Didier Coste
Extrait n° 2. Cinquième intermède : Lu / vu dans le journal (p.159 à 161).
1972 was “The
year Australia came of age.”
On the 1st of January, 1973, “Sydney is looking good,” says
Alderman Griffin, Lord Mayor. He wants big buildings like those in New
York.
Australia Square was still the highest in the city skyline.
January 6: “New rules to speed divorce, cut costs.”
January 7: Car genius Ralph Sarich is sitting on a potential goldmine.
“Sydney’s beaches were thronged in yesterday’s pleasant
sunshine”. A girl with a sarong and a “borrowed board”
was interviewed, photographed and arrested. “Topless” girls
are warned by a police officer, a sense of decency still prevails.
Saturday, February 4, was the opening date of the Norman Lindsay
Gallery and Museum. (Matilda Jones bought a train ticket to Springwood).
March 27: Fair weather. Moderate breeze. (Jacques Voisin wrongly identifies
the girl with a sarong as his student Matilda Jones. Matilda kisses Mr.
Voisin’s hand. )
May: Don’t let the recent fine weather fool you. Winter is coming.
But a long overdue 24 p. cent rise on academic salaries is granted, and
the Australian dollar exchange rate is 6.40 French Francs to a dollar.
(Jacques and Sylvie Voisin feel almost rich, but isolated: a total French
mail ban is imposed the same month by the A.C.T.U. News will have to travel
through Belgium, Switzerland or the U.K.)
October 20: Official opening of the Opera House. Utzon is not present.
(A disproportionately heavy second hand black and white TV set was bought
for $20. “Number 96” could be watched at 8.30 p.m. on Channel
10.)
1981, January 17: “In films, postcards and expatriate memories, Sydney
exists only in summer,” writes Geraldine Brooks. After two decades
of steady decay, the Corso, Manly, has re-emerged as one of the brightest
spots of Sydney.
The badge of the Kambala Anglican Girl’s high-school in Rose Bay
still reads: Esto sol testis, “Let the sun be my witness.” Can
you imagine their magnificent suntans, the fuzzy, shiny triangles of blond
pubic hair?
(In 1930, a very young poet, Alec Derwent Hope, age 23, had written this
Song:
“Put on your lights and colours
Your dress of cloud and tree,
O Earth, come out to meet me,
And spend today with me.”)
On January 18th, the Kanangra, a 68 years old
double-decker wins the Great Ferry Boat Race. (Jacques Voisin crosses
the Harbour Bridge to see Matilda Jones for the last time. On the way
back to Belfield, he uses the Pyrmont Bridge in order to avoid heavy traffic
and the toll).
October 1, 1992: Commenting the row over Deputy Prime Minister Brian Howe’s
remarks about Noeline Donaher, Laurie, her husband, declares: “We’re
sick of all this. I’d hate to be a movie star. ... It’s the
after-effects. You forget we are real people with real jobs.”
“The Sylvania Waters mob are what they appear to be... Sylvania Waters
is the unacceptable face of reality,”states Eddie Raggett, of Mosman.
Same day, Sydney weather forecast: 21 Fine. Southwest winds 15 knots turning
southerly this afternoon.It seems that the news are getting smaller, duller
and less varied as time goes by. It seems that nothing in the world can
alter the course of things. It seems that all we watch on TV nowadays
is loud commercials. It seems that we’ll never see another birthday
party. It seems that our dreams were shattered but we should not make
it sound so dramatic. It seems that more and more people will enjoy staying
at home for a holiday. It seems that the film industry is experiencing
more and more difficulties in producing box office hits. It seems that,
on educational matters, we still have a long way to go to reach world
standards. It seems that Labour is going to lose the next elections. It
seems that it will make little difference. It seems that solar energy
is not about to replace fossil fuels. It seems that the joy of sex is
not as popular as it was after the sexual revolution. It seems that the
victory of the Broncos was no surprise. It seems that the latest heavy
losses were to be expected for BHP shareholders. It seems that the moratorium
on atomic tests will be lifted. It seems that we need to sell more abroad
and buy less from Japan.
It seems that we shall not end up together after all. It seems that a radical change in weather patterns is coming unnoticed. It seems that Alan Bond will buy another Van Gogh when he finishes his jail term. It seems that no area of Australia is really safe as far as earthquake danger is concerned. It seems that we had the life we deserved. It seems that very soon we could read the following list in the paper:
Summary of Death Notices*
| Abdallah M.Y. Ardle, T.J. Aroney, C. Bailey G.B. Beach, J. Black, R. T. Brower P.N. Devlin F.G. Diaz, E. Duplantier J.P. Fatseas, H.M. Franks, Y.M. Fry, D.C. Giraldi, D. Gray, S.V. Hope A.D. Jones M. K. Karlowicz P.S. Kelty, S.D. Kupka I.B. Lee, E.M. MacGregor, J.W. |
Marrawanga E.P. Matthews C.M. McFadden, M. B. Middleton, E.E. Mulligan, F.J. Northrop B.N. Paul J.M. Powell K.M. Quigg, B.D. Robinson M.S. Roper, E.A. Silverman, J. J. Smith, D.W. Solomon, J.F. Stubbs, A.W. Turner, W.G. Voisin J.D. Wassilovitch N.T. Welsh, F.E. Wong W.R. Wright, E.W. Zoeller, E.C |
*For funeral details, please watch these columns daily.
