Doug Walters Declares

Featured Image: ‘Herald News’ report of Doug Walter’s visit to Aberdeen dated 14/02/08

The young cricketer in the photo is Mike Pritchard’s son Nick; now studying veterinary science at UQ.

For some time in the 1990s I was a Rural Ambassador for the Black Dog Institute (University of NSW and POW Hospital: Professor Gordon Parker). See: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/

I also assisted with operations provided by the Virtual Shed organisation based in Scone. I was duly delegated, and delighted, to ‘meet and greet’ Doug Walters at the Aberdeen Bowling Club prior to the event. I was early; but he was earlier! He was exactly as I expected him to be! I found him sitting across the front seat of his modest sedan, having driven from his home in Carlingford. He held the daily form guide for the races across his lap, cigarette on his lips, listening to the races on Radio 2KY and checking his ‘investments’. It was almost rude to interrupt; but I did. We worked out the program for the day and Doug made only one stipulation. He would park his car at the Aberdeen Motel where he was staying and he expected a lift home! Wise man to have a Plan B before it became fashionable. My good mate Carrot Bowen turned up and took some photographs while assuring Doug he was guaranteed a chauffeur for the night. I don’t think he was volunteering however? Bernie Rischke fulfilled the role.

Doug was excellent and held in total thrall the very full auditorium of blokes in the Bowling Club. He regaled the throng with his very best cricket anecdotes. Who cares if the truth is elastic? Doug’s stories were somewhat stultified by Dr Steve Sylvester’s contrasting warnings on the dangers of excessive consumption of alcohol. To Doug’s great credit he listened to every word ‘the good doctor said’ (his quote). The ‘good old blokes’ in the Bowling Club took it all in. I noticed the majority were studiously nursing schooners of beer during the presentations?

Some of the audience were able to revive old rivalries in cricket with Doug. Graham Donnelly certainly recalled a great match in Junior Cricket versus Dungog when he claimed he took his wicket? Fishy cricketing stories?