Green Ginger White
This is a story that one would never dare to tell if it was within a current daily work situation. I can say though that the story was told to me by an old mate, quite a bit older than me but a real character from the Kiewa Hydro days. It was a time when anything went, as long as you didn't get caught. Wally Sealy was a well known and loved identity. He was the local taxi driver before taking up a permanent position with the slow, easy and comfortable (SEC) as it was known. I called in on Wally in Wodonga in January, 2014 and at 82 years of age, he was still growing his vegetables, working part time and welcomed my presence.
This chat for a couple of hours, was where we could re-live some mighty funny stories that happened some 40 years ago. Wally, after chatting and laughing about footy tales and taxi births said, "You ever heard of 'Green Ginger'. 'Green Ginger' was your dad, Gordon's nickname?" Well, green ginger wine was all the rage back then and I was interested enough to spur him on. "Never heard that before", I said. "Yeah, said Wally, Gordon was known as 'Green Ginger' for quite a while!" "Tell me about it", I said.
Wally was giggling as he went into detail, possibly excited that I had never heard the story. Dad must have never let on to our family, as it appeared that everyone else knew this story, except us.
Well Wally was rostered on for the weekend to assist the Works Foreman on the snow road clearing from McKay Creek to Rocky Valley to allow access for SEC operational works and the ski traffic to get through to the Falls Creek skiing village. Gordon White was the Works Foreman and drove the SEC utility with Wally as passenger and they slowly followed "Pal Johnstone" grading the road ahead of them, up to the Falls Creek Village for lunch.
This chat for a couple of hours, was where we could re-live some mighty funny stories that happened some 40 years ago. Wally, after chatting and laughing about footy tales and taxi births said, "You ever heard of 'Green Ginger'. 'Green Ginger' was your dad, Gordon's nickname?" Well, green ginger wine was all the rage back then and I was interested enough to spur him on. "Never heard that before", I said. "Yeah, said Wally, Gordon was known as 'Green Ginger' for quite a while!" "Tell me about it", I said.
Wally was giggling as he went into detail, possibly excited that I had never heard the story. Dad must have never let on to our family, as it appeared that everyone else knew this story, except us.
Well Wally was rostered on for the weekend to assist the Works Foreman on the snow road clearing from McKay Creek to Rocky Valley to allow access for SEC operational works and the ski traffic to get through to the Falls Creek skiing village. Gordon White was the Works Foreman and drove the SEC utility with Wally as passenger and they slowly followed "Pal Johnstone" grading the road ahead of them, up to the Falls Creek Village for lunch.
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Wally Tappe, a local tuck shop owner, waved to Gordon and Wally with a gesture to come inside to warm up. The blizzard was blowin' stronger and colder as the mercury hit -7 and they didn't take much convincing. Gordon tucked into a pie and Wally had vegemite on toast. Wally Tappe then said, "Gordon, you look frozen. Would you like some green ginger wine to warm you up?" "I've never had that before", said Gordon, "Is it like Ginger Beer?" "Yeah, similar", both Wally's blurted out sniggering. After 3 glasses, Gordon was anxious to get back to work, so off they went.
Three bends later, Wally nervously requested of his boss, "Gordon, the road is a quite slippery with the ice, maybe you should slow down a bit." Gordon giggled and said, "She'll be right Wal, these EH Holden utes are the best the SEC could have supplied us. I hold the record against McCullough (Alec) at 16 minutes from the Bogong Garage to the corner, just before the gatehouse at Mt Beauty. We stop there and wait for the time to catch up, so the Patrol aren't aware of our speed after leaving Bogong at the whistle." |
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Just then Gordon said, "Shit, here we go." Go we did, as the ute went sliding sideways across the road, up over the grader windrow and down into the gully, rolling one and a half times and landing on the roof. The hood buried half a metre deep into the soft powdery snow and both doors were wedged shut. Gordon was laying on his shoulder with one leg through the steering wheel. Wally was head first under the dash, one boot had come off but neither were hurt. Wally said to Gordon gently, as he was the boss, "What do you think we should do now Green Ginger?" Without hesitation, Gordon grabbed the two-way that was dangling down and still swinging in the air and in a calm voice across VH06 (Works Radio call-sign) said, "Come in Pal, Leo Johnstone, come in."
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"Yes, Gordon, copy you." "Pal, urgent, we have a severe landslide at McKay Creek Turnoff. Can you make it down with the grader pronto. The skiers from Falls Creek will need to get out of here and back to Melbourne tonight. We have a responsibility to keep the road open and safe." "Sure Gordon, I'll be there in 10."
Well Pal towed the ute out and the soft snow was a blessing, as there was no visible damage. No report was required but the word soon moved around the right work circles that, "Green Ginger" could worm his way out of any tight situation, as long as he had a little help from a "pal"!
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