like many thousands of others, we greatly enjoyed the five minute program Clarke and Dawe on Channel 2 each Thursday at 6.55 pm. His death is a great loss not only to his family and friends but also to the wider community, including the millions of people whose lives he enhanced with his comic genius and his love and protection of the environment which enriched past, present and future generations.
Deepest sympathy to his family.
Meryl and Hartley Tobin, The Gurdies
I immediately grabbed my phone and called many friends. "John Clarke Has died!" were the first words I spoke. Most of the calls I received that day, those were the first words spoken to me. Incredulity, shock followed by despair and desolation for this irreplaceable loss.
That day I attended a fundraising lunch for Emilys List, the financial and mentoring network that works to increase the number of ALP women MPs in Australian Parliaments,where Julia Gillard, the first Woman Prime Minister of Australia, was the guest speaker.
Almost the first words spoken to me from Julia were "John Clarke has died" followed by the most sincere comments on how much she enjoyed the Clarke/Dawe interviews, they were an absolute must to see on TV.
Julia said that no matter who is in Government, political satire as John wrote and performed year after year, is the cornerstone of a true democracy. We have to be prepared for such close uncomfortable scrutiny and the resultant comedy.
I have been an MP and Minister in former state Governments, and have a particular insight into the effectiveness and discomfort of such incisive, surgical and topical hilarious comedy. I hope we can learn from John's played back observations.
Like all good and valued people, we can't imagine a world without them until the calamity of their loss.
His marvellous mischievous, highly intelligent observations turned into so many types of visual and written comedy has been a great gift from John to all of us.
What will I do now on Wednesday evenings prior to the ABC TV news?
Kay Setches, Surf Beach
April 16, 2015
Thank you Liz and Anne and Kellie for sharing your memories and comments about John Clarke. While his mother country was New Zealand we have every right to embrace him as a Bass Coaster. Both he and his long time friend and brother in arms Brian Dawes had strong Island connections.
Bob Middleton, Wonthaggi
April 15, 2017
John Clarke, along with Dr Tim Ealey, John Barnard, QC, and the late Professor John
Swan, started the Western Port Seagrass Partnership in 2001 at a time when seagrass loss in Western Port was dire. Clarke conceived of and hosted a beautiful and hard-hitting DVD on Western Port's environment, including footage from the research program of the 1970s. The DVD has been widely distributed for free by the WPSP and is still available from their website.
Last October Clarke was the guest speaker for the dinner of the Museums Australia Victoria conference on Churchill Island. Rather than crack jokes, he took advantage of being in the company of many of Australia's brightest museum and gallery people to tell them about the battles to save the Western Port environment, and urge them to take action to save their local environments. Clarke also practised what he preached, planting seagrass and revegetating the land he had at Rhyll. Western Port will greatly miss such a champion.
Christine Grayden, Cowes
It was lovely to read tributes to John Clarke by Anne Davie, Liz McDonald and Kellie Nichols in Bass Coast Post. As they showed, he was a very special person. Like many thousands of others, we greatly enjoyed the five minute program Clarke and Dawe on Channel 2 each Thursday at 6.55 pm. His death is a great loss not only to his family and friends but also to the wider community, including the millions of people whose lives he enhanced with his comic genius and his love and protection of the environment which enriched past, present and future generations.
Deepest sympathy to his family.
Meryl and Hartley Tobin, The Gurdies