July 2002

Colourful tales of the Collingwood of old

Werner, who came from Germany, Vincenzo from Sicily, Siauw from South Sumatra and locals Harold, Mick and Clarence all have one thing in common—they are Collingwood survivors.

In the introduction to When Fish Had Feathers: Portraits of Collingwood’s Older Men, collector of oral histories Andrew Lindsay points out that Collingwood men die younger than men in other parts of Melbourne.

But the 19 men who told Mr Lindsay their stories include two 86-year-olds—one who survived World War Two Poland and whose only current health complaint is a shrapnel leg wound and the other who describes himself as ‘cruising along, cruising along.’

Among the others are:

• Nguyen Van Chin, who left Vietnam 12 years ago in his 60s and has since been recognised for his services to the Collingwood community;

• Vernon McFarland, who did not wear shoes until he was nine and remembers a time when ferrets were caged in many Collingwood backyards, as part of the weekend hunt for rabbits or ‘underground mutton’;

• George Georgoulos, who came from a small Greek town and became Mayor of Collingwood;

• Elery Hamilton-Smith, who showed early promise as a rat shooter, dropped out of university, took up deer-shooting as a living and is now a Professor and world authority on conservation, caves and ageing;

• Syd Koski, who was born in Cologne of a World War One British Army father and German mother, grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, returned to Germany during World War Two and now is a one-eyed Collingwood supporter—literally, courtesy of a work accident.

Their recollections illustrate the changing history of the community and of each individual with stories of mateship and feistiness, love and loss, getting older, the depression, war years, migration and discrimination.

Mr Lindsay gathered the stories during the spring of last year.

Each is accompanied by a portrait by photographer Ari Hatzis.

The portraits were exhibited at the launch of When Fish Had Feathers at North Yarra Community Health.

When Fish Had Feathers is a companion piece to Dancing In The Kitchen—Portraits of Collingwood’s Older Women.

Mr Lindsay attributes the idea behind both projects to Community Health Nurse Marlies Blatz.

• When Fish had Feathers is available from North Yarra Community Health, 365 Hoddle Street, Collingwood 3066. It costs $16.50 or $25 with Dancing in the Kitchen, including postage. The photographic exhibitions are available for touring. For more information contact Project Coordinator Marlies Blatz on 9411 4304 or marlies.blatz@nych.org.au.