Cairns 1970. Gordon shows us one of his creations. L to R, Capt Peter Bristow, Capt Bill Staros and Mate Gordon Hallam. He was the best mate I ever had.
What fabulous days they were. The reef was so perfect and pristine. It was like we were discovering it for the first time.
Heading north from Cairns at times we were the only boat between Cairns and Lizard Island. Imagine that ! Our first couple of years were just running out of Cairns on a daily basis. Leave the dock at 7 sharp and back at 5. Then to the Marlin Bar on Fridays for what became known as a Union Meeting. We each put two dollars on the bar and ordered 52 beers. I dont think the bar maid ever stopped pulling beer. And two dollars was all it took. You could not drink any more. There were no mother ships about but on the second year we found one and made our first trip as far as Escape Reef. That was it. Next year the “Tropic Queen” was launched and we spent almost the entire season going north as far as number 10 Ribbon. At the end of the first season out of Cairns we had nothing to do so Gordon and I went to Green Island looking for a charter if we could find one. (I might mention that first season Gordon helped put a new Aussie record in the boat at 1231 for Sir William Stevenson.) We got a group together and headed out to Jenny Louise Shoal where we put the biggest sail in the boat I was ever to take. On Green Island it weighed in at 168 lb. Then I got a call from Eric Mc Ilree in Sydney. He wanted us to take the “Avalon” down to his Dunk Island to look after Henry Ford. When we meet the man himself we realised that he was far from interested in boats or the reef. This was an island party for Mr Ford and his entourage. Avis, who owned the Island and in turn by Eric Mc Ilree tipped Australia upside down looking for Dom Perignon Champagne. In 1970 no one had ever heard of the stuff. They found two cases in Adelaide and had it flown up. Henry got to Dunk Is and tasted the North Queensland beer and promptly gave the bubbly to the crew. The exercise was so successful that we were invited to stay as the Island boat. The fishing was great and everyone wanted to go out to the reef. We concentrated on mackerel fishing and diving. As the year went on and our stay extended the business got better. One afternoon on the way back from the reef we stumbled on a patch of Sails and small Blacks. That’s how the billfish grounds of Dunk were found. Shortly after that we cranked up the Dunk Isle Classic. Gordon was my mate when we went north with Mead Johnson and George Matthews. Gordon on the wire and Jacky Lance on the gaff and we boated a new World Record on 80lb at 1218. Gordon was fabulous on the wire. The fish was leaping out full length behind the boat while he held on for six fantastic leaps and never looked like letting go. George was standing there with a camera in his hands and I said afterwards, ‘those must be the best shots ever taken of a fish on the wire’. He hung his head down and said he was in such shock that he did not press the button. Oh brother !!
Later that year we got back up to number 10 with Jo Jo and Gordon wired 20 some fish out of 30 hook ups in one day. His arms were at least 6 inches longer by the end of the day. I never saw him look so tired.
He was the best in the cockpit I ever saw and no slouch with a spear gun. He was at much at home in the water as out of it.
One trip north we were spearfishing behind Ruby Reef. I was on board and Gordon was paddling back to the boat making one hell of a racket. I looked up and Gordon had speared a 25 lb Coral Trout.
A giant groper was trying to take it from him. The groper was as big as he was if not bigger. Kicking and shoving and yelling at the top of his voice there was no way the groper was going to win. Honestly the groper could have ended his life there and then: it was big enough. We talked about it later and figured the grouper was 9 feet long. Goodness knows how heavy.
Dredging the archives of my mind back almost 40 years is not easy but now I have it clear. When Gordon got back to the boat with the trout he speared I grabbed it and helped him back on board. The giant Grouper he had been fighting off was right there and stayed by the boat for ages. Directly under the grouper was a 40/50 lb trout and possibly the biggest ever I have ever seen. The two fish stayed there for ages and Gordon went back in the water to take a look but without the gun. He knew he would have no chance against the Grouper the second time around. I will never forget that grouper. It’s head was covered with the scars of battle: from diving into the coral after lobster and fish. I spoke to some mackerel fishermen in Cairns at the old Fish Board in Smith’s Creek and they knew the fish. They said it was around 1,000 lb and I believe them. There are recorded grouper that went over 1,000. After the war, some RAAF boys killed one on Manus Island that went 1,100. So as Jo Jo used to say, ‘The GBR is the only place in the world where the fish stories are true’.
The years roll on but looking back, he was the best mate I ever saw in the cockpit over the past 40 years. Fearless and articulate with his precision. His friendship and personality is indelible on my mind. He impressed the anglers so much one chap, Ed Gould, flew him to the states to take his boat to Bermuda.
If there is a happy hunting ground or a Mys Avalon, then I am sure he is there doing what he loved best; That’s Fishing.
Gordon Hallam died March 6 2009.
