1 00:00:10,204 --> 00:00:13,484 Speaker 1: My Heart podcasts here, more Gold one on one point 2 00:00:13,524 --> 00:00:15,204 Speaker 1: seven podcasts. 3 00:00:14,604 --> 00:00:17,844 Speaker 2: Playlists and listen live on the Free iHeart. 4 00:00:17,404 --> 00:00:37,324 Speaker 1: App A former pow Keith Flanagan has said to us 5 00:00:37,604 --> 00:00:41,443 Speaker 1: he takes precedence over Ned, Kelly, farlapp Les, Darcy Simpson, 6 00:00:41,684 --> 00:00:45,124 Speaker 1: even Don Bradman as the greatest Australian hero of all time. 7 00:00:45,324 --> 00:00:48,564 Speaker 1: He was talking about Weary Dunlop and the fabulous Peter 8 00:00:48,644 --> 00:00:51,884 Speaker 1: fitz Simons has written a book about the amazing Weary 9 00:00:51,924 --> 00:00:53,884 Speaker 1: Dunlop and joins us now Hello Peter. 10 00:00:54,804 --> 00:00:57,324 Speaker 3: Hello, Jonesie and Amanda, not in that order. 11 00:00:57,884 --> 00:01:03,084 Speaker 1: For those who don't know the Weary Dunlop story. Who 12 00:01:03,204 --> 00:01:03,684 Speaker 1: was Weary? 13 00:01:04,724 --> 00:01:07,004 Speaker 3: He was an extraordinary man. He was. He came to 14 00:01:07,003 --> 00:01:09,923 Speaker 3: fame as a doctor on the tie Rai away commander 15 00:01:09,964 --> 00:01:13,124 Speaker 3: of Dunlop Force, and he basically got his men together 16 00:01:13,203 --> 00:01:15,804 Speaker 3: and said, we are Australians. We're going to look after 17 00:01:15,884 --> 00:01:20,964 Speaker 3: each other as Australians. And he said that basically the 18 00:01:20,964 --> 00:01:24,444 Speaker 3: officers that we're getting a stipend from Geneva Convention, we're 19 00:01:24,444 --> 00:01:26,684 Speaker 3: going to put all of our money in a pool 20 00:01:27,203 --> 00:01:31,643 Speaker 3: and buy food for the for our own soldiers. One 21 00:01:31,644 --> 00:01:33,484 Speaker 3: of the officers said I don't want to do that, 22 00:01:33,524 --> 00:01:36,484 Speaker 3: where said, you're not listening to me. This is what 23 00:01:36,484 --> 00:01:38,244 Speaker 3: we're going to do. This is how we're going to 24 00:01:38,284 --> 00:01:41,284 Speaker 3: do it. On the other side of the river, British 25 00:01:41,404 --> 00:01:44,364 Speaker 3: battalion moved in and they used the British class system 26 00:01:44,404 --> 00:01:47,844 Speaker 3: where all of the all of the best medical care, 27 00:01:47,884 --> 00:01:51,404 Speaker 3: the best tents went as the British officers. And according 28 00:01:51,404 --> 00:01:54,444 Speaker 3: to Tom Urn, the famous parliamentarian, it was one of 29 00:01:54,484 --> 00:01:57,564 Speaker 3: the POW's there from six hundred of the marched in, 30 00:01:57,764 --> 00:02:01,284 Speaker 3: only fifty of the Brits marched out. And he believed 31 00:02:01,324 --> 00:02:05,244 Speaker 3: in the value system Wherey Dunlop and Tom Youren became 32 00:02:05,324 --> 00:02:09,244 Speaker 3: the mentor and quasai father of our Prime Minister Anthony 33 00:02:09,244 --> 00:02:11,604 Speaker 3: Alberanzi at least father figure. Right. 34 00:02:12,084 --> 00:02:14,324 Speaker 2: How did he get the name weary again, I know this, 35 00:02:14,364 --> 00:02:15,203 Speaker 2: but I've forgotten. 36 00:02:16,844 --> 00:02:20,403 Speaker 3: In the nineteen thirties they were known as Dunlop tires 37 00:02:20,444 --> 00:02:23,844 Speaker 3: were the big deal. So t yes, but it was 38 00:02:23,884 --> 00:02:27,923 Speaker 3: a wordplay of t i aris as he done Lop 39 00:02:28,004 --> 00:02:32,684 Speaker 3: weary Edward Dunlop tires, and so it was wordplay. Because 40 00:02:32,684 --> 00:02:35,203 Speaker 3: he was the most energetic bastard that ever lived. He 41 00:02:35,244 --> 00:02:38,203 Speaker 3: was doing pharmacy, he was doing medicine, he played rugby 42 00:02:38,204 --> 00:02:43,484 Speaker 3: for Australia, he got a scholarship to England to study surgery, 43 00:02:43,764 --> 00:02:45,484 Speaker 3: and then when he was in the war, he was 44 00:02:45,524 --> 00:02:47,844 Speaker 3: a ratip to Brook. And of course, as we say, 45 00:02:47,884 --> 00:02:50,643 Speaker 3: the hero of the Tibermer Railway, was he. 46 00:02:50,684 --> 00:02:53,404 Speaker 1: Just one of those characters that just the war brings 47 00:02:53,444 --> 00:02:56,004 Speaker 1: out something different in them? Was he just an ordinary 48 00:02:56,043 --> 00:03:00,124 Speaker 1: man who just rose to the top like this, Yes. 49 00:03:00,124 --> 00:03:03,684 Speaker 3: Absolutely, who did extraordinary things. One of the most extraordinary 50 00:03:03,684 --> 00:03:07,484 Speaker 3: episodes there was a soldier that was on a bed 51 00:03:07,644 --> 00:03:10,523 Speaker 3: and he'd lost both his he'd lost both eyes, he'd 52 00:03:10,564 --> 00:03:12,924 Speaker 3: lost two hands, and he'd lost one leg because the 53 00:03:12,964 --> 00:03:16,124 Speaker 3: mine had blown up. The Japanese came in and the 54 00:03:16,524 --> 00:03:19,403 Speaker 3: officer the Japanese officers shouted to one of his soldiers 55 00:03:20,043 --> 00:03:24,244 Speaker 3: to kill that man. Weary stoody in front of the 56 00:03:24,284 --> 00:03:27,603 Speaker 3: soldier on the bed the pow and said, any boynet 57 00:03:27,724 --> 00:03:30,644 Speaker 3: that goes through him has to go through me first. 58 00:03:30,803 --> 00:03:35,284 Speaker 3: And he constantly protected his own men. And the leverage 59 00:03:35,363 --> 00:03:38,084 Speaker 3: that he had over the Japanese were that they were 60 00:03:38,844 --> 00:03:42,204 Speaker 3: I feed ill treating the Australian POWs. They were only 61 00:03:42,244 --> 00:03:45,324 Speaker 3: giving them two cups of rice a day. They weren't 62 00:03:45,324 --> 00:03:50,324 Speaker 3: giving them anything sustenance, but they needed Weary to keep 63 00:03:50,404 --> 00:03:54,084 Speaker 3: those men alive, so they'd keep working on the Tyburnamer railway. 64 00:03:54,484 --> 00:03:58,084 Speaker 3: Time and again he demonstrated extraordinary courage. 65 00:03:58,404 --> 00:04:02,404 Speaker 1: Wow, what happened after the war with Weary. 66 00:04:01,604 --> 00:04:05,363 Speaker 3: He became He was the Australian of the year. He 67 00:04:05,444 --> 00:04:08,044 Speaker 3: was a famous surgeon. He was a famous advocate for 68 00:04:08,164 --> 00:04:11,484 Speaker 3: pow so he was an influence on mensies. He was 69 00:04:11,524 --> 00:04:15,564 Speaker 3: an influence on Whitlam and basically saying that the POWs 70 00:04:15,604 --> 00:04:18,443 Speaker 3: have given so much that those that come back should 71 00:04:18,484 --> 00:04:21,683 Speaker 3: be getting free dental care, free medical care. They need 72 00:04:21,724 --> 00:04:25,204 Speaker 3: to be looked after. And the POWs loved him so much. 73 00:04:25,284 --> 00:04:29,803 Speaker 3: I talked to his former secretary in the bureau or 74 00:04:29,804 --> 00:04:33,044 Speaker 3: the office where he worked as a doctor. Sometimes POWs 75 00:04:33,084 --> 00:04:36,124 Speaker 3: from all over Australia. Sometimes they would just come and 76 00:04:36,164 --> 00:04:38,964 Speaker 3: they'd sit there for the day because they just wanted 77 00:04:38,964 --> 00:04:42,324 Speaker 3: to be near Weary. Weary made them feel safe. Wow. 78 00:04:42,604 --> 00:04:45,644 Speaker 2: What an extraordinary, extraordinary talent. And once again you bring 79 00:04:45,684 --> 00:04:47,844 Speaker 2: it to live, Pete. This is a great book. It's 80 00:04:48,204 --> 00:04:51,924 Speaker 2: available right now. The Courageous Life of Weary Dunlop. Anything 81 00:04:51,924 --> 00:04:53,444 Speaker 2: else has a house going, mate, you want us to 82 00:04:53,484 --> 00:04:54,764 Speaker 2: sell the house as well, we can do. 83 00:04:54,724 --> 00:04:57,803 Speaker 3: That if you want. Funny, you should say that, what's 84 00:04:57,844 --> 00:04:59,364 Speaker 3: this space that's happening? 85 00:05:00,324 --> 00:05:05,164 Speaker 2: I was going to come through and be a time waster. 86 00:05:07,084 --> 00:05:09,524 Speaker 3: Thanks so much for having me whatter Lisa. 87 00:05:10,284 --> 00:05:12,803 Speaker 2: Okay, kids, that's it for today. 88 00:05:12,964 --> 00:05:18,004 Speaker 3: Come back tomorrow for more of Jonesy and Amanda is 89 00:05:18,164 --> 00:05:20,124 Speaker 3: cutting room for