Been There Done That

30 Sep 2015

Robert Helpmann, Mental Health Week, Syd Opera House, Baked beans

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Just Gordon and David today. Phil has injured his back.

On this day 28/9 in 1986, Sir Robert Helpmann died. He was a world famous gay Australian ballet dancer and choreographer who was born in Mt Gambier in 1909.

Mental Health Week starts on Sunday 4^th October until Saturday 10^th October (which is also World Mental Health Day).

‘Death days’ this week include iconic actor James Dean 30/9/55, gay actor Rock Hudson famously died of AIDS on 2/10/85, psychedelic 60s singer Janis Joplin on 04/10/70, Monty Python comedian and writer Graham Chapman 04/10/1989. As for Birthdays this week we have—versatile gay writer Truman Capote 30/9/24, pop/jazz singer and keen golfer Johnny Mathis 30/9/35, brilliant photographer Annie Leibovitz 02/10/49, singer Jake Shears from Scissor sisters 03/10/78, Writer, wit and intellectual Gore Vidal 03/09/1925

On 28/9/73—The first performance took place in the new Sydney Opera House or was it. Gordon tells us that in 1960 while the opera house was still being built, Paul Robeson, a famous Bass-Baritone, gave a concert for the construction workers. Two centuries earlier on 29/9/1771-George Vancouver claimed SW Australia for Great Britain. They already had East coast but were afraid that the French would take it. Our very own Chris Furneaux has an ancestor who named The Furneaux Islands & Strait in Tassie.

On 01/10/1935 Heinz started producing canned baked beans in Australia. And of course the production line started before that with Henry Ford in 1908. And 6 years earlier, as at 02/10/1902, one brave man challenged the ludicrous rule that you couldn’t swim in daylight hours in Sydney!