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14 February 2008
Smoky Dawson dies
With much sadness I just learned that a major figure of my childhood passed away today. He lived to the great age of ninety-four and was one of the last surviving boyhood heroes of the fifties. It is claimed that Smoky Dawson was Australia's first cowboy and, indeed, he was on the same level as Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers.
Like Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers, Smoky was a model of manly virtue for young boys, something that is missing and drastically needed in these days of the rampaging feral male. He established the Wild West Club which boys could join as Deputy Sheriffs. The club had a code of three prescriptions:
1. Come to the table when you’re first called, with clean fingers and a clean mind.
2. Be a good sportsman.
3. Help your neighbour in need and honour your flag and country.
One can readily see the utility of these prescriptions for boys' parents. The radio program, however, which I listened to religiously each week, ran exciting stories that emphasised honesty, bravery, protecting the weak, and giving people their proper due. These virtues and the Wild West Club code were nothing more than a reflection of the centuries old code of Chivalry. Hopalong Cassidy had a similar creed.
It is worth asking why there has been such a change in the moral outlook of boys and young men. I have a clear answer to this question.
I suggest one looks at the television footage of the people who turned their backs on Brendan Nelson and shouted 'racist!' 'get off!' and other such abuse. I suggest that you take note that two of the Prime Minister's senior advisers were right in the thick of it, encouraging by example.
A great tribute to Smoky Dawson for the example and enjoyment he gave in those far-off times is warranted.
*After his mother's death, when he was still a boy, Smoky was removed and placed in an orphanage to protect him from a violent father. Smoky said his father's beatings made him determined to do well for himself. Such was his example. Men who follow this example will not abuse children or end up in the gutter.
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