Chapter 2

I waited until we had finished dinner before I told my family the news.

“I went to Sydney this morning. I had a talk with the Head of News and came home as the new presenter for the ABC. My area is from the Gong to the border.”

Pauline squealed and stood up to give me a hug.

“That’s fantastic, Mummy. I’ll be able to see you on the box and shout at you without you yelling at me to be quiet.”

“Unless I’m in the room at the time, you minx.”

“It will give me status when I go to the high school, my Mummy being a celebrity.”

“I thought I was, already, what with my radio work.”

“Nah! On radio you’re invisible. You’re a disembodied voice. You could even be AI created and not a real person.”

“Oh! Thank you, madam critic. Should I walk stiffly and say, ‘I am a robot. Go to bed or else I will have to carry you, earthling.’ You could beat my metal chest and cry all you want. I won’t care, because I will be heartless.”

“Mummy, you’re so funny. Don’t ever change.”

“For you, my darling, I’m a constant, no matter what I’m doing. Your father may have to take you to school and pick you up if I’m off getting a story.”

“Wonderful, being dropped off at school in a police car. Even without the paintwork they’re unmistakeable. It’s the red and blue lights in the back window and the whippy aerials that give them away. They’ll call me Prisoner Pauline.”

“You just tell them that you’re Princess Pauline and get taken to school by your security detail.”

She seemed to like that, and we tidied up the dishes. Randall hadn’t said anything, and I was getting worried. He waited until Pauline was in bed.

“This is an interesting situation, my love. You a reporter and me a policeman.”

“It’s not a problem, love. My first task is to see the office in Wollongong, and then I’m to start making myself known around the area. I may be heading off early to make myself known to the towns south of us, so that they get in touch if they want anything made known. What we spoke about, before, is already in the system, and I’ve been ordered to keep my ear to the ground and do the odd report from here. We think that the story has a much wider implication, even international, and that won’t come to light for a year or two.”

“Tell me more?”

“It’s possible that the planes will be gifted to a friendly country, to the north, to act as an alarm clock should our biggest trading partner wants to start a take-over bid. It’s just a hypothesis, but the boss is taking that sort of thought seriously. He’s been around long enough to know how the politicians think. Whatever we spoke about is already out of date. Williamstown has thrown up corroborating evidence of a movement of aircraft.”

“You will, I hope, tell me if you discover anything that I need to know.”

“Of course I will, my important darling. Unless, of course, it’s a scoop.”

I giggled and he tickled me, until we ended up joined at the hip.

On Tuesday, I tidied up my affairs. I called the president of the car club and explained that I would try to carry on but would likely leave the committee at the next AGM. Then I went into the radio station and explained to the ones there that I will need to have more time as I was going to be on the ABC but would help out if needed. There was one of the older volunteers who had been helping me, so I went to see him, leaving him an hour later with all the paperwork that I had brought in the car. I was now free to take on the job.

On Wednesday, I went to see Bernie Turner, the cameraman, at his camera shop.

“Morning Bernie. Do you have a moment?”

“For you, Carol, I have all day.”

“You old smoothie, you. I’ve popped in to tell you that I’ve taken on the job of the local ABC presenter. I have to go up to the Gong tomorrow, to see their office and find out what they want me to do.”

“That’s fantastic. The other girl was just lazy, waiting for things to come to her. Have you had any ideas, yet?”

“I was thinking about a couple of projects. One to highlight the air service from Albatross, with the odd fact that it’s a passenger terminal in a military base. I was there to fly to Sydney and was told about the large number of regulars they have, going to Sydney and Canberra. The effect on the local commuters would be horrendous if the Navy closed the gates on the public. I expect that most of the regulars are highly placed.”

“That will go well if you pitch that to the producer. When we do a story, I’ll be on the cameras and we get a sound man, a lighting man, a producer and a lass who will do your dressing and make-up as a minimum. If you kick off with a decent segment, you’ll probably get asked to do a half-hour show. Any ideas?”

“Randall and I have been down the coast, and I was thinking of going down again and making myself known. One thing that could make a series would be talking to the people who’ve been in each town for a while and run the joint. Another thing that I loved were the magnificent rivers. I could do a nature show on them.”

“You’re a whiff of fresh air! I can see it in my mind, a three-show special of Chivers’ Rivers, and about a dozen of Chivers’ Givers.”

“Then there’s interviewing all the famous people who live between us and the border. I’m sure that there would be enough for a series.”

“That can be Carols’ Singers.”

“Are you always this chirpy?”

“Yep! On the job, you get Bernie with his e-quip-ment.”

“What do you do with the shop if we’re on location?”

“I’ve got a helper who comes in. Seriously, it’s the reputation of being the ABC cameraman that brings me the best business. Customers who want the best and are prepared to pay whatever it takes. If what you do gets us better known, I’d put him on as a permanent and spend my time with you. I’ve seen what you did with the radio station and your electrical business. You make things happen, Carol.”

We spent most of the next hour with him explaining the usual methods of putting a segment on air and that all I needed to do was to turn up, look good and sound believable.

The next day, I drove my GT to the ABC at Figtree. It was good to be out in my own sportscar on a decent trip. At the office I was welcomed in and met my regular producer. Matthew Delaine was younger than me, tall and slim with sparkle in his eyes. There were a few others around the meeting table, a couple of sound men, a couple of lighting men and Ashley, the girl who would be making me look good.

Firstly, they wanted to know my media experience and my time with the BBC was received well. They had heard my shows from Nowra, so knew that I was good for radio. To ensure that I was good for TV, I was made up and did a screen test, reading a story from a teleprompter, after having read it through beforehand, I stood in front of a screen and, before we broke for lunch, we watched the result. They had added the vision from the real news report behind me and the audio was as it was in the real report. I was amazed at seeing myself as the viewers would see me, and everyone congratulated me on being so good straight out of the blocks.

In the afternoon, we talked about things we could do while we waited for news stories to appear. I pitched my idea about the effect of closing Albatross would have on the airline passengers and Matthew said that he would try to organise some interviews that we could do. I also pitched a story on Australias’ Forgotten Territory which he loved. I had the suggestions that I had talked about with Bernie, which made everyone smile.

By the time I went home, I had made a few more friends, had been given a contact list of all the ‘stringers’ between that office and the border, and told that I would be contacted after Matthew and his office had worked up a storyline for the Albatross show. It was to be my debut as a fifteen-minute segment on the Seven-Thirty Report news show.

That Sunday afternoon, I was sitting in a function room in Nowra, with some local politicians and businessmen who used the airline to get to work. I had a list of questions to ask and a crew behind me. Bernie had a hand-held and three remote cameras, one pointed at me, and we all had small microphones on. We spent two hours getting them to talk about the problems that they would have if the military ever decided to close Albatross to the public, and what they would have to do if they had to make other arrangements.

I now knew that this session would be condensed to five-minute segments of my report, with the other five minutes being me on location, with the opening, the lead-in to the discussion, and the closing, which would be shot with me at the end of the runway as a Rex flight took off.

We filmed in the public areas on Monday. It opened with me at the museum with Steve, talking about the history of the base with a Skyhawk behind us. I asked him about a rumour he had heard about the base closing. After he said that he had been told about further restrictions, I turned to face the camera.

“I have talked to some of the many locals who use the local airline link to other cities. Here is part of our discussion.”

Then we moved to the terminal for my middle segment about the airline and the restrictions placed on it, as well as the fact that it was the only airline allowed to use the runway. The last shot was me winding up the story with a recap of the harm that closing the base would mean to the locals, as a Rex plane flew over me. I looked up as it went over, then looked back at the camera.

“This is Carol Chivers, reporting from Nowra.”

We had no vision of any other use of the runway, to highlight how little it was used by the military. The segment went out on Thursday evening, with my phone going crazy from friends that had seen it. Pauline loved the final shot and took the recording she had made of the segment, coming back with a printed picture of me with a plane over me.

Friday, Matthew called me.

“Hello, Matthew. How did the bosses take it.”

“They loved it, Carol. It allows our political reporters to ask leading questions in order to get a definitive answer on the future of the base. They’re going to ask if it’s good enough for Rex, why can’t the other airlines use the site. I spoke about your idea of the Forgotten Territory and have the OK for a twenty-five-minute report to highlight it’s unique place in the country. I’ll organise an interview with the Commodore of HMAS Cresswell and any prominent locals in the Jervis Bay Village. I’ll need to go through hoops to get you access to Wreck Bay Village and the aboriginal leaders, so it may be a week or so. In the meantime, keep practising that lovely smile. The postman will have something for you next week, as the segment has created a lot of interest.”

I went into town to talk to Bernie about a longer segment. He had a similar picture to Pauline, in the shop window, poster sized. He took it down so I could sign it and he put it up again.

“You’re going to have trouble, Carol.”

“Why would that be?”

“Everyone in town will want your autograph or a selfie. I’ve had several mates in, today, who’ve told me that I had lifted my game. The problem was that the other girl had no imagination with her reports.”

“Matthew called. He has a go-ahead for a full segment on the Jervis Bay Territory. That will give us time for a look at the natural environment as well as talking about the history and the current residents. It will be a week or so before we’re going there, time to have a little check of the views.”

“How about Sunday. I’ll get my MG out and you bring the GT. We can get sites for the opening and closing, and I’ll make a note of anything that stands out. Most of the navy buildings are over a hundred years old and hardly ever seen.”

“OK. You come by my place, say at nine, and we’ll make a day of it. I’ll make some sandwiches as I’ve discovered that the only store only carries snacks and drinks. I had been looking at organising a club run out there.”

While I did my shopping, I was stopped a few times for a selfie. Some of the shop owners told me that closing the airline down would be a blow to the area and thanked me for bringing the subject up.

On Sunday, Bernie and his wife arrived in his MGA, and I followed him with Randall beside me and Pauline, being the smallest, in the back seat. We had an icebox in the back with drinks and the sandwiches. The trip wasn’t far, about thirty kilometers according to the GT speedo.

Bernie had a digital movie camera with inbuilt audio, and we did test openings and closings in several locations. One was at the jetty, where I stood with it behind me to say my piece.

“Here I stand, in the Jervis Bay Territory, in Jervis Bay Village. If I walked out along that jetty, I would be walking into New South Wales. This Territory was once part of the state but was taken over by the Federal Government in nineteen-fifteen, to be a port for Canberra and the ACT, considering that most goods were transported by ship at that time. The three hundred residents have Canberra paperwork, follow Canberra laws, and are not considered as NSW residents.”

We did something similar at Iluka Beach, where the border was the tide line. Go paddling and you were in another state. We did a short segment from the Beach View Workout Park, with the bay behind me.

“Behind me is Jervis Bay, the spiritual home of the Royal Australian Navy. It is here that every officer since nineteen fifteen has been trained in all things Navy, from fighting an enemy to fighting a fire. Those waters have seen every ship our navy has possessed, as well as many visiting from other countries. It is a safe harbour, a place of rest and relaxation for crews. Here, on the land, we have an enigma, a place where nothing seems right, yet everything works like clockwork. This is Carol Chivers at the Jervis Bay Territory.”

We looked at all the beauty spots and sat on the sand to have our lunch at Murrays Beach boat ramp, passing the site that Bernie told me was where they had wanted to put a nuclear reactor. The day allowed Randall to see Bernie as more than just another club member. Pauline wanted to know how they timed the shot with the plane over my head and Bernie promised her a poster sized print of it for her wall. When we went back to Nowra, they stayed and had a BBQ tea with us and talked about projects that would take up my time.

It was a couple of months to the summer holidays, which included Christmas. It had taken me a couple of years to appreciate BBQ shrimps instead of turkey. Bernie suggested that I make the GT a part of my presentation. We could film me opening the door and turning to the camera to tell the viewers what the show would be about, then I get in and drive off. Most presenters used SUVs when they did road trips, so it would be a point of difference. I wondered about Pauline during the holidays, and he told me to bring her along. She was bright and pretty enough to add to the family vibe when I was interviewing.

When he left, the three of us were sitting with drinks. Randall took my hand.

“Today, I’ve seen you at work. Those may have been just unscripted tests, but I could see them on the screen.”

Pauline gave me a cuddle.

“I thought that the first show was good, Mummy, but you’re going to need a social secretary after a few more.”

“Are you volunteering, love?”

“Until I go back to school, or when it gets too hard.”

Monday afternoon, I had a call from Matthew, wanting me in the office mid-morning on Tuesday. After spending much of Monday afternoon opening a parcel of fan mail, I left it for Pauline to look after in the evening. On Tuesday, I drove up to Figtree and went to his office.

“Good morning, Carol. For a first segment, you’ve created quite a storm. We’ve been asked what we know, and the management has had several meetings in Canberra. Well done! Now, this show about Jervis Bay. That one will be all sweetness and light, I hope. Bernie emailed me some tests you did, and it looks good, so far.”

“I was planning to do it as a quirky bit of knowledge that very few are aware of. Being relatively new to the area, we have done a lot of exploring and there’s plenty of other little stories out there.”

“Yes. We’re working on setting up a month of filming, with the full crew. We’re contacting all our stringers south of you to submit names of worthy people in their areas for you to visit and talk to. We want to find out about long-term volunteers, local heroes, and any retired film or music star. If we get enough, we can find a spot in the mid-evening, one a week, over the winter period. Bernie has already suggested an opening sequence which can be used. It includes your car. We can film you at the wheel, going along and telling the viewer where you’re heading to and who you’re going to talk to. We’ve had lots of one-on-one interview segments, which fill the spot but are soulless. You, with your subject, in a good place at their home, will be very ‘family’.”

In the end, we decided that the trip would take place during the long school holiday so that I could take Pauline if I wanted, as another little oddity to the show. When I went home, I had an appointment to meet the crew at the Jervis Bay Village, by the pier, on Friday, to record the show. We had appointments set up with the shopkeeper, the aboriginal elder, and the Commodore of the navy college. I would have a script to work from but was encouraged to think of a few questions of my own.

Over the next couple of days, I did some research. The Commodore of HMAS Creswell had been promoted to the job at around the time I had arrived in Nowra and had five years to go before retirement. That would have put him at around the turn of the century when he had been there as a trainee. I looked back at the naval history and came up with a question that I was interested to see how he would react to; him having had a father who had also served.

Friday morning, Randall and Pauline were still having breakfast when I left. I met up with the crew and we started work. The opening was as we had trialed it, only fuller and with good lighting. The interview with the shopkeeper was good. He had been raised in the Territory and had taken over the shop from his parents. We filmed a segment where he showed me some of the wonderful buildings in the Village and admitted that he had been happy that the planned nuclear reactor had never gone further than the planning.

The interview with the elder was good, with her talking about ‘country’ as we stood on the beach at Summercloud Bay. The college buildings, almost unchanged from the early nineteen hundreds, were wonderful, and we were able to get shots with the modern additions kept out of sight.

The interview with the Commodore was normal, for most part. I was told about what they taught, and how it differed from the early teachings. I asked him if his time here had been hard, and he agreed that the training was rigorous, but required to get the best out of the officers, who he considered to be among the best seamen in the world. That’s when I asked him one of my own questions.

“Your father was an officer. Did you follow him as a calling or as a duty?”

“That’s something that’s easy to answer. I was steeped in naval life. We had a small sailboat that I spent a lot of time in. It was natural to come here and create a career which I’m proud of.”

“What do you think about todays’ navy? Would you change it?”

“How do you mean, change it?”

“Well, we have a small fleet of Collins Class submarines, conventionally powered and about as much use as throwing a bottle in the water. We have two second-hand American nuclear subs that they didn’t want. We have a large fleet of patrol boats, some frigates and a couple of helicopter carriers. What we don’t have is a long-range carrier group, not since the Melbourne. Todays’ warfare is long-distance drones and missiles. A nice carrier would be good to carry hundreds of drones.”

“You seem to have a good grasp of military strategy, Carol. This is something that me and my fellow officers talk about when we get together. It’s something that our political masters avoid as too expensive.”

“Yet, those same masters think nothing about gifting patrol boats to the islands to the north. Those same masters who admitted that it would take two months to prepare a warship to send to help out during the Iranian conflict of twenty-six. Those same masters who only found out that the Chinese Navy were doing live-fire exercises, a hundred and fifty kilometers from Sydney when an airline pilot reported it. Those same masters who gave the Chinese Navy the Melbourne to inspect before they started to break it up, as contracted, at the end of the eighties. They had it almost a year. It would have been cheaper just to post them the blueprints.”

“Have you been that fly on the wall at our reunions? I was still a schoolboy when the Melbourne was towed to China. My father was incandescent, along with most of the officers. It had been sitting for five years being decommissioned, yet it went to China with the hydraulic plane lifts, the landing light system and the steam catapults still operational. Our PM was just trying to butter up the regime. He was another one like that President, all piss and wind. The Chinese didn’t build a carrier for another twenty years, but they now have more than three carrier groups on the high seas.”

“It changed the Navy, didn’t it. That one move?”

He looked hard at me and laughed.

“I watched your first segment and wondered if you were a one-hit wonder. I can now see that you know a lot more about the human psyche than most. Look, the Melbourne was more than a carrier, as our flagship it was a banner that proclaimed that we had a navy. You may think that the navy is made up of tiers of rankings, but there’s a subset that I think you’ve sensed. We have seamen, who man the ships, sailors and officers alike. We have a small group of submariners who are something else again. We once had the top level, the officers and men on a carrier, with so many different tasks that ordinary sailors never encounter. They were special, and they knew it. Above them, however, were the ones we all looked up to. The flyboys who could put a Skyhawk down on a short bit of steel, rocking in an endless ocean. When the Melbourne was decommissioned, it cut off our head. It took a while, with the Sea Vixens, the Skyhawks and the Grumman Trackers moved to Albatross, but we ended up as a navy with about as much pride as the Sydney ferry captains, and about as much influence in the world.”

I could almost feel the tension in the film crew, who seemed afraid to breathe.

“Thank you for your frankness, sir. We will cut out that final part for the show, but we will show it to our management. I believe that we can talk to some retired officers to see if they feel the same before making a show that will pull back the curtain. I can see it as a history of the Melbourne and the problems with small ships thinking that it had brakes. What was it, eighty-two died when she cut the Voyager in half in sixty-four, with another seventy-four Americans from the Frank E. Evans in the South China Sea in sixty-nine.”

“The first was poor decision making, poor communication and the radar we had at the time. The second was similar plus two total beginners on the bridge. On flying operations, the carrier only goes one way, and it’s the others that have to steer clear. The crew were exonerated on both occasions. It would be good to remind people of how strong we once were. Thank you for setting this interview up.”

I heard Matthew call ‘Cut’ and realised that we had gained a lot more than we had expected. After some drinks in the wardroom, we went off to the Murrays Beach boat ramp, where we filmed the closing segment. My words about the place being an enigma that ran like clockwork now had a new meaning.

Marianne Gregory © 2026

Chapter 3

When the crew had packed everything in the van, and Bernie had put his cameras in my car, Matthew opened an ice box and we all sat on the sand and talked about the day. Matthew proposed a toast.

“To Carol and the insights that she has brought to us.”

We clinked bottles.

“Today has been interesting. We’ll edit the show to the twenty-five minutes as a look at one of the quirks of history. I’ll show Ultimo the rest of that interview and it may lead to another show, starting with historical footage of the Melbourne and then leading onto the effect that it’s removal has had on the navy. Not being around in the sixties, I can’t say that I could appreciate what has been said about the morale at that time, but it does seem to be at a low ebb these days.”

I drove back to Nowra and Bernie stayed with us as Randall came home with Pauline. I had called him, and he had a big bag of fish and chips that we ate, sitting around on the patio. Randall wanted to know how the day had been. Bernie laughed.

“What did you expect, Randall? It was all sweetness and light, and will look that way on the show, but, in the end we have another hook for story that has political ramifications. Carol asked the navy boss a few questions that opened a can of worms. I realised that I already knew many of the facts but would have never asked them in a way to get a hardened navy man to talk the way he did.”

“What does that mean for Carol?”

“It means that we do a series of interviews with retired officers to consolidate what we were told, then Matthew will put together a show which will start being historical, with Carol doing the voice-over. We then cut, hopefully, to the interviews that we have in the can, followed by Carol interviewing a highly placed government or military official, asking them the leading question that nobody else has asked.”

“Will it be dangerous?”

“Probably not, but you may have to support her when the press come around. As she’s ABC, we have first call on any TV of her.”

Before he left, Bernie gave Pauline the poster that he had made for her, as well as another that he had made from pictures that he had taken when we did the test shots. It was Pauline and me, standing with the bay behind us while we thought he was getting ready.

Monday morning, I had a call from Emily to attend a meeting in Ultimo. I flew up and took a taxi to the ABC building. The meeting was between the two of us and Sir Edward, with Hugo taking notes. When we had settled, Sir Edward smiled.

“I have to say, young Carol, that when we recruited you we didn’t expect to get so much work to do in such a short time. In the time since your segment on the Nowra base, there has been much discussion in high places. We have been advised that the Minister of Defence will be flying to Nowra next week to make a major announcement. He wants you to interview him. He is amenable to any suggestion that you may have about a location.”

“If we could, it could take place inside the museum. They have a nice Grumman Tracker that we could have as a backdrop. I could ask him why we don’t have a carrier group like other countries.”

“Yes. I’ve seen the outtakes from that interview. It’s certainly a lead to follow. Surely, though, we can’t ask them to take the blame for something that happened fifty years ago.”

“Why not? Politicians are always blaming the previous governments for things that are patently their own doing. I’ve looked at old clips of the time, and I concluded that the PM of the time was a clown who thought that he was a legend. I don’t have a political bias. I dislike all politicians in equal measure. Most have no life skills, no real job history, and most have a drinking problem.”

“Well said, but not relevant at the moment. Look, I have no idea what this announcement will be. It may be the closing of the base to all public, so shutting the airline down. It may even be a backflip on their plan before the original plan gets any public airing. Next Wednesday, at Albatross, in front of the terminal. You and your crew with an OB van sending the signal to here. They’ve timed it for three in the afternoon, which will be a half an hour earlier in the centre and before lunchtime in WA, so prime time for daytime viewers and plenty of time for us to set up a panel to discuss things on the news channel.”

“Sounds good. I’ll make sure that Steve has the museum spick and span, so the Minister doesn’t get his suit dirty. If there’s transport on the ground for him, he can leave the announcement by car, across the base where nobody else is allowed to go. That will separate him from the other channels, so we could meet at the museum later, say around four?”

“I’ll pass that on to his office. Matthew will give you a question sheet that we would like answers to. We’ll monitor the output and send any others to the OB van for you to have. We’ll run your story on Jervis Bay on the weekend, as a history show after the news, and advertise it in the digital media as also available for streaming. In the meantime, you need to talk to your contacts and get things set up in the way you want. Remember, you will be the reporter on the spot. You’ll need to talk about things in a way that shows that you’re informative, rather than pushy. Matthew will expect you in his office on Friday to go over the coverage. Now, I’ll leave you and call the Ministers’ office.”

He left us and Emily sighed.

“This one isn’t what we hired you for, Carol. It’s really something that an experienced journalist should be covering, but it was your work that took the lid off the can and the boss is giving you the chance to make a real splash. For me, it’s a point in time where we can start to rely on our regional reporters more. We’ve spent a fortune flying the favoured few around the country and it’s time that they were kept back for big city stories.”

“That’s OK, Emily. It’s going to be rather exciting. If he takes questions at the announcement, I’ll have to get a few that would cover either outcome.”

“Yes. Be prepared for anything. I’ve no doubt there’ll be other stations and print media with you. They will be reacting to what they hear, while we know better. Matthew will set you up so that you’re not shoved out of the way. He’ll be there early enough to be in the prime position and will set up a second unit in the museum, if that’s accepted. Good idea about that, being inside. It makes for better sound and will tend to relax the Minister. See if you can get your contact to set up a table and chairs in the morning, with refreshments on hand. I’ll call you as soon as we have confirmation.”

I had lunch in Sydney and flew back to Nowra. In the terminal, I managed to talk to the airline manager to let him know about the announcement next week. He had already been notified that there would be a restriction on flight movements between two and four and was already adjusting their timetable to suit. After that, I went to see Steve in the museum. Before I went home, I went to see Bernie.

“Hi, Bernie. I’m on my way home from a meeting and I thought that you should know about an event coming up.”

“What would that be?”

“We, my friend, will be at an announcement by the Minister of Defence at Albatross on Wednesday afternoon of next week. Following that, we’re setting up an interview with him. Location being decided but I’ve asked for it to be in the museum.”

“Good choice. Inside and quiet. Sit him in front of their Grumman. His grandfather was a navy pilot on the Melbourne. That would be a nice setting for other questions. I’ll set up a remote on you, another on him, and have a big camera to record the interview. I’ll make a show of turning off and then you can ask him the personal questions.”

“We’ll be going live with an OB van for the announcement. It may be that we’ll be sending the interview directly to Sydney.”

“What! We’re going out live! That’s almost unheard of for Nowra, such a sleepy little backwater. You’ll need a good outfit for that. Talk to one of the better shops in town and let them take a picture of you in something bright and classy. They’ll give you a good discount if one of their creations is on national TV. We’ll set up in the morning, when it’s normal, and film an opening with you looking good. That can be the beginning of the broadcast and then we’ll cut to the live events as he arrives. Being a politician, I’m sure he has something dramatic in mind.”

On Tuesday, I did research into the Minister. He had been an air force pilot, retiring after his twenty years to go into politics. His father had been in the air force before him, but his grandfather, now deceased, had flown the Grumman Trackers from the Melbourne in the late seventies and into the eighties, after the two collisions, but before the decommissioning. His father had flown the F-111 fighter bombers that had been scrapped many years ago, while the Minister had flown FA-18 Hornets, then based in Williamstown, before being replaced by the F-35.

Fighter pilots don’t have the long service life that pilots of larger planes enjoy. I think that it’s all to do with reflexes. They either move into admin or retire to become airline pilots. The Ministers’ father had become a Qantas pilot, but his son had gone on to stand for election as a fresh face with a career already behind him. His problem, as I saw it, was that when he was elected, he found himself in a party that was mainly university graduates with delusions of grandeur and jobs as political advisors. I was rather impressed by the way he persevered.

On Tuesday, I went into Nowra and walked into the best dress shop in town. Violet was a grandmother who I had met at the school when she was there with her granddaughter.

“Carol, nice to see you. What can I do for you.”

“We have an important story to cover, next week. It’s likely to be going live and I need something that stands out but not overpowering.”

“Come on through to the dressing rooms. I’ll sort out a few outfits for you. Will there be any other reporters there?”

“Quite likely. It will be the Minister of Defence.”

“Did that story of yours light a fire under them?”

“Sounds like it.”

“The commercial stations have women who usually wear straight cocktail length dresses, in a dark red or similar. If you want to stand out, you’ll need to be in white, yellow or orange. I’ll get some dresses that show off your good legs.”

Two hours later, I had two dresses for the price of one, plus two pairs of shoes from her friend next door. I had been photographed in both outfits and she would get them made as poster size, to put one in the window after the announcement, ‘as seen on TV’.

Wednesday and Thursday, I did more research and made lots of notes. I wanted to be prepared for whatever happened. I had told Randall about the announcement, and he was aware before they had an official notice to provide support on the base. He knew about the museum idea, so would be able to cover that when we had confirmation.

On Friday, I was in Wollongong being shown the lists of questions that the station would like answers to. We had confirmation that the museum was acceptable for the questions . Matthew assured me that I may only get a chance to ask one at the terminal, as other stations would be there. A point in our favour was that we could set up in the morning. Other stations that would normally arrive by helicopter, would not be allowed access to the base, so would have to drive down from Sydney.

On the weekend, Bernie and I spoke to Steve at the museum. There was quite a reasonable space next to their Grumman, with a display of the optical landing system that had been on the carriers, with banks of lights of different colours, which would tell a pilot if he was too high, too low, or just right. Landing on the Melbourne was very tight for the Grumman, with less than ten feet between the superstructure and the wingtip. Steve would set up a good table from their meeting room, with some chairs. Bernie put chalk marks on the floor to let Steve know where the cameras would be sited.

On Monday and Tuesday, I did two things. One was to start worrying about what was coming up, and the other was to spend Tuesday afternoon in the beauty salon, being turned into someone who could pass as a national news hound, at a pinch. I had to organise someone who could pick up Pauline from school as I didn’t know when Randall or I would be winding up at the base. She would be going to the home of a friend until I went to pick her up.

On Wednesday morning, Randall had to go early as he was in charge of some of the security. Pauline set the TV recorder to start at two and just keep recording. We had a light breakfast. She was too excited at having her mother on national TV and I was, as well, because of the same reason, with the excitement tinged with fear. I dressed in the orange outfit that had been deemed to stand out as well as make me look good. I said orange, but Violet had called it papaya.

I dropped Pauline off at school and carried on to the airline terminal, where Bernie and the crew would be meeting me. Now actually here, I felt settled enough to have another light breakfast in the terminal café, looking out onto the tarmac and watching some workers set up an area surrounded by bunting. They obviously had a plan to work to and had it set out fairly quickly. After I had finished my meal and been to the toilet to freshen up, I went outside to have a look. It was just a simple square but set so that someone standing in it would have the airport name and airline logo behind them. To me, that looked positive.

When Bernie and the crew arrived, they checked it out and thought the same, so we pitched the introduction in a positive light. I was checked for make-up, Bernie set up the camera and we had the lighting to accentuate the morning sun. I was given a cordless microphone to talk into and we did our intro.

“This is Carol Chivers at the HMAS Albatross base. Behind me is the airline terminal which may well be receiving good news today. This afternoon, the Minister for Defence will be standing on this spot to make a major announcement. Tune in at half-past two for our live coverage.”

That was sent to Ultimo and got the tick of approval. Matthew laid out some markers with ‘Reserved for the ABC’ on them and then we went off to the museum to set out our interview space. We set it out so that he was sitting with his back to the Grumman, with me not quite opposite, There was a remote behind me and Matthew sat in the Ministers’ chair while Bernie got the focus and general view. Then there was a remote, set up in the walkway, focussed on me. The main camera would be to the left of the remote, so that Bernie could get the view of the plane, with the Minister off to the side. The crew would be well back and the feed from the microphones and the cameras was sent to a box in radio contact with the OB van that would be parked outside.

We did a test transmission to Ultimo and got the OK back, so left the remotes, lighting and mics where they were, with Steve roping off the area. We went back to the terminal in time for an early lunch after setting up the one camera and mics to capture the Ministers’ speech. There were other stations setting up beside us and it was quite a party atmosphere. We all sat in one area for lunch and the techs, who had all met before, chatted away. The other reporters talked among themselves, ignoring me. Perhaps they thought that I was the make-up girl, and our reporter would be here later.

At half-past two, we were all outside and ready to go. There was a huddle of suited guys, and I recognised our local Federal member of parliament. I went over to him.

“Excuse me, sir. I’m Carol Chivers from the ABC. I wonder if you could give us a few minutes while we wait for the Minister.”

“I certainly can, Carol, seeing it was your segment that has brought this about, whatever the result is.”

“If you’re here sir, I guess it’s going to be positive.”

He laughed and followed me back to the team. Matthew was quickly getting the OB link going to Ultimo and Bernie was already with his camera. We placed the MP so that we were filming the base behind him, and I started the interview, introducing him.

“The Member has graciously offered a few minutes of his time while we wait for the Minister to arrive. Sir, have you used the airline between here and Canberra?”

“Many times, Carol. Hundreds, over the years that I’ve been a member. I was shown your segment about the possible closure of the service and immediately requested a meeting with the PM and other Cabinet Members. The idea that such an important service may be closed by the Government was a shock.”

“What did they have to say?”

“They hadn’t known about it. It was something dreamed up by bean counters in Treasury, so I’ve been told. I believe that the Minister is coming to clear the air. The scandal of shutting this base down would be enough for the State Government to lose the next election. It would be a free kick for our opposition. Federally, it would send the wrong message, just as selling off a lot of military land did, some ten years ago. We have six states and two territories. Sorry, three territories as your show on Sunday evening told me. We need six major army camps, six major air force bases and as many navy bases as we can get ships into.”

“You don’t expect any danger would be purely from the north.”

“No. Having Chinese warships circling the country while conducting live-fire exercises was a wake-up. Danger can come from anywhere.”

I could hear the sound of a helicopter in the distance.

“Thank you for your views, sir. I think I hear the Minister arriving. You have time to get back to the welcoming line. I would like to talk to you in the future, if possible.”

“Anytime, Carol. It’s a pleasure to talk to you. I’ll give your producer my card.”

He went to Matthew, who was smiling, while Bernie turned the camera on me. I held the microphone up again. The rotor sounds were getting louder.

“We’re waiting for the Minister of Defence, and I believe that this approaching helicopter will be him. Other flight activity was shut down at two, to give us an uninterrupted chance to hear his speech.”

Bernie focussed on the RAAF helicopter as it came into land, just twenty metres from the waiting group. The rotors spooled down as the door opened and a set of steps allowed the Minister to step out to the ground. A group of suits went over and there was shaking of hands before they all walked towards the roped off area. When they had cleared the rotors, they were spooled up again and the helicopter lifted about thirty feet and headed off to the other side of the base. In the comparative quiet, we all got ready for the speech.

I put a bud in my ear so that I could hear the feed and did a voice-over, pointing out the Minister and other dignitaries, including the local airline manager. The group stood behind the Minister as he took out some notes. I said that we were about to hear the Minister of Defence, the Right Honourable Algernon Wallace as he looked around and drew breath.

“Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, and my esteemed colleagues behind me. I have come to Nowra to explain something that will put your minds at rest. There was a rumour that extensive building works were going to shut down this terminal and close HMAS Albatross to the public. I have to admit to not being aware of the works that had been proposed and apologise for the lack of proper communication that created the scare which the ABC highlighted a couple of weeks ago.”

He looked directly at me and smiled.

“There will be building works, true, but it will be carried out by the second airline that will join Rex in operating from this airfield. It will be whichever one offers my government a business plan to create a new terminal, linked to this one, which will be able to handle flights to and from the rest of the country and New Zealand. There are a few airlines who are interested, and the chosen one may not be an Australian airline.”

There were a few shouted questions and he held up a hand.

“The Navy operations will be cut back and relocated to new hardstands and buildings to be put at the old airfield in the Jervis Bay Territory, where they will be able to be integrated into the Naval Officer Training College, HMAS Creswell. Much of the administration will continue here but won’t disturb the airline operations. The flight control will revert from the Navy to Air Services Australia. Navy helicopter movements will be timed to not interfere with airline movements.”

I stood back as the other stations and the print media tried to get more detail, asking a lot of the questions on the list I’d been given. Finally, the others faded, and I got my chance. I held up my hand and he looked at me.

“Minister, I’m Carol Chivers from the ABC. It was my segment on the Seven-Thirty Report that highlighted the rumour. I was told, at that time, that it was the Air Force that had been inspecting the runway, something I had left out of my story. Can you tell us anything about that inspection?”

I could see that he was shocked but recovered quickly.

“Miss Chivers, the Air Force did inspect the runway. It was done to prove that it was suitable for jet movements. Modern jets that can travel overseas are a lot better than the old 747s of days gone by. They need less runway to take off and land and are a lot quieter. The fact that this base had been home to Skyhawks and Sea Vixens is a positive, and, after so many years of helicopter use, we needed to verify that major works were not needed. There will be some input from the government with up-to-date landing systems and radar for the new flight controllers.”

“Thank you, sir.”

I did my sign off for Ultimo as the crowd dispersed and the official group got into some cars that had pulled up, then were taken across the airfield to the Navy side. We packed up our things with Matthew unable to stop grinning. I took out the bud as I could hear Sydney reverting to normal broadcasting and put the microphone in its case. We took our time as we needed to repack the OB van and move to the museum. I looked at my watch and saw that it was nearly half-past three. Where had the time gone.

I went to my car and got in. Randall appeared beside me.

“That last bit. My policeman sense told me that it was complete BS.”

“It was BS, love. I’m going to interview him at the museum in twenty minutes. Perhaps you and your team need to be there to provide some security.”

“See you there, love.”

Marianne Gregory © 2026

Chapter 4

I parked at the museum, beside the OB van, and went in. Matthew was organising the set, which didn’t take long with our morning preparation. Steve was in his official uniform and there had been a sign on the main door announcing that the museum was closed until five for a private function.

I used the toilets and then Ashley checked my make-up. I sat in my seat and looked through the list of questions that I was supposed to ask. Randall came in with his team and he placed them at the doors. He stood by the main door, and I went to join him, to wait for the Minister.

“This has been quite a day already, love.”

“It has, hasn’t it?”

“Are you going to skewer him now?”

“Not on air. We’ll keep it friendly for twenty-five minutes, then we’re turning off the camera and I’m going to have a nice little chat with him. Hopefully, it will give us some of the real story.”

“You really are good at this. That last question of yours rattled him.”

“I know, and he knows that I know. If he’d been telling the truth, today, we wouldn’t be getting this interview. He’d be flying back home instead of coming along the road.”

We stood in place and the car stopped. It was only the Minister that got out. I went forward to greet him.

“Thank you for coming, Minister. The interview is planned for twenty-five minutes and will be sent from that OB van to Ultimo, to be shown tonight, after the news. It will be advertised in the hour or so before the news, which will, of course, include a repeat of your announcement. This fine gentleman is my husband, Randall, and is here in his official capacity as a Detective Inspector. His team are scattered around to ensure our privacy.”

“It’s a pleasure, Carol. I’m happy to meet you, Randall. Except for the interview, Carol, you can call me Algy.”

“Thank you, sir, Algy. Was your father called Biggles by his friends?”

He laughed.

“We’re a family of pilots, Carol. That sort of thing goes with the territory.”

I led him into the museum and to where we had the set ready. He was sat in the chair we wanted, and our sound man clipped small mics to us, and the Minister was given a bit of powder so that he didn’t shine under the lights. We passed the time of day and then everything was ready. Matthew confirmed the link to Sydney, and we started the interview.

“Thank you for joining us for this interview with the Minister of Defense, the Right Honourable Algernon Wallace. Thank you for speaking to us, Minister.”

“It’s a pleasure, Carol.”

“You would have been here before, wouldn’t you. Didn’t your grandfather fly one of these Grumman Trackers from the Melbourne?”

“He did. Yes I have been here, with him, when I was eight. He also took me to Shellharbour, and I had a flight in one, with him in the second seat. Boy was that noisy. Those two big radial engines are loud!”

“With him flying for the Navy, and your father flying the F-111, it’s no wonder you ended up in FA-18s. That must have been exciting.”

“The best job in the world, although what I do now has more responsibility.”

“Yes, your job. I have a list of questions which the ABC want me to ask you. Please feel free to answer as fully as you like, we have a big segment to fill.”

I smiled and then started the questions. He was now in a pleasant mood and answered them, sometimes fuller than I would have expected. Matthew had started a clock and held it up as we approached the allotted time, so I thanked the Minister for his frank and honest discussion and wound up the show. Bernie took care to close up his camera and Steve came over with mugs of tea, having found out from the driver how the Minister took his. The crew started sorting things out and carry them away, leaving the two of us.

“Tell me, Algy. How hard was it to convince those ‘bean counters’ that this wasn’t the right place for the F-35s?”

He looked at me and then started to laugh.

“Didn’t fool you for a minute, did I?”

“No, Algy. Even my husband thought that there was a lot of BS back there at the terminal. Never murder anyone, you won’t get past the first grilling.”

“What do you think happened?”

“I think that the idea may well have been thought up by those dastardly bean counters. Come here and build a few hangars and lay down a couple of hardstands, fly the F-35s down to make room for something else at Williamstown. Then either sell off the planes to someone friendly, or even keep some flying from here.”

“What do you think we would replace them with?”

“The new Eurofighter, in the fighter-bomber version, would be good. It can carry stand-off bombs. I don’t think that the general public would be happy with us buying American again.”

He laughed again.

“Are you that fly on the wall in our meetings?”

“That has been suggested by someone else.”

“Look, Carol. I’ll come clean with you, rather than pussyfoot around the subject. I see that those remote cameras haven’t been taken away, and our microphones are still in place. Do I have your word and that of your management that this ‘post interview’ chat isn’t broadcast.”

“You have our word, Algy. We had most of it at the time I did that segment. We just want to stay ahead of the commercials with this, so that we’re at the right place and the right time.”

“All right. The planes were to come here to be prepared for another country to take some. Now, they will be heading for Amberley in Queensland. Probably replacing the even older Hornets for a while. We are thinking about the EU route, but it hasn’t been finalised. Your segment threw a spanner in the works in that it brought Nowra into discussions at Cabinet level and questions were asked before things got out of hand. You’re perfectly right, today I made an announcement which was more spin than considered planning, to avoid the scrutiny that going ahead with the original plans would have brought us.”

“It will give you a lot of brownie points when we get the second airline, especially if one will take us directly around the country without needing to go to Sydney. I don’t think that the commercials have any inkling of the back story, so you’re pretty safe.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll just carry on doing my job. That reminds me. We’re in the perfect place to ask you this question. Did your grandfather get mad when they sold the Melbourne to the Chinese?”

“Did he ever. Called the government every name under the sun, so Dad told me. It was almost treason as far as he and his mates were concerned.”

“I’ve been told that selling off the flagship of the Navy has lowered the overall morale to the lowest point ever, and it hasn’t risen much since. I’m sure that it’s not only the public who think that staying with AUKUS was a stupid waste of money. We could have built another pair of light carriers with that money. Ships that can carry hundreds, if not thousands, of long-distance drones and even have a small flight of those new fighters. It would be an interesting way of us showing the world that we still mean business. That we’re still a force to be reckoned with.”

“It takes ten years to build a carrier. It took China twenty years after examining the Melbourne to build their first and have taken about ten years to build each subsequent one. There aren’t any older ones that we can buy. Everyone scraps them now, especially the nuclear-powered ones.”

“It still leaves us underpowered as far as warships go. You can build as many patrol boats as you like, but they wouldn’t last five minutes in a war.”

“I fully agree, but we have to work to a budget, unless we do what America has done and go so deeply into debt that we will never repay it. Look, I like the way you’re thinking. You have a grasp of the real world and how history alters the future. Give me your card and I’ll see about getting you into a think tank or something. What’s next on your agenda?”

“A story on the Melbourne, warts and all. The jinxed ship that was once the flagship of a proud navy. Then, we’re doing a series on volunteers and famous people from here to the border, something to run as a series over winter.”

“I’m sure that something else will come up to keep you in the news cycle. If there’s anything that I can give you, I’ll call Sir Edward.”

“Thank you, Algy. I have to say that I’m impressed with the way that you’ve kept to your guns when surrounded by fools. Although today wasn’t one of your high points.”

He laughed and stood, leaving the microphone on the table. Bernie was winding up the cables to the remotes. I walked the Minister to his car, Randall on his other side. He shook Randalls’ hand and gave me a light hug.

“Today has been brilliant. I’ve met two people who are solid citizens and worthy of being noted.”

He got into the car and the driver closed the door, then got in and drove him away.

“I wonder who he was talking about, love.”

“Beats me, Carol. There must have been someone on the base before he came here.”

I turned my phone on to see that I had a number of missed calls and several texts. The latest one just told me to be at Ultimo at eleven the next day.

“You sort your team out, love. I’ve got to go and book a flight to Sydney in the morning. I’ll pick up Pauline on the way home if you get some take-away. Pizza would be good as we can reheat that if needed.”

“OK. I need to go and report to the boss. He probably watched the announcement but will need my input. See you at home.”

I went inside and gave my mic to the sound man. Matthew said that he had been called to head office in the morning and I showed him my own text.

“Looks like we stirred a hornets’ nest, Carol. Wonder what they want to talk about?”

“Maybe it’s just a pat on the back. I’ll see you there.”

My face was given a wipe, and I used the toilet before having a hug and a thank you from Steve. I drove to the terminal and booked my flight after being waylaid by the airline manager who was effusive in his praise of how my small segment had created such a big result.

When I picked up Pauline, I was pulled into her friends’ house and given a drink. The mother had recorded the announcement and the girls had watched it more than once. I had to pose for a selfie with her friend and her mother before we could get away. At home, Pauline checked that the recorder was still going and stopped it. I went and took the dress off and hung it up, then fully undressed to have a shower.

When Randall arrived with a couple of boxes of our favourite pizzas, we sat outside in the evening sun and took our time eating. Pauline was the one to break the quiet.

“Mummy. Were you worried by all that you did today. You did, after all, speak to our Federal member of parliament and the Minister of Defence. They are two powerful men.”

“I did have a few moments where I wondered if it would all be right, I admit. It was the same before I started the first song of a party when I was a DJ. You can plan all you like but you never know what’s around the corner. Those powerful men are just men in important positions, like your Dad. They’ve been kids, teenagers and gone through school, just like you. If they’re good people at heart, they’ll treat you as well as they are treated. I didn’t try to trip them up, like some other reporters, and they appreciate that and return the kindness.”

We tidied up and went inside to watch the interview. It was odd to be sitting on the sofa, cuddled by my husband and daughter, while seeing myself on the screen. Pauline had the recorder going again. At the end of the credits, she got up to turn it off and then faced us.

“Mummy. When you said that they were just like us, it didn’t sink in until he spoke about being in that spot aged eight. Did you guess that he would have been there?”

“His grandfather flew Trackers, dear. It was entirely possible that he would have taken a young Algy to see one.”

“Algy!”

“Yes, we’re on a first name basis. Under all that red tape, he’s a thoroughly nice man. I expect that if I carry on doing what I’m doing now, we’ll be meeting again.”

Randall snorted.

“Pauline. Your Mummy and the Minister had a talk after that interview. They had what is called a frank discussion and she promised to not report some of the things they spoke about. She has to go to Sydney, tomorrow, to make sure that the ABC keeps that promise, as it does give them the lead in things that may happen a year, or more, into the future. Expect to see more of her on that screen. What I saw, today, showed me that she deserves to be there. Now, did you do your homework at your friends’ house?”

She grinned and went off to her room and her books. Randall cuddled closer.

“Can you grill me later. Just don’t ask what I was doing when I was eight.”

“All right, my darling. I think I know what you were doing as a teenager, and the fact that you can still see proves that the saying is wrong.”

The next day, I was back in the meeting room in Sydney. When I arrived, Emily gave me a strong hug.

“Yesterday was fantastic, Carol. You did everything that you could do to get the best out of the Minister, yet he left in a good frame of mind, unlike some interviews I’ve seen.”

“It was a busy day, Emily. We watched the show last night and I felt as if I was watching someone else.”

“You are someone else when you interview. That’s one of the things we want to talk about.”

The meeting went until lunch and covered a lot of ground. The upshot was that we were given the green light for the Melbourne story, with permission to include interviews with retired Naval officers. We also had a good budget allocated for the summer trip to produce a series of visits and interviews to be shown as a series during next year. We were also congratulated on what we had done yesterday, and the way we had done it. I was told that nothing of the later talk would be made public, and that it was expected that the Government may be the ones to contact us when they had something to say.

Matthew took me to a restaurant for a meal, where I was recognised by the owner and had to pose with her for pictures. Matthew went back to his office to start working on what we now knew were expected shows, and I went back home. As we flew south, I thought about the concept of home. I had lived in Colchester for twenty-odd years, in Mildenhall for four, Chelmsford for another four, and now Nowra for ten. I was middle-aged and starting yet another career. It seemed to be something out of a fairy tale.

For me, Nowra was my home. It had shown me welcome, it had given me a wonderful life and, if I needed to give it something back, I was ready for that responsibility. When I went to pick up Pauline, I was surrounded by kids who wanted pictures with me. Pauline thought that it was all great fun. I let them have their fun, as their exams were starting in a couple of weeks. Soon, I’ll be on the road for the first time as a presenter of a show, with Pauline beside me to soak up real life with real people. I just hoped that she would learn from the experience.

Over the next weeks, I spent some of the days in the homes of retired officers. The thing about the Melbourne being the flagship was that the commanding officer was changed every eighteen months or so, leading to a lot of men, still alive, who had been on that bridge. We ended up with a dozen short interviews, mostly saying the same thing. That they had pride in what they had been doing, even though the carrier had never been in an active zone. It had been an emblem of our navy, and, as that emblem, had done its job.

With the old films on file, and some unseen footage that Algy had supplied, when asked, we put together a one-hour documentary. It showed the history of the carrier, from the time its keel was laid in Britain during the second world war, its launch as HMS Majestic, then through its good and bad days. It had been the recipient of a couple of unwanted names. ‘Jinx Ship’ being one after she had cut two other ships in half during exercises. She was the subject of the only time two Royal Commissions had been called for the same incident but came out of it all smelling like roses. The credits rolled over the picture of her being towed to China, with me narrating the amount of things that were still operational. My final words, before the screen faded were pointed.

“After the Melbourne was decommissioned in 1982, our Navy did not have a flagship until 2015, when the HMAS Canberra, a helicopter carrier, was commissioned and deemed big enough to carry the flag. In between, several ships served as de facto flagships, including amphibious troop ships and even a fleet oiler. It’s no wonder that morale in our navy dropped to such a low point, and no wonder that it’s still difficult to recruit new seamen.”

We finished all the editing in the Wollongong office and had a screening for Ultimo. At the end of it, there was silence and I wondered if we’d gone too far. Then, Sir Edwin clapped, and I breathed a sigh of relief as the other executives applauded. Sir Edwin stood up.

“That, my friends, is reporting in the way it used to be, back when I was reading the news. It’s a gathering of known facts and a sprinkling of understanding of the human psyche. I remember the time that Chinese warships sailed around the country. We didn’t know that they were doing live-fire drills until an airline pilot flying from New Zealand told us. All we could do was overfly them. We had nothing ready to shadow them. That was a disgrace that was brushed under the carpet at the time. I think that it would be a good show as a special report in mid-December. First, though, we need to show it to the government in private. I can’t see anything there that they can complain about.”

A week later, Matthew and I were in a theatre room in the Canberra Parliament with most of the Cabinet and several uniformed Naval Officers. They all sat, quietly, as the show unfolded. When it had finished, there was, once more, silence. Then the PM spoke.

“Why am I only learning this now?”

The Treasurer answered.

“The situation was all about budgets, sir. It took thirty years to get something impressive enough to replace the Melbourne.”

“That final statement says more than that, my friends. It says that the governments didn’t care about protecting our waters since the eighties. It tells me, better than the reports that I get from the military, that we’re dangerously vulnerable. We can blame the previous governments all we like, but nothing, I repeat, nothing has been done to give us a long-range capability. The Canberra and Adelaide are now approaching their own service mid-life, yet we have no plans to do something meaningful. Come back to me with ideas in the new year. Now, Carol and Matthew, follow me to my office.”

We followed him out, with his secretary behind us, and were taken to his plush office and sat with drinks.

“Now, you two. In the space of a few months, you have exposed ill-conceived plans to relocate our aging fighters to Nowra. You have highlighted the Jervis Bay Territory, and my Minister of Defense has briefed me on what really happened when he visited you. This show has highlighted serious failings of a number of PMs. I’m told that it will be shown in a week or so. I’m happy to give my permission, as there’s nothing there that can be seen as fabricated. I’ll want you back here, sometime in the future, to conduct an interview which will be aired after I give an announcement. I can’t tell you what that announcement will be, because I don’t even know that yet. It’s up to what the others come up with.”

I smiled at him.

“We will, of course, sir, stay quiet about that until you’re ready. We have a small crew, and discretion is our middle name.”

“Quite so. You and your crew have impressed me and several of this building, with your insight and methods of reporting. Sir Edward told me that you were like the best of the old guard, before reporters relied on what they were fed by the internet and our own press releases, following them slavishly as gospel. You don’t follow, young Carol, you lead.”

“Thank you, sir. I’m happy that you see it that way.”

“I didn’t say that I was happy. What you’re doing is giving me more to think about, and more that I have to get my staff to tell me. It’s made my life busier, but I’m starting to think that I’ve allowed the others too much rope. If that fighter plan had gone any further, our chance of re-election would have been slimmer.”

“I would have said marginal, sir.”

“Just so. Now, you go home and carry on. I wish you a happy Christmas and Festive Season.”

“Thank you, sir. The same to you and yours.”

Matthew was quiet on the short flight back to Wollongong, where I’d left my car.

“Penny for them, Matt.”

“I was thinking through our plans for the series. The schools are out in the middle of December, so we can get a couple in before the break, if we hit Ulladulla and Batemans Bay before then, we can spend a month in January to do the rest. I don’t expect much from the PM before February.”

“That would be good. I can take Pauline and make a holiday of it. There’ll be a BBQ at my place on Christmas Eve and New Year Eve, with a lot of Randalls’ team and partners. I expect Bernie may drop in. You’re invited with your family if you want to come. Let me know and I’ll make up beds in the spare rooms.”

“Thank you, Carol. If we keep it going the way we started, it’s going to be another interesting year.”

It all worked as planned. Pauline took a few days winding down from her last year in primary. In February, she would be going to high school and there was a school bus that she would be taking, now that she was a ‘big girl’. The documentary was shown on the Sunday evening, and we met up with the crew on the Monday morning, bags in the back of the GT.

We filmed what would be the signature opening to the series. I was filmed walking to the car and opening the door. I turned to the camera.

“Today, I’m leaving Nowra and driving to Ulladulla, down the coast. There I’m going to meet our local reporter, and he is going to introduce me to a couple of interesting people. My daughter, Pauline, will be keeping me company.”

I got into the car and started it up, with its particular growl. I pulled out and drove it down the road until I was out of sight, then pulled over and we waited for the crew to pack up and catch up with us. This trip, they were using a minibus and I followed them south.

That afternoon, we got most of the first show into the can, with a talk with our local guy who told us about the town and its story, then we went off to one of our interviews, on the mans’ patio. He was a retired Cabinet Member and was very interesting.

We stayed in the local hotel and filmed my opening, where we repeated the previous one but saying that I was leaving Ulladulla and going to Batemans Bay. Then we had a second interview with another Ulladulla person, a woman who was almost running the place.

Over the next couple of days, we tidied up Batemans Bay and filmed us leaving there to go to Bermagui. We would drive directly there to start the next shows.

Back home, we made the house ready for the festive season and I filled a freezer full of meat and a fridge full of drinks. Pauline and I did our gift shopping, and we were ready for the parties. We had a lot of guests on both occasions and had a lot of fun. For New Year, we had over thirty in the garden, including our neighbours. A few days later, I was following the minibus south, to tidy up the series, Pauline beside me, singing along with the CD she had slipped into the player.

This year was going to be different. I had a daughter who had almost become an adult over the last month, someone who was now a friend and partner in the project. She had been included in a couple of the interviews, interacting with our subjects’ grandchildren, and was likely to see herself on the TV over the series. Matthew had reviewed what we had done, already, and had told me that she was a natural, as long as she didn’t know that she was being filmed.

Marianne Gregory © 2026

Chapter 5

That January was full-on. We recorded shows in Narooma, Bermagui, Bega, Merimbula, Eden, Bombala and Cooma. We had to stop at Batemans Bay to re-record me leaving, as we now had another town next.

We met the ABC reporter, got introduced to various town celebrities, did nice, gentle talks on patios or among flowers, and the first three towns flew by. Merimbula was going to be different. We were there on Paulines’ birthday, with the trip being carefully timed. Randall would be coming down the coast for her birthday dinner and driving back the next day.

Our morning interview was with an Australian ex-Wiggle, who Pauline had seen on TV when she was a toddler. Not one of the original line-up, but a very popular one anyway. Ashley gave me the usual make-up and then sat Pauline down to make her look sixteen. She sat beside me as I talked to the third girl to be a Wiggle and couldn’t contain herself. At the end of my list, I waved to Pauline.

“I’m sure you have some questions.”

Did she ever! She had a lot of questions that she, and her school friends, had obviously talked about. In the end, the girl stood up and held out her hand.

“Come on Pauline. You can’t leave without doing my dance with me.”

She bent down and pressed play on the CD player and the iconic music started. I sat back as my daughter had the moves down pat. They danced to the music for five minutes and, when it finished, Pauline was given a big hug. I thanked the girl and was told that it had been a lot of fun. Matthew was happy, as we had it all in the can. Back in the car, I drove to where we were having lunch. The bus was going to take a detour to our afternoon interview first to drop some things off. Pauline was still hyper as I took my time.

“Mummy, that was the best birthday present ever!”

“I’m glad that you had fun, my girl. You had that dance so perfect; you could have been a Wiggle.”

“I wish that my friends could have seen me.”

“Careful what you wish for, my daughter. We do have it all filmed. You never know, Matthew may include that in the show.”

“What! Me on television. They wouldn’t do that, would they. It’s your show.”

“Actually, Matthew has told me that they’re renaming the show as ‘Cruising with Carol and Pauline’.”

“You’re winding me up!”

“We’ll see. Here we are at the hotel. Let’s take our bags in and get our room. After that workout, you need a shower before lunch.”

“But that will wash all the make-up off!”

“I’ll ask Ashley to redo it this afternoon.”

We freshened up and I helped her remove the TV make-up, then helped her reapply some afterwards for lunch. It looked like she would be going to high school looking like a teenager.

After lunch, we had just the one more interview. She had been a finalist on one of the talent shows a couple of years ago and had a few chart hits. I knew that Pauline knew most of her songs and had phoned the girl before we had started the trip. Once again, Ashley did the magic on my face and then Pauline, then added some powder to the singer. The conversation took place in her recording studio, with us just sitting in easy chairs. I did my part and then smiled at Pauline.

“Your turn.”

Once again, there was a lot of things that she, as a fan, wanted to know. The answers were given with a smile, and the odd wink in my direction. In the end, the girl looked at Pauline.

“You have great insight, my girl. A little birdie told me that you play a mean guitar. Do you know ‘Heavy Heart’?”

Pauline nodded.

“Beside you, there is a guitar case. I’ve got my old faithful here. Why don’t you pick that guitar up and join me playing it?”

Pauline picked up the guitar and sat it on her lap to play a chord to check the tuning.

The singer grinned.

“You play the rhythm and I’ll fill in the twiddly bits. Let’s go.”

Once again, I just sat back in wonder as the two played the song that had been top of the charts. Pauline was solid with the rhythm and joined in on the chorus. At the end, she put the guitar back in its case and they both stood to hug.

“Thank you. That was wonderful. That guitar is beautiful.”

“That’s yours, Pauline.”

“That’s very generous, I couldn’t take it from you.”

“It was never mine, sweet girl. Your mother supplied it for today. I believe that it’s what you asked for as a birthday present.”

Pauline squealed and gave me a huge hug.

“Thank you, Mummy. This has been the best day of my whole life!”

The birthday dinner was in the best restaurant in town. Randall had arrived and the party also included the crew, the ABC reporter and the two celebrities. The guitar was ritually signed by the singer and the Wiggle, with a lot of pictures taken. We all sung ‘Happy Birthday’ and had too much cake. Pauline faded fast after that, so I took her up to her room and helped her cleanse and get into bed. She was asleep before I pulled the sheet over her. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and put the light out as I left the room.

I went back down to where things had quietened down. We all sat around and talked. Both celebrities told us that Pauline was a natural entertainer and were surprised when I told them that this had been only her eleventh birthday. When we had talked our fill, the celebrities went home, and the crew went upstairs. Randall and I sat with some hot chocolate before we retired. He laughed.

“Big day for our girl. I gather she liked the guitar.”

“Oh yes. Wait until we sort out todays show. You’ll see Pauline as you’ve never seen her before. She was magnificent, good enough to get a bit of time on the show.”

“That good!”

“Yep! The show is now ‘Cruising with Carol and Pauline’. All that needs to happen now will be her getting paid.”

We retired to our room and gave each other a present of our own.

In the morning, Matthew stood up and presented Pauline with another gift. It was her very own official ABC badge. When we recorded the leaving for the next town scene, Pauline was positioned on the other side of the car, instead of sitting in it. I did my bit about moving on to Eden, she now had a line to say.

“Come on, Mummy, we’ve got work to do.”

I saw Randall smile as he got into his car to go north, while I got into mine to head south. We were two days in Eden, with four interviews set up. Pauline now sat in on most of them, with a chance for her own questions. After that, we had a whole day set aside to go inland to Bombala, where we had one of the techno-pop stars that Pauline loved, which took up a lot of time as they discussed things that were over my head. He laughed when she told him about her amplifier and the fart in Lesley. Two days later, we were in Cooma for the last shows. We signed off the series in Cooma, now having ten shows to produce.

The crew backtracked the roads we had come on, with Matthew wanting to get general scenic shots to fill in any time. Pauline and I headed north to Canberra, with the guitar case on the back seat, where she wanted to spend some time in the National Gallery. Two days later, we were on the hilly road down to Batemans Bay and then back home, with just four days rest before the first day of school.

At the end of February, I joined the crew in Canberra to interview the PM and Minister of Defence. It was a thank you for our actions last year. The PM showed us a prerecorded announcement, then gave us twenty-four hours to work up our questions. The announcement was, for me, vindication on what I had been pushing. The Government was going to use five oil tankers, now all moored and unused. They would all be taken to docks around the country where they would be modified as armed drone carriers. Each one would carry four thousand drones and able to launch fifteen at a time. They would also carry sea drones, as perfected by Ukraine. There would be workshops, drone control rooms and new crew quarters. A new drone factory would be set up in Adelaide and each ship would moor at the Navy Dockyard on the Port River to be finished and loaded at the underused AUKUS facility. The timing would be around four years per ship, with them coming into service a year apart. This time, we were making a statement of intent, without resorting to American input.

The next day, we recorded a long interview with both the PM and the Minister. The announcement was to be sent to the media in the afternoon of the Thursday, with us able to show the interview that evening.

In April, we had the Minister of Transport in our Ultimo studio, announcing that the winning bid to build an international terminal at Nowra was Virgin Australia, who would be providing direct flights from Nowra to all the capital cities, as well as New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It would be set up so that we could fly internationally after going through emigration in Nowra, using the other airlines that were partners with Virgin. The building would be starting within a few weeks and be between the existing terminal and the Braidwood Road, with new taxiways to be laid. Back home, I passed that information on to Randall, so the police could get a start before the official notification.

Bernie had become a regular guest at our BBQ parties, and his wife would bring cakes, as she was an excellent baker. We would often sit around, talking about idea for shows. One day, he was suddenly serious.

“You do know, Carol, that you’ve presented the ABC with a dilemma. The news items that you’ve exposed has put you in line to be a serious reporter. On the other hand, the ‘Cruising’ series, when it gets to air, is going to show you and Pauline as interviewing entertainers. Matthew has told me that he has the series nearly ready to show us. I believe that we’ll be invited to Sydney to watch all ten shows with the ‘light entertainment’ crowd. That’s likely to be five shows in the morning and five in the afternoon.”

“That will be something almost too odd. I can hardly believe that I’m watching me on the short pieces I’ve done. Will I be able to bring Pauline?”

“I expect so. She is one of the standouts of almost half the shows, after all.”

We looked over to where she was sitting, guitar in her lap, with a bunch of her school friends singing pop songs.

“I see what you mean.”

“You wouldn’t have seen it the way I did. Through the lens, she sparkled. It’s been years since that Wiggle has been on the stage, and just that dance segment alone is going to get a lot of response from girls who are now teenage or young women. I expect that the show with the two of them will be up for an award.”

“Her discussion with the techno-pop guy was well over my head. I expect that a lot of teens will understand, but she surprised me with her depth of knowledge.”

“Expect to have to share those shows with her. You got all the folksy stuff, but she provided the high-value entertainment. I hear that she’s doing well in her first year in high school.”

“What would you expect. She’s brainy, talented, and the trip south gave her confidence beyond her years. From what her friends have said to their mothers, she’s the queen of first form. That will only be enhanced when the show hits the screens.”

That week, I had an email to attend a special meeting in Ultimo, on the Saturday, and to bring Pauline. I rang the airline and booked three tickets, as I wanted Randall to see for himself what our daughter had done. We all dressed semi-casually, with Pauline and I with our ABC badges on. When we got out of the taxi, Hugo was waiting for us.

“Good morning Carol, and family. I’m glad you could all make it. The rest of the crowd are heading for the viewing.”

He held his hand out to shake with Randall, and then gripped Paulines’ hand.

“I’ve had a look at some of the shows, and you, young lady, will be a star, one day.”

He led us up to the viewing room, where we were all introduced to the group that organised the ‘light entertainment’. My crew and Emily were there, and we all chatted until Sir Edward came in. He clapped his hands.

“All right everybody. Get seated and let’s watch these shows. Two and a half hours this morning with discussion in between, then lunch in the executive dining room and the rest in the afternoon.”

We all sat in the comfortable seats and the lights went down. The screen lit up with me standing by my GT and I did the intro. There was a short segment of the road in front, with the GT in shot, which had been taken from the bus. Then we were into meeting the ABC rep for the first town, followed by two fireside chats with the well-known people, with shots of Pauline interacting with other children. Randall was gripping my hand as it was showing, and Pauline was gripping the other one, so I couldn’t even scratch my nose.

There was discussion afterwards, mainly that it was wholesome family entertainment and eminently suitable for the ABC demographic. The second show followed in much the same vein, so setting the tone of the series. We finished the morning session with Bega, and there was some praise that the show would be worthy of a promotion, and a possible DVD set for sale.

We had lunch, and both Emily and Sir Edward sat with the three of us and Matthew. We had a nice talk and Sir Edward joked that he had seen the next show, which would blow everyones’ minds.

That afternoon, the first one was Merimbula, which did, indeed, blow their minds. With the two chats, my part was interesting, while Paulines’ was electric. Although she had been seen, often, in previous shows, this one was an eye-opener. There was much discussion after that. The last four shows had more Pauline and the talk with the techno guy was shortened a bit but was still interesting. Sitting quietly, I could follow it better this time. It was a good job that I didn’t have to scratch my head, as both hands were again firmly grasped.

After the last shot, the discussion was centred about organising another series for next year, with more musical celebrities and the format slightly changed so that Pauline and I shared the interviews and to just see where they went. The boss of the ‘light entertainment’ was sure that whoever we visited would want to perform for us, after seeing this series. He was sure that we would have twenty wanting to be visited before we went back on the road.

As the crowd broke up, there was much back-slapping and cheek-kissing. The three of us ended up in Sir Edwards’ office with Emily and Hugo. Edward smiled.

“I’m sure that you know that you’ve given us a dilemma, Carol. We had you down as a local reporter and then you gave us a series of news items that put us in front of the commercials for the first time in many years. Now, you’ve given us a good family series, along with introducing Pauline to our viewers as a very talented girl.”

“I’m sorry, sir, it just happened.”

“With you, Carol, a lot of things ‘just happen’. Now, onto serious matters. Pauline, you continue to wear that badge with pride. As of today, you are a contractor for the ABC. We can’t pay you, directly, but have already set up a sole trader company for you, called ‘Pauline Chivers Entertainment’, with your parents as responsible adults. We will deposit payment for those shows into a bank account that your parents will set up, to be held in trust until you’re of age. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

“It does have a second agenda, as it will position you as an ABC person, which may lead to other things as you get older.”

“Wow! Thank you, sir.”

“Carol. You have some more work to do as a news reporter. The Minister of Defense wants to escort you on a tour of military bases, with your crew, to report on our up-to-date capabilities. There will be visits to warships at sea, trips in tanks, and flights in fast jets. Matthew will be provided with all the small cameras and audio recorders that you’ll be wearing. It will be a government advertising campaign with an informational twist. You won’t get to film everything, but enough to prove that we mean business. It will also include a trip to Europe to look at the new Eurofighter, with the show, I think, being the official announcement of our purchase of them. I haven’t been given the itinerary yet, but your wife is going to be away from home in chunks, Randall. Will that be a problem?”

“It shouldn’t be, Sir Edward. Most of the trips in this country would only be a week at a time. If the Minister can arrange the trip to Europe for our summer break, Pauline and I could join Carol for the flight.”

“We can get her ‘Cruising’ shows recorded in November and February, so that can be possible, even if we do two shows in a weekend. I’ll talk to the Minister to co-ordinate the two different series to fit that timetable. You do realise that this is going to take up much of the next couple of years, as things at this level move slowly. Thank you all for your input. Randall, you may be contacted through the police to be seconded to Government Security as a bodyguard with the Minister as this is happening, so you may have to find somewhere for Pauline to stay while you’re both away.”

Pauline grinned.

“I have about a dozen places who will be more than happy for me to stay with them, sir. After those shows go to air, that may even double.”

We all had a laugh and the meeting wound up. I was given a set of DVDs of the series and then Hugo escorted us down to the foyer, where a car was waiting outside with a driver.

“This is the level that you’ve reached, Carol. Whenever you come to visit us, let me know the flight and there’ll be a car at the airport.”

“Thank you, Hugo.”

We got in the car and were driven to the airport, in plenty of time for our trip home. We introduced ourselves to the driver and he gave us his card, telling us that he would be available as my driver, if needed. That made me think!

Back at Nowra, we went to a restaurant in town before going home. When I opened up my computer, I saw some emails from the crew, telling me that they were very happy with the shows, and the outcome. I answered them all to congratulate them on jobs well done. With Bernie, I told him that I would be dropping into the shop on Monday.

On Sunday, there was only one thing to be done. Pauline had invited all her friends and parents to our home for a BBQ. It was lucky that I had enough in the freezer to pull out and thaw overnight. Sunday lunch, we had a dozen girls and a couple of boys on the patio, along with about twenty parents. The BBQ was going full blast, with Randall and a couple of fathers looking after it. We had space for a big screen set up on the outside wall, with a power supply, so I had set it up in the morning.

The TV had a disc slot and good sound, so when I turned it on after everyone had eaten, they looked at me.

“Friends. Today, you are going to see a little bit of what is going to be on the ABC this winter. I won’t bore you with most of the shows, but there are two that we want to show you. I have a small part to play in them.

I had slid the DVD with the techno-pop guy ending it, and everyone was watching intently as the first half ran through, perking up when the last part started with Pauline looking like a teenager beside me. When the credits rolled, there was polite applause from the parents as Pauline was hugged and kissed. Somewhat seriously by one of the boys, I noticed.

I put the second disc in as they all quietened down.

“This is another show that we did. The day was Paulines’ birthday, when she was given that guitar that she plays so well. She does appear in both the interviews.”

I started the show and looked at the faces around me as it progressed. When I spoke to the girl Wiggle, there were smiles, and when Pauline ended the interview dancing with her, there were squeals from her friends. I had to pause the disc until they had quietened down. The second interview and the duet caused a riot. If Pauline had been the queen of first year, she was now the Empress.

The party continued with her playing her signed guitar, with all her friends singing along and us adults talking among ourselves. I was able to lay some groundwork with some of the mothers to let Pauline stay with them in the future, as both Randall and I may be away for some days at a time. They all told me that it would be a pleasure as she was such a charming and polite girl.

On Monday, I went to see Bernie. He had been sent an email from Matthew to allow him to put together some equipment for our shows with the Minister. He grinned.

“Carol. You’ll be happy to know that the first few shows are going to be local. We will be going to Albatross and looking at some of the things that are going on there. One will appeal to the tomboy in you. We’re going to do a show about the Navy Helicopter Search and Rescue based there. I expect that you’ll be winched up from a boat at some stage.”

“You have to be kidding!”

“No. The Minister obviously wants you to experience it all. We’ll be two weeks at HMAS Creswell, with you being shown what it takes to be a female officer in todays’ navy. I expect that the Commodore will host a dinner with some of his fellow officers to thank you for forcing the government into that plan with the tankers. They may not be carriers, but every one of them will be bigger than anything in service.”

“That will be interesting. Is there anything else?”

“That one will be fun. I’ve always wanted to learn how to skydive. You’re slated to do the Parachute Training course.”

Marianne Gregory © 2026

Chapter 6

I almost passed out and he gave me some water, still grinning.

“You don’t expect the Minister to take you around the bases without you having the basic knowledge of military life, do you? This is going to be great.”

“Great, what do you mean, great! It will be me doing all these things!”

“But it will be me, beside you, filming it all. It’s going to be interesting, and my wife is taking out some more insurance on my life. The crew will be two weeks at HMAS Creswell first, to film you being checked over by a Navy doctor to see if you’re up for the rest. Then you’ll be taking part in some training to get you fit. That’s when we can do the other things, after you have the knowledge to fit in with what comes after and follow orders.”

“You know that they tell me that I’m a leader, not a follower!”

The following Sunday, I was with the crew in the minibus as we pulled up outside the main building at Creswell as requested at two. Two navy officers were waiting for us. One lad for the males and a young lady for me and Ashley. We picked up our bags, leaving the equipment in the bus, and followed our hosts in different directions.

Ashley and I were taken to the female quarters.

“Right. I’m Sub-Lieutenant Williams. Moyra when off duty. I started here as a midshipman and was acting in this position after five months hard work. I’ve served on a number of ships and came back here on this deployment to see you through a short training session, Carol. I will be with you whenever you’re with the navy. I have accepted this as an honour, as, I believe, we’ll be joined by the Minister on occasion.”

“That’s correct. What do I call you when we’re with others?”

“It’s usually ma-am. The guys are sir. As of the morning, you will be classed as Midshipman Chivers. The rest of your crew will be civilians, except for your cameraman, who will be getting a similar talking to from his mentor. I believe that there will be a lot of things where he’ll be filming you in strange positions.”

“I believe that he’s looking forward to it, ma-am.”

“I’ve been told that you have had some experience with the military?”

“I was working on an FM station in Britain and did some DJ work in the Mildenhall and Lakenheath bases. They were USAF, one for transports and tankers, with the other for F-15s and then F-35s. During the lockdown of ’21, we were classed as official entertainers and also did shows at RAF Marham, which was also F-35s. I would be spinning records for a party while planes were taking off to go on patrol. It was exciting.”

“Were you escorted everywhere?”

“No. There were four of us in two teams, and we had lanyards that gave us unlimited entry to the bases. The only place we couldn’t go was where our RAF liaison couldn’t as well. That was a black ops unit with Ospreys.”

“It’s no wonder that I’ve been authorised to give you this. It’s an official ID lanyard that gives you access to all areas. Ashley, you get one but it’s restricted. Your cameraman will have one like yours, Carol, but the rest of the crew will get restricted ones. I believe that there will be a lot of things that the two of you will doing where the others aren’t needed.”

“Quite right. Ashley will get me looking good, and then there’s a lot I do with small cameras about my person and a small recording unit.”

“I hope that they’re waterproof. Now, both of you. On those two bunks are standard student kit. As of the morning, you will wear that unless advised of anything else. I believe that there’s a dinner on Saturday, so I hope you’ve brought something suitable.”

“Hanging in the bus, ma-am.”

She grinned.

“Put your bags down and I’ll give you a tour. Then it’s the doctor for you and the mess for dinner and an early night. You’ll be woken at five, breakfast at half-past and on the running track at six. Don’t eat or drink too much. This room is ours for the duration.”

We followed her out and joined the others to be give a complete tour of the facilities, now seeing inside some of the buildings that I had looked at when I was here before. Ashley and I were shown the female ablutions, where we would go for our toilet and shower. We had piss pots under the bed if we couldn’t get to the loo in time. We saw the classrooms, the gym, and a peek at the gun range.

Then, Bernie and I were seeing the doctors. A woman for me and a man for him. I was classed as reasonable for my age, and the various trainers would be given a list of things I would be able to do, considering that I was just a little overweight.

After that, I joined the others in the mess, and we all had a reasonable meal. Then, Bernie and I had the option of a run. Changing into sports kit, all in camouflage, I joined Williams, Bernie and SBLT Anderson to test our fitness, while the rest of the crew took it easy. The pace was easy, at first, and we didn’t increase speed, just kept on running. Bernie faded first, and I was two laps behind him. The other two only had sheens on their forehead and were breathing a little faster.

We all went for showers afterwards. Moyra was quite chirpy.

“You did well, Carol. You had a decent meal but didn’t throw up before you ran out of legs. That’s a very good pointer for the rest of your time.”

Next morning, Ashley, Moyra and I went to the ablution block in camo gowns over camo nighties and had our showers. I was told to put my hair in a bun. We dressed in the kit. Cotton bra and pants with socks, boots, trousers and shirts, all camo-coloured.

I followed orders and had a light meal. Back in our quarters, I had been given a new running kit, which I took to the running track. We changed in rooms with lockers and showers, along with fifteen other girls. On the track, I was put through a walk / sprint / walk routine until told to ‘run easy’. I had passed the distance that I had done the evening before, and was then given instruction on warming-down.

I was in the showers with Moyra when she told me that I had done extra well. Dried and redressed in fatigues, the athletic gear went into a hamper, and I was taken to the gunnery range to test my accuracy. Bernie was already there and waiting. We were given the strict instructions on how to behave and handle the weapons, and then were shown how to load the issue handgun, check it for safety, and that was followed by an hour of shooting things. I couldn’t believe how heavy the thing got as my arms got tired. Giving the gun back to the armourer, then shedding the safety glasses and earmuffs, I was ready to lie down.

Now, I was deemed ready to film the opening to the show. Ashley got me ready, and I was stood in front of the main entrance with Bernie getting his camera ready. At last, Matthew was ready to start filming. I had Moyra beside me and looked at the camera as Matthew called ‘Action’.

“This is Carol Chivers at HMAS Creswell. Some of you may have seen me here when I did a show about the Jervis Bay Territory. Today is the first day of finding out what it takes to be a female officer in the Royal Australian Navy, like Sub-Lieutenant Williams, here. She will be my mentor for the next two weeks as I sample what she took over twenty weeks doing. Today, I was out of bed at five, and have already done a number of laps of the running track, as well as two hours on the gunnery range, where the handgun that I was using seemed to get heavier with every shot. My time here will be interesting, and I’ll see you at the end of the show, I hope.”

We all had lunch, then my afternoon was taken up with a class on seamanship, now with Bernie filming some of it. The second lesson was electronics, where I surprised the instructor with my knowledge and skills. The third had me back in athletic gear, being thrown around like a rag doll, a course that they laughingly called self-defence. Bernie had a grin after that one.

And so, my time there carried on. I ran, I swam, I studied, and I think that I gained some respect in Moyra and Ashleys’ eyes. We did have a break on the Saturday evening, when I was in the officers’ wardroom, wearing a long dress, while all the crew were back in the mess for dinner. Moyra was there, in full dress uniform. Although I was a guest for this, I was still a midshipman, so had to stand as the Commodore entered, staying stood as we sang the anthem. It was an interesting meal, and I could feel Moyra, beside me, tensing as she realised that she was having a meal with at least three admirals. Her and I were the only ones at the table who weren’t flag officers, that is, officers who had served on flagships. The Commodore had been the captain of the Canberra.

After dessert, he stood, and everyone went silent.

“My fellow officers, ladies. Tonight is an unofficial thank you to Carol Chivers. I first met her when she was hosting a show about the Territory and interviewed me. At the end of the interview, she asked me about my thoughts about HMAS Melbourne and her ignominious last days. Sometime later, she had a one-hour show which brought the parlous state of our great service to the public view. By the speed in which she was interviewing the Prime Minister on the day he announced the new drone-carrier project, I am led to believe that the two of them had planned it that way. Although we don’t get a proper aircraft carrier, we do get something more suited to modern warfare. The speed at which we will get the first commissioning is remarkable. I propose a toast to Carol, an agent of change and a genuine friend to us in service. To Carol.”

They all stood and raised their glasses while I blushed. When they sat, the Commodore leaned over and whispered that a response was in order. I stood.

“Thank you for that wonderful gesture. When I arrived in Australia, some eleven years ago, I knew nothing about the history, other than it was hot and had snakes. Since then, I have grown to love the country and so has my husband, now a Detective Inspector in Nowra. As I learn more, the more I realise that things here follow other countries, especially Britain. We have the same greedy barons, the same vacuous politicians, although here we have two levels of that instead of one. The story of the Melbourne got to me, and I researched it thoroughly. After speaking to the Commodore, I talked to others. One, who I spoke to, was the Minister of Defense when he was at Albatross to announce the expansion of the terminal and airline use. His grandfather flew Trackers from the Melbourne and was certain that what eventually happened to her was treasonable. The story that I did was to highlight how easy it is to totally undermine the morale of a proud service with just one, stupid action. We showed that documentary to the PM and the Cabinet in Canberra. I believe that there are a couple here who saw that viewing. Do you remember the first thing that he said?”

One of the Admirals spoke up.

“It’s etched into my memory, Carol. He said, ‘Why am I only hearing this now’. Then the bean counter told him that it was all about budgets.”

“Thank you, sir. They thought that it would take ten years to build a carrier and that we couldn’t afford it. I was told that nobody on-sells a carrier these days, so the bean counters sat on their hands until the PM demanded action. That’s why we’re getting converted tankers to give us long-range drone capacity. It’s also why I’m here. I’ll be joining the Minister of Defence to visit most of the facilities around the country, with possible visits overseas to see what we’re looking at. It will be a series of shows to advertise the armed services and hopefully attract recruits across the board. Most of all, it will be shows that highlight the diversity of jobs in the services, with my time here preparing me for some of the things that I’m to face. Thank you, again.”

Moyra gave me a beaming smile when I sat down. The next day, we were back into training, with the main difference being that I did a lot of things with small cameras attached to me and an extra unit for sound. Bernie was also filming more, now that he could keep up. I attended some of the lessons, but the majority of my days were spent outdoors. Moyra and I ran the obstacle course a couple of times. I did some rifle shooting as well as more with the handgun. I swam, both in a costume and in a wetsuit and fins. I had basic scuba training. I learned how to right a kayak when it overturned in Jervis Bay. I learned how to control a launch and dock it without ramming the jetty. These all were easily filmed and documented.

There were many things that I didn’t do, mostly learning signalling, drill work, cross-country running with a full kit and others that were deemed to be something to hold back. Besides, I wasn’t an actual recruit and hadn’t signed on. One thing I didn’t expect was a four-hour electronics exam on the Friday afternoon. In the mess for our meal, I was told to stand to attention and the electronics trainer gave me a shoulder badge, showing that I was qualified to serve as an electronics officer, should I want to come back and do the whole course.

We were all back in civvies on Saturday morning and loading up the bus after we had filmed the show closing scene. I put my bag in and went over to Moyra.

“Thank you for looking after me, Moyra. It was hard, at first, but I leave feeling different.”

“Let me guess, Carol. You’re standing straighter and I expect that you feel that you can face anything. Do the full course and you’ll feel like I do when I’m on a ship with a couple of hundred guys. Although I’m still on the lower rungs, they bother me at their peril!”

“When do I see you again?”

“I’ll be aboard when you arrive next week. Your crew will be helicoptered onto our new Hunter Class Frigate, which is undergoing sea trials in the Bay. You have the week on board and will have fun being winched off the deck. I believe that it was thought to drop you off a launch and winch you out, but it would not be a good look on TV, with your hair wet.”

“Oh joy!”

On the way back to Nowra, I asked Matthew about the next week. He had it all planned. I was to join them at the Search and Rescue base on Monday morning. We would film me getting on the helicopter in the kit they would supply, similar to the fatigues that I’d been wearing for two weeks. They would film the take-off, then we would land again to get everyone and our kit on board for the trip out to the ship.

I had a day with my family and then was ready to go to work. Maybe Bernie was right. Maybe this life appealed to the tomboy in me. I arrived at the gate to the closed part of the base and was given an extra ID to wear.

“All the others are here, Miss Chivers. Here’s a map of the base. Hang on to it as you’ll need it next week.”

I found the right area and parked next to the bus. The others were setting up a camera on the hardstand, all in navy fatigues that we had worn last week. I was sent inside and given my own set of fatigues to change into. Then, we were all sat in a meeting room and told the rules. We were told that we may be in the helicopter with the big door open, and would have to be seated and belted, with Bernie introduced to the harness that he would wear if he wanted to film from the open door. I could see, by the grin on his face, that they would have a hard time holding him back.

Our bags and most of the equipment was stored in the helicopter. I was filmed crouched over and waddling to it as it was warming up, then helped in. I was sat in one of the pilots’ seats so that I could be seen, and we lifted off, leaving my stomach behind. We flew away and then returned to land, so that the others could board and bring the camera and audio gear aboard.

We took off again and flew around the city, heading towards the bay and the ships in the distance. I was excited with it all, as it was my first time in a helicopter, and in one of the front seats! Suddenly, the sound increased, and I heard a voice in my headphones saying the door was open. I twisted to see Bernie in the safety harness, being assisted in sitting on the edge of open air, camera hooked to his neck and making ready to film.

As we approached a very new frigate that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie, the pilot took us down, almost to sea level, and we flew past the ship, then banked around to fly past the other side. I could imagine the smile that Bernie would have, as the pictures would be fantastic. We banked again and gained a little height, then approached the landing space on the rear deck at a much slower pace, with the touch-down hardly noticeable. I was told to stay seated as the others and the kit were unloaded.

When they were clear, we took off again, going backwards to avoid the superstructure, and did a big loop around the rest of the ships in the bay, with the pilot telling me their names and a little history. Then, we went back to the frigate and landed again, with Bernie filming it. I thanked the pilot, who told me that he would see me later, and was helped out by Moyra.

I walked over to the others and the helicopter took off again, with Bernie still filming. When things were quieter, Ashley made sure that I wasn’t too windblown, and we did the opening scene of the next show. After that, we were all officially welcomed by one of the officers and our stuff was carried into the ship. I don’t know what I expected, but this was no cruise liner. The gangways were stark, the ladders were steep. I was shown how to descend one in a single bound. Our cabins were small, but well equipped.

For three days, we were integrated into the life on board. We ate with the crew; we saw the various areas where the running of the ship was carried out. This, being one of the latest, was built to operate in extreme situations, like fall-out and biological warfare. It could operate with nobody outside, and everything monitored by camera and radar. There were places we could film, and places we couldn’t. We interviewed a lot of the crew, from a cook to the fire control officer.

On the fourth day, I was kitted out with a harness and the helicopter was back, hovering over the stern as I was hooked up, then pulled into the sky. I had small cameras and audio recording, so could relate how I felt after the first surprised yelp.

We circled around with me dangling, and then was brought back to the stern and placed into the arms of a couple of beefy sailors who unclipped me. I was stood to one side as the helicopter came to land and all our gear was loaded on, with Bernie holding his camera. When it took off, with everyone on board, it came back over the stern with the cable coming down. I was hooked up again and Moyra said her cheerio as I was pulled into the sky like a fish on the end of a line.

This time, I was pulled up to the big door and saw Bernie filming me being pulled inside. The door was closed, and we were heading back to Albatross and welcome dry land. After we had filmed the closing scene, we handed over our fatigues and changed back into normal clothes. They gave me an SAR patch as a keepsake.

I had a few days getting to know my family again, and the following Monday, I was waved through the base gate and found my way to the place that was giving me the most fears. We filmed the opening scene first, in normal clothes. Because both Bernie and I had been in the training at Creswell, we were given a quick check and then were in a classroom being told what was going to happen. We would be going home at night, with the crew staying in a hotel in Nowra. Over that first day, we would get instruction on the parachute and the harness and spend a lot of time jumping off various heights onto a gym mat to make sure we could land without breaking anything. We were kitted out in paratroopers uniform and given the boots and a proper helmet.

We spent most of the day leaping off the different levels, feet together, knees slightly bent, and rolling on landing. It was very un-ladylike! There was a second cameraman recording our progress. The next day, we were back in uniform and in a small plane high over the base. Both of us were attached to the front of big blokes who had done this countless times. My first tandem jump was a revelation.

I made sure that I kept my eyes open as we seemed to fly. The voice in my ear told me that the chute was deployed, and we seemed to stop dead, before floating towards the ground. He reminded me of proper procedure as the ground suddenly rushed towards us. We landed and he told me to keep my legs up as he took the shock and ran forward as the parachute collapsed.

When Bernie landed, he had a smile as big as the Cheshire Cat. We were set free of our guardians and helped collect the chute as a truck arrived to take us back to the Parachute School. We had to sit with some tea and discuss the experience with the instructors. Then we were up to do it again, another three times, two of them with Bernie filming.

The next day, we both had instruction on how to use the lines to guide our descent, then did two jumps being the pilot, with instructions in our ears about when to pull the ripcord, what to look for and how to get there safely. The last thing we did, that day, was to jump off a tower, on a line that duplicated the normal landing speed, and land on a big mat below in the approved manner. While all this was being done, The second cameraman had been filming us from the ground.

The next day was one that I had originally feared. It was my first solo jump. The first thing was to get kitted out with all the gear, including a reserve chute in front, and practising finding the two ripcords. Our first jumps were with both of us fitted with small cameras on our helmets and audio recording. I had jumped out of this plane enough times to do it flawlessly, Bernie following. The adrenaline of being a bird almost made me forget to pull the ripcord, but I did, then came to a stop as the chute deployed. The target was below me and I concentrated hard to be as close as I could but missed by a hundred metres. I was closer than Bernie, though.

We were picked up and taken back to be given new chutes. This was to be our last jump, and I was a bit sad. Bernie was now heavier laden than me with his smallest proper camera, to film me as we jumped. Back in the air, our instructors gave us last-minute assurances and then we were tumbling into space again. I tried to guide myself so that Bernie could get a frontal view, and then we needed to find the target. This time, I was a lot closer.

When I had collapsed the chute, I stood while Bernie sorted himself out and we did the closing scene where we stood, kitted out with a chute on the ground behind me. We had done the first three shows, and there were more to come, but I doubted that they would be as exciting, frightening, or empowering as what we had done already.

Marianne Gregory © 2026

Chapter 7

We now had a couple of weeks before we met up with the Minister. I pulled out my old ‘Valkyries’ jacket and sewed my patches to the front. My electronics officer patch, and the ship name ribbon, my SAR patch, and my paratroopers badge were the start. Who knows what may be added to them.

It was good to get back to normalcy, although I was now fundamentally changed from my experiences. I smiled more, sang to myself when I was alone, did some running along the riverside, and spent a lot of my free time making a cabinet for Paulines amplifier, with all the controls and inputs. It wasn’t very big, about the size of three 12-egg cartons, on top of each other, but put out more than a hundred watts.

Following some of the other amps on the market, it laid on the stage in front of the guitarist and doubled as an effects box. I went into Sydney and bought a pair of speakers to go with it. The guitar we had got for her was an electric-acoustic, so had a jack plug. While I got the speakers, I also added a pair of radio links, so she could walk around.

We had a couple of weeks with just a few local reports that only took a couple of hours each. Then, I flew to Newcastle, where I was picked up by a government car and driven to the RAAF Williamtown base. I had been pre-screened, was wearing my IDs and was surprised to see Moyra when we stopped by the female quarters.

“Hello, Moyra. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I didn’t expect to be here, Carol. It seems that I did a good job of looking after you, so will be with you at every stop. It will be good to see what the rest of your shows throw at you. I heard that you solo jumped a couple of times.”

“I couldn’t have even thought about it before my time at Creswell. You got me into shape. I run a bit now.”

“That’s good, because we have the rest of the day with some of the girls here, and the first thing is a run around the perimeter of the airfield. Come on in, we have a room to ourselves, and all your kit is there. I’m not allowed to wear the RAAF kit as I’m a serving naval officer.”

We went inside and I put my bag beside the bed, then changed into the running kit. It was similar to the naval kit but was a different camo pattern and colour. We went to the gym, where we met up with a dozen girls going through warm-ups. The girls smiled and the instructor just told us to join in, obviously having been advised of my visit.

When we started the run, it was at a reasonable pace, and I was glad that I had kept up a regular routine. The two of us stayed at the back of the group with the instructor behind us. As we were to one side of the runway, a pair of F-35s took off. There was a voice behind us.

“That would be something different for you, Miss Chivers.”

I slowed a bit and dropped back.

“Not really, ma-am. Between ’20 and ’21, I spent a lot of time at Lakenheath and Marham, one is home to two wings of US F-35s, and the other to two RAF squadrons of them. I was hosting dance parties in hangars and on hardstands to keep their morale up.”

“What about planes like our Wedgetails over there. They may be old but they’re still our front line.”

“I was also in Mildenhall, home to the American KC tanker and surveillance wings, ma-am.”

“You have to join us in the officers mess, tonight, to tell us about that. You would have seen more planes than we have, in your time. You too, Officer Williams. You’ll be dining with the Minister when he gets here, and I’m interested in hearing your stories. Now, no more talking, we still have a way to go.”

I ran up beside Moyra and she gave me a grin. It was hard, and I was sweating when we returned to the gym, but so was everyone else. The other girls hit the showers, but we needed to get back to our quarters for that. The instructor patted me on my shoulder.

“I didn’t expect you to be this fit, Miss Chivers. That was very well done.”

“Before I spent two weeks at Creswell with Officer Williams, I would have been left behind after the first twenty minutes, ma-am.”

“You really are the real thing, a journalist who will go the extra mile to get a story.”

“This isn’t for a story, as such, ma-am. It’s a favour for the Minister and the PM, who want the country to know about life in the ADF. I think that it will end up as a series, disguising a lot of recruitment advertising. This is still early days of filming.”

We showered and redressed with me in RAAF fatigues. Moyra had been here a few days, and was well versed in the locations of everything, so was able to guide us to the officers mess, where we were welcomed. We had a good dinner, with Moyra talking about life as an officer in the navy, and me telling them my story from my days in Mildenhall. They had all seen the shows on Jervis Bay and the Melbourne, and that gave me enough credibility to be seriously listened to.

The following morning, Emily arrived with the crew from Newcastle, and we welcomed the Minister. Of course, he was well known and well liked here, as a previous pilot. I did an opening scene for Emily and then Algy went off to change into fatigues. We had small microphones and were sat in the back of an open 4x4 with a cameraman in the front seat filming us as we were driven around, with Algy talking about his time on the base. I could see the hint of politics creeping in, with him having served, unlike several Ministers of Defense before him.

In the afternoon, I had two flights. I was rigged out in the fast-jet pilot suit with a proper helmet and the first was in the Pilatus trainer, which was a lot of fun. I had a harness with small cameras and a recording unit, so was able to give a running commentary as I was offered the controls for a while.

The second flight was something else again. I was strapped into an F-35 trainer of 2OCU (Operational Conversion Unit), and we blasted into the sky, out over the sea. The pilot was chatty as we passed the sound barrier, about fifty miles from shore. It was only when we slowed and did a big turn to go south again that I saw that we were over the Great Barrier Reef. We went inland on the way back to Williamstown, staying above the commercial flightpaths.

We were high over Roma when I was offered the controls and did a few easy ‘S’ turns. After that, we went lower, and then he pulled us into a rolling climb. When we landed back in Williamtown, I thanked him as we taxied to the stand. He told me that it had been a pleasure.

That evening, with Moyra and I in dresses for dinner with the Minister, I found out that my pilot had been Algys’ son, following in the family trade. We had enough in the can to be sent down to Wollongong for Matthew to work on with the fighter part. The next day, I was shown through a Wedgetail where nothing was turned on, marvelling at how cramped the various stations were. These planes were designed to be in the air for long periods, were able to be refuelled in flight, and there were shared bunks for the crew.

Later, that afternoon. Moyra and I were in our fatigues, standing with the Minister, as one of the latest Super Hercules transport planes taxied towards us. We joined a group of soldiers and some pallets of freight and were shown decent seats. It was noisy, it even rattled, so speech was difficult as we flew north to Amberley, in Queensland.

Amberley is, as far as area goes, the biggest RAAF base in Australia. It’s home to the last squadron of Super Hornet FA-18s, the KC tankers that I already knew, and the Globemaster transports. It’s also home to the visiting USAF bombers, like the B-2, although one hadn’t been here for some years. On top of that, there’s an army battalion logistics and support unit for when troops needed to be taken to remote places. In our days there, we were joined by a crew from ABC Brisbane, who filmed a similar 4x4 tour with the Minister. He joined us for the two runs we had and showed that he hadn’t lost his fitness.

Flying was very interesting. I had a flight north to the Cape in an FA-18 with Algy at the controls, with me festooned in recording equipment. He had fun, and showed off some of his prowess with some combat manoeuvres that left me breathless.

The crew did get to fly, filming me in a line of army troopers, all of us in full battle kit, as we stood in the Super Hercules as the rear ramp opened and we were pulled out by a drogue chute, with our chutes opened by a connecting line. Here I was, just on my third solo jump, in a group that looked like we were invading farmland north of Toowoomba. I had a guardian who had been behind me in the line, to give me advice on how to locate the landing spot and who gave me a hug when we were safely down.

There were trucks waiting for us at the landing site and I was allowed to sit in a cab on the long trip back to Amberley. On the third day, I filmed a closing segment on my experience with the RAAF, with the Minister, which would be sent down to Wollongong with the rest of the raw material.

The Minister was flown to Canberra by an air force Lear jet. Moyra and I were then driven into Brisbane, she in uniform and me in civvies, and were deposited at the gate of HMAS Morton, a place that looked more like a yacht club than a navy base. It was, after all, on the Brisbane River, inside the city boundaries. There, we boarded one of the Hunter Class ships, where I was able to find my way around with ease.

The following morning, we sailed down the river on the high tide and out onto the open sea. The Brisbane crew were also on board, and we were able to film the general day-to-day workings. We went north to the Cairns base on Trinity Inlet, a much bigger place and home to quite a range of Navy ships, from patrol boats to frigates and supply vessels. We berthed behind the HMAS Adelaide, the second helicopter carrier to be commissioned, and were transferred to it as a group.

This was something else again. We were on board for two days, filming life on one of the two biggest ships in the navy. Moyra was really excited being aboard. She told me that she was getting experiences in weeks that most officers get in a lifetime.

Then came a new experience for both of us. The crew were taken to the airport to fly home, while we were taken to the Porton Army Barracks, where we were put through a fitness test, then kitted out in full army fighting gear, webbing, packs and guns, with me also wearing my recording harness. We joined about twenty guys in three Blackhawks and were flown to a bit of open ground at a place called Twin Waterfalls, mainly because that’s all that was there. Once the Blackhawks had gone, we were surrounded by silence and just the sound of falling water in the distance.

The task seemed simple, on paper. We were to walk the twenty kilometers to the Stewart Creek Valley, in full kit. The only problem with that was that we were self-sufficient and between here and there was a big bit of the Daintree Rain Forest, where the army trained as a beginner course for jungle warfare.

It took fifty-six hours, which meant that we had to camp among the trees for two nights and eat from ration packs. Moyra and I were looked after well and shown how to create a latrine and crap while squatting. We only had the water we were carrying, and the two of us had to stand watch for a couple of hours both nights. When we were picked up by the Blackhawks at Stewart Creek, we both agreed that naval life was much more genteel, even if you had to be able to swim.

That was the end of my trip for this time. We were flown from Cairns to Sydney, where my harness and recordings were collected by the ABC while I was waiting for the Rex fight home. Moyra was heading for HMAS Kuttabul at Garden Island for a bit of R&R and a debrief.

Back at Nowra, I put my bag in the car and drove home. I knew that I could tell my family all about my trip but could never relay the amount of excitement and sheer adrenaline that all my experiences had generated. I now had first-hand knowledge of why members of all three services were outwardly as calm and collected as they were. When the things that I had experienced became every day, you had to be able to face anything.

I had some time off and was looking forward to an easy few weeks. After dinner, Randall grinned.

“We had a visitor while you were away. That techno guy that you interviewed got in touch. He remembered a remark that you made about an amp that you were building for Pauline. He tried hers out and wants you to build three of them for his band. He loved the reverb fart with Lesley.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard, now I’ve done the one. I can work on several, just in case, like a production line. It will be easy to get a sheet metal shop to make me a dozen boxes with Paulines’ as a template.”

It was a project that allowed me to concentrate on something totally different. I ordered the cases and bought all the components in bulk. It didn’t take long to create the twelve boards in support frames. The power supply and small cooling fan were off the shelf. The most time was spent on the circuit board which was used to create the odd sounds. I was in the garage for most of each day for a week building the chassis for them all. I upped the output to two hundred watts.

When I got the cases delivered, I finished off the amps, with a black paint, as requested; black knobs on the sliders, chrome foot buttons for the different sounds, and finished off with transfers on the front from my old shop, reading ‘Newmans’. I contacted the techno star, and he came around with a friend. I had three units for him to try and they had brought a guitar and bass. When they found the fart, the friend almost creamed his Levis. I charged five hundred each and they paid readily, taking them away. That left me nine, which may have a market once their next video went on TV.

Finally, I had a message to go to Wollongong to see what Matthew had made of all the material that we had taken, and the stuff that he had been given. The series was titled, ‘Carol Chivers and the ADF’ and looked more like a female series of ‘Top Gun meets Die Hard.’

He had distilled it into five one-hour episodes, three from Albatross and Creswell, one that was the two RAF visits linked together with a lot of me in planes, going very quickly. The last was a mixture of experiences. It started with our time on the frigate and the helicopter carrier, followed by my experience in the rain forest, and the final part, before the credits, was me tumbling out of the transport with a bunch of paratroopers, heading for the ground in a group of other parachutes, my own being coloured red. All that was needed was to have me do a voice-over with the credits, to ask the viewers to see what happens next.

For one day, I sat with a needle and thread and added the patches I had been given to my ‘Valkyries’ jacket. I now had two more warship name ribbons, a Number 4 Squadron patch for the Pilatus flight, a 2OCU patch for the F-35 flight, a Number 1 Squadron patch for the FA-18 flight, and one that I really earned, the 3RAR patch with the three vertical green bands that was worn by the guys I had trekked the forest with and jumped out of the Hercules with.

When Pauline had two weeks off school in April, we started filming season two of ‘Cruising’. This series we concentrated on entertainers so that Pauline could just be herself with them. In that two weeks, we filmed four shows. The bookend scenes were different, with us getting out of the GT at the celebrities house and them greeting us for the first half and getting back in the car and waved off by the second one at the end.

Those eight were friends of the three from the first series, which had hit the screens in May, after a short promotional period. There would be another ten days in July, with another ten in October to finish the other six shows if needed. In between those times, I was scheduled for some more time with the ADF.

I flew to Canberra, where I met up with the Minister and Moyra. She was now a full Lieutenant, with her new ship ribbon being the HMAS Canberra. It had been decided that with her new knowledge of interservice activities, her best place would be as a logistics officer on the helicopter carrier, to liaison with the army and air force when they need to be aboard.

Our next trip would reinforce her position, and also introduce her to the business of making a TV show. Our first call would be a week at Puckapunyal, in Victoria, which was a restricted area, so we couldn’t take in a crew from the ABC Melbourne. After that, we would be visiting the naval base in Adelaide, also restricted as one of the maintenance hubs for AUKUS.

We had a meeting with the Minister, who had been shown the first parts of the series, and then we spent time in the ABC Canberra while Moyra was shown how to get good results from a digital camera that also recorded audio. I was given a new harness, also with audio recording. It was thought that if we didn’t get everything, Matthew would be able to add stock visuals.

We were picked up from our hotel and delivered to the RAAF base on the edge of the Canberra airport., where the VIP jets were housed. Our transport was a Blackhawk, which we boarded after both being kitted out in army fatigues. The trip from Canberra to Puckapunyal was two hundred and fifty miles, and quicker this way than flying to Melbourne and driving north.

When we landed, the Minister was there to greet us and introduce us to the Colonel in charge of the Combined Arms Training Centre. That was the last we saw of both of them while we were there. Over the next four days, the two of us ate with the troops, ran with the troops and sampled some of the different training regimes that took place.

We both rode in and drove a range of armoured vehicles, from tanks to half-tracks to fast-strike vehicles. We jumped out of troop carriers and deployed as instructed, we both spent time with gun crews, firing everything from a mortar to a 155mm. We drove a whole gamut of soft-sided vehicles, from 4x4s to Mack trucks. At the end, we had recorded a lot of film and audio, and were driven down to the airport at Melbourne. We had both been given Land Combat College patches as a souvenir.

We flew into Adelaide, where we met the Minister once more. Our first visit was at Osborne Naval Shipyard, a site that built the Collins Class submarines and several frigates. Part of it was used for AUKUS submarine maintenance. It had been planned for us to actually build nuclear powered subs here, but that was delayed so many times, the facility was now going to be modified to complete the drone carriers and also build the drones. We spent the day inspecting the site and filming where we could. After the excitement with the army, it was almost boring.

We stayed in a hotel in Adelaide and dined with the Minister and the current State Premier. Early next morning, we were packed and picked up to be taken to the Edinburgh RAAF base, the home of Number Eleven Squadron. They had flown four-propellor Orion maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft for well over twenty years, but were now flying the P-8 Poseidon, that had a much bigger range.

At the main gate, our IDs were checked, and we were taken to the ready room, where all three of us were given flight suits and helmets. We sat in on the briefing of the crew that we were to fly with. Our filming was to be restricted while aboard, but we were able to film a scene on the hardstand with planes behind us.

We, and our bags, were loaded onto a plane and we took off, with Moyra on the flight deck, filming. The flight was a loop across the Great Australian Bight, to land at the Pearce RAAF base in Perth, some six hours later, where we would have our next inspection visit. The flight was interesting, and we could interview some of the crew about their job. There were a few standard radar screens that we could film, and some others that we couldn’t. We overflew several cargo and container ships and a few liners. We logged and identified a lot of fishing vessels. We were told about the bad old days when the Southern Ocean was crowded with whale hunters, especially the Japanese who were killing hundreds of whales for ‘scientific study’ to avoid the restrictions. Research material that ended up on the tables of Japanese restaurants.

We landed at Pearce and thanked the crew. We were given 11 Squadron patches as a keepsake. They would be topped up and continue their patrol out into the Indian Ocean before returning to Adelaide.

We were only a couple of days on the base. It was mainly a training establishment for both air force and navy pilots, so Moyra was able to interact with several students, being already on one of the carriers that they could be serving on.

We filmed some class sessions, some going out in full kit to fly, and some take-offs and landings. I also interviewed members of the Republic of Singapore Air Force who were based here, an arrangement that went back many years. We did a lot of filming with the Expeditionary Health Squadron, a unit that could be deployed at the drop of a hat to natural disasters and accidents at sea. It would be a good insight for someone wanting to go into a medical career with an added excitement.

Following that, we had a week at the HMAS Stirling, the home of the navy, covering the west coast defence and out into the Indian Ocean and the Indo-China area. This was the main base for our fleet of submarines, and we got to have a ride in one, submerged for two days was a very humbling experience. We were only in a Collins Class, so were allowed limited filming, but were able to record a couple of interviews while several hundred feet deep.

We also had a long trip on one of the older Anzac Class frigates that took us to Darwin on a coastal patrol. There, we were transferred to HMAS Coonawarra, the northernmost base. We had a few days to rest and exercise, and then joined one of the Arafura Class patrol boats for a two-week patrol in the Arafura Sea and to Ashmore Reef, in the Timor Sea off the tip of Indonesia. It was different, to say the least.

Because of our wide range of experiences, both Moyra and I impressed our captain with our knowledge when we had communications with a Poseidon above us. We filmed as we approached illegal fishing boats in our waters and took their crews on our boat before we did a little live fire exercise to sink theirs. Before we turned for home, we met up with an Indonesian Navy frigate and transferred our passengers.

There were several women in the crew, and we enjoyed their company. Moyra, as a serving officer on the flagship, was the subject of many selfies. Me, as the hostess of the show about the Melbourne, had my share as well. As we cruised back towards Darwin, I was given a new set of fatigues, with the ships name and my surname on ribbons to keep. We filmed the final scene of the series, with me at the helm.

“When I began this series, I was a landlubber without a clue. As we return to shore, after this patrol, I’m standing here at the helm, basically in charge of this patrol boat. I’ve trained, I’ve got fit, I’ve fired lots of guns and flown in fighter planes. Through it all, I’ve learned what it takes to become a member of the Australian Defense Force. Mostly, though, I’ve learned a lot about myself. If I was twenty years younger, I would strongly consider enlisting. The problem for me now is that it would be hard to decide which branch I would want to join. This is Carol Chivers, on patrol.”

It was a good finale to the shows. When we went ashore in Darwin, I was still in my fatigues as we joined a flight to Sydney. There, Emily was waiting with Hugo to take all our equipment from us. She gave us both hugs and told me that the series was going well. Then, I hugged Moyra and told her that she would be welcome, any time she was in Nowra. After our farewells, I carried my bag over to the Rex counter to get my flight home.

Somehow, I had the feeling that it was going to be difficult to settle back into my old ways again.

Marianne Gregory © 2026

Chapter 8

I had taken a taxi to the airport when I had left, and had called Randall from Sydney, so wasn’t surprised when he was waiting for me when I strolled into the terminal. He came over with a smile on his face and kissed me.

“Nice outfit, makes your eyes pop.”

“Take a deep breath, love. I’ve had this on since Darwin.”

“Ribboned and named, I see.”

“Yep, mine to keep as a reminder.”

“Did you do anything interesting this time?”

“Other than destroying an old car from three miles away with a field gun, flying from Adelaide to Perth in a maritime patrol, interviewing sailors in a submarine somewhere deep in the Indian Ocean, and sinking an illegal fishing boat with a fifty-calibre machine gun, you mean?”

“Can’t wait to see the shows. There’s a pile of post for you at home. Paulines’ been going through it and leaving you some to look at. She got Wollongong to send down a box of photos and she’s been signing them.”

“What! Forging my signature?”

“No. Signing her own name on pictures of her. They showed the Wiggle show last week and she’s basking in her fame. There’s a box of pictures of you when you get around to it.”

When I had picked my bag up, he took it and held my hand as we went out to his police car, parked in a ‘Police Only’ spot. Suddenly, I was happier. There were things that I had done that they couldn’t imagine, but they had done things that I had missed. I would have those gaps in my memory forever, the spaces filled with my own adventure.

We stopped at the high school as the students came out, Pauline surrounded by girls and a few boys. I watched as the one that had been at our house gave her a hug and a kiss, and then she bounced over to the car and got in the back.

“I see that you picked up Lara Croft, Daddy.”

“Enough of that, young lady, or I may start asking you about the boy who kissed you.”

“Why, hello Mummy. Did you have fun?”

“I did, and you’ll see how much when you see the shows. How are you handling the celebrity status?”

“It’s all right, so far. There are a few that praised me to high heaven, but only to get me in a good mood to help them with their maths.”

“You’re learning early that there are some who only want you for something. Did you help them?”

“Of course. A girl needs as many friends as she can get.”

Instead of going home, Randall pulled up outside a restaurant.

“I can’t go in there! I smell and I’m not properly dressed!”

“It’s a private party, my darling, to welcome you home after completing a strenuous and dangerous project. Come on in, they’ve all seen you in worse.”

I got out of the car. He took one hand and Pauline took the other to make sure I didn’t run away. As we walked in, there was a big cheer, and several came over to give me a hug. The whole crew were there, along with a lot of our regular guests for our BBQ parties. I had to giggle when I saw a bunch of pull-up banners scattered around the room. There were some from each early show, one showing me in full battle kit on the way to the Rain Forest, with a Blackhawk behind me. Another had me being jerked into the air with the helicopter above me. All of a sudden, I was glad that I was still in fatigues and didn’t smell good. It was now part of my character.

There was one, taken at Williamtown, with me up a ladder, with one leg in the cockpit of the F-35. I called out.

“Are these your work, Bernie?”

“No, Carol. They’re first examples of authorised ABC pull-ups. I’m told that they’re quite excited with what you’ve done so far. Did you wrap it up with the last trip?”

“We did. Moyra has made Lieutenant and is serving on the Canberra. She’s really happy in what she’s doing. I got given this kit and filmed the last segment at the helm of a patrol boat on the way back to Darwin from Ashmore Reef.”

“How long before they took over the wheel?”

“About an hour. The captain was showing me how to follow the right bearing and told me that I was a natural sailor.”

“You do tend to smell like one.”

“Hey! That’s the smell of honest toil and a trip home from Darwin via Sydney. I was thinking of patenting it, if I could get it in a bottle.”

Before we sat down, a number of Paulines’ friends arrived with their parents, so making it into quite a big party. I ate a nice meal and only had a few drinks. I didn’t last long before I started to flag, so we left them partying. We went home and I stripped off, then just dropped onto the bed and went to sleep. It had been a long day at the end of a long month.

Sometime in the night, I had to have a pee. When I got back to bed, Randall was smiling at me with a small tent in the sheet. I needed the shower even more in the morning.

It was good to be in my own shower, luxuriating in scented soap and body wash, with my own shampoo and conditioner. I had slept late and was alone in the kitchen when I went through, wearing good underwear and a nice dress, but still in fluffy slippers. I got myself breakfast and read the paper to catch up with local events.

I went into the spare room, where I now had a desk, and saw a big pile of envelopes. Before I worked on them, I had a quick look in Paulines’ room to see her official fan picture on her wall, alongside one of us from the ‘Cruising’ show. Back in my office, I opened envelopes and read letters. Some had been pre-opened by Pauline, but there were some that I needed to use the letter opener on.

I started a pile that was just fan ravings, then added a pile requesting a photo. Then there was a small third pile, which was from people wondering if they could buy an amplifier. There was a very small pile from our friends back home. These were answered first, with a generic letter written on the laptop and printed a few times. I had envelopes, so added the letters and addressed them for posting in town.

The box of pictures had been opened and it was one from the show. The ABC had thoughtfully put in a pack of envelopes the right size. It took me until lunch to sign the pictures with individual messages, get them in the envelopes and address them. I saved the personal letters but bundled all the others for shredding when I felt in the mood.

The requests for amps was something else again. I made myself a healthy lunch and called my old shop to talk to the new owner. I made an appointment to see him in the afternoon. After I had cleared the lunch dishes, I loaded the car, made myself presentable and went into town with a basket full of postage. At the Post Office, the woman behind the counter grinned.

“More of your daughters’ fan mail?”

“Not this lot. These are all mine. It appears that the two of us have got popular.”

She weighed the UK postage and counted the fan mail, then gave me a total price for the lot, telling me that they would add all the franking when they had a few minutes. Leaving there, I went to ‘Newmans of Nowra’ to talk about the amps, that I had brought with me, along with the schematics of the circuits. He was keen to be part of this, as it appealed to his own electronic bent. I gave him the contacts for getting the case made in quantity, and the price I had paid.

By the time I left him, he was going to set up a business called ‘Newmans Sound’ and would manufacture as many as we got orders for and come to me if there was any request for specials. I retained the ownership of design, and he would pay me four hundred per sale, while he carried the manufacturing costs. He looked up similar units online and we saw that I had sold the first three for a song. We decided that the new sale price should be fifteen hundred, which gave him a good profit margin.

I went out to the car with him and brought in the other eight, plus the bunch of requests for him to answer. He put my card into his EFTPOS machine and deposited three thousand six hundred into my account. Before I left, he wanted a selfie with me, and to sign his boxed set of the ‘Cruising’ show.

I just had to go to the shop and buy my own. I expect that the ABC may ship me some for promotional distribution, but I had a desire to own one of my first series, as a recognition that it was me and my daughter in there. I then dropped in to see Bernie.

“How are you, Bernie. Sorry that I squibbed out last night, but I was bushed.”

“So, Wonder Woman doesn’t have miraculous powers of recovery.”

“I’m no Wonder Woman.”

“I’ve seen some of your last big trip. To me and the crew, you’re a total wonder. I mean to say, jumping out of a plane was easy compared to being pulled out of a Hercules on a line.”

“It had one redeeming factor. I couldn’t chicken out. The bloke behind me gave me a hug after we’d landed. He was my minder, telling me where we were aiming for. Matthew should have got the last recordings by now. I expect that Sydney couriered them down.”

“He’ll give us a call when he’s got the shows together. I expect that he’ll aim to get another five shows to make it suitable for a TV series. It will have to be vetted by the Government as not giving anything away. By the way, I’ve got the boxed set of the ‘Cruising’ series. Can you sign it to the best cameraman that you’ve ever known?”

I was smiling as I drove away. I was back among my family and friends, back into normal life as a wife and mother. I went to the main shopping area and just wandered, looking at nice things while stopped several time for selfies. For now, I didn’t mind, but it could get tedious.

A few weeks later, in the July holidays, I was back with Pauline and the crew filming more of the second series of ‘Cruising’. Matthew had been contacted by several celebrities who had seen the ‘Wiggle’ episode and wanted the chance for a little fun and fame. In the ten days, we were able to finish the last shows, doing up to four interviews a day. He told me that we had a lot more who wanted to have a chat, but they were out of our target area. He wondered if Ultimo would have us going further out for series three and beyond.

Pauline was reveling in meeting famous people and being able to ask her questions. Each visit could end with her either playing a guitar as accompaniment, or singing a duet, after our discussion about their lives and loves.

In August, Bernie and I flew to Canberra, to join Emily, Sir Edward, and Matthew to show the PM, the Minister, and a room full of military men the entire ADF series. As it was a total of ten hours, we would be showing two hours a day, over five days. We all assembled in the viewing room in the Parliament. After each show, there was discussion on anything that showed something secret.

Each day, we had a list of things and faces to blur on the final transmission, mostly in the later shows where we had filmed in the Poseidon and the submarine. They were all happy with the shows other than that, and my sign-off at the helm of the patrol boat created a lot of smiles. When we left Canberra, we had a written authorisation to screen the shows, as well as a printed notification that they were created with the full support of the ADF.

The PM wanted us to show the first five before Christmas, with the last five in February and March. During January, I was booked to go to Europe with the Minister. Randall was to be seconded to the security detail and there was a seat for Pauline. We would be talking to European builders of drones and the Eurofighter. We would end up with a one-hour show that would follow the announcement that the PM would give about our future purchases, after our last show of the ADF series. Bernie would join us to keep the project quiet and ensure a good coverage.

I met up with Moyra again in October. It was not a social visit. The Canberra had been deployed off of Western Australia when there had been an earthquake in East Timor. Bernie, Matthew and I were flown to Darwin and picked up by helicopter to be taken to the Canberra. I filed reports for the ABC, in my navy fatigues, from the carrier. There were several from the medical unit in Perth on board, as well as a dozen Blackhawks with an army support unit.

It was a busy few days at the start, and I was able to get short talks with a lot of military people who wouldn’t have normally given a reporter the time of day. On the fifth day, the three of us were kitted out in battledress and taken to the worst of the damage by Blackhawk. We were able to film reports from ground zero and send them to Sydney by satellite. We were on the ground, with the rescuers, for a week until other teams arrived and took over. I did a final report with shattered buildings behind me, and we were flown back to the Canberra.

With the urgency over, we sailed closer to Australia and the army left, with all their gear, in the Blackhawks, heading for their base at Darwin. I did another report, from the almost empty deck of the carrier, to say that we had been ready to help, and had saved lives. Behind me, stretchers were being loaded on to navy helicopters for transport to the hospital in Darwin. The last few seconds of the report, Bernie focused on one of the helicopters taking off. We stayed on board until the next day when there would be room for us on a flight. We had dinner with the captain, who congratulated us on doing our job while staying out of everyone's way. Matthew laughed.

“We had Carol with her experience to tell us where to set up, and when to move, sir.”

“Yes. I had heard that she had spent a bit of time with us.”

I grinned.

“Wait until the TV shows start, next Sunday. It’s ‘Carol and the ADF’ and the first show is my two weeks at Creswell. It got scarier from then on.”

We had breakfast in the officers’ wardroom, with Moyra and some of her colleagues, and then we were loaded onto a helicopter and dropped off in front of the terminal at Darwin airport. It was a bit different from arriving by taxi.

As we walked into the concourse at Sydney, we were greeted by Emily and Sir Edward and taken to Ultimo. There, we were congratulated by the upper management for our concise, yet informative reports, that showed all the horrors but didn’t dwell on them. They were particularly happy with the interviews with the medical personnel. I told them that I had met most of them in Perth.

We were given dinner and a night in a hotel before the two of us caught our flight and Matthew took the shuttle down to Wollongong. On the way home, Bernie turned to me.

“It’s funny how things happen, Carol. If you hadn’t wanted to do that show about the Melbourne, we wouldn’t be sitting here after the most interesting weeks of my life. We were looked after like we were part of the ADF and given opportunities to film in places that other stations are going to be totally jealous of.”

“Was your heart beating faster and the adrenaline rushing about?”

“It was, but there you were, in my viewfinder, calm as you like.”

“You forget that it was only an extension of what I had done for those ten shows. I had been through a lot of similar situations this year, so knew what was going on around me. Only war correspondents would know how I now feel.”

“Do you realise that this may get us an award. I think that I heard Sir Edward say that there will be an email sent out.”

“I’ll need to buy a new dress. That award is quite posh, isn’t it?”

Bernie dropped me at home, and I went in to have a soothing bath. When Pauline arrived home, she gave me a big hug.

“Mummy, Welcome home. We saw you reporting on the news. That must have been exciting.”

“It was, and a bit scary to see what the earth can do when it gets angry.”

She went off to do her homework and I turned on my laptop to see the expected email. I went to her door.

“Sweetheart. We have an invitation to go to Sydney for the big media presentation night The ABC have been nominated for a Walkley Award. We’ll have to go shopping for fancy long dresses. I believe that it’s a good meal and a bit of razzamatazz.”

“That could be fun. Can I have a session in a salon?”

“We’ll both be doing that, probably on the morning of the event. We’ll be in a hotel for the night before and the night of the show. I’ll check to see if your Daddy can come as well.”

I rang Emily, who told me that there would be seats for the three of us and told me where we would be staying. It was a week or more away. She said that they had been nominated for the Explanatory Journalism award. That Saturday, Pauline and I went to see our favourite dress shop, where we tried on many wonderful dresses, finally picking one each. We got discount after being photographed in them, with the matching shoes and clutches. Which would adorn the shop, seeing that we were now both local celebrities. On Sunday night, we watched the first episode of “Carol with the ADF’.

The afternoon before the show, the three of us took our four-door to the Rex terminal, noting the big hole in the ground that would be the underground car park for the new international terminal. All three of us had garment bags and I had booked us better seats than usual, which included hanging space.

When we arrived in Sydney, Hugo was waiting for us with a car and driver. We were taken to the hotel and were checked in. We had dinner with Sir Edward and a couple of other executives and had an early night. Next morning, we had a walk in the Domain and avoided talking about the evening. The Walkley’s were the peak of journalism awards, for all aspects of the media, from print to digital, and the prospect of being there was a little daunting. Emily joined us for lunch, along with Matthew and Bernie and their wives. We would all be on a big table with the station bigwigs. To me, this was looking suspicious.

In the afternoon, all the girls in our party were in a salon, being looked after. I met some of the women behind the powerful men and they all told me that I was wonderful. They also doted on Pauline, saying that they loved the ‘Cruising’ shows, suggesting that we may be back in the city for the AACTA awards next February.

Looking dapper in his new suit, Randall escorted us to the stretch limo that had been provided to take us to the event. Although it wasn’t televised live, there were cameras from every station there to record our arrival. Once past the reporters, we were sat at the table as the room filled up.

The meal was small servings on big dishes, and the wine flowed. After a short monologue from the presenter, we were into the awards. It started with awards for printed media, and I agreed with most of the decisions. Then we got to TV awards, finally getting to our nominated one, Explanatory Journalism. There was a list of nominees, including the ABC for ‘Jinx Ship or Majestic’. We all sat, with bated breath as the envelope was opened,

“The winner of the 2039 Walkley for Explanatory Journalism is the ABC with ‘Jinx Ship’!”

Sir Edward rose and gestured for me and Matthew to follow him. He accepted the award and then gave it to me to hold while he made his speech, praising me for the story concept and presentation, and Matthew for producing such a magnificent hour of riveting television. We all went back to the table to accept our hugs and kisses.

Later in the night, we were in the All-Media part of the show when the emcee got very serious.

“There were many stories that had been nominated for the two categories of ‘Coverage of a Major News Event’ and ‘News Reporting’ during the year. However, there was one major event, only last month, that caught the judges' eyes. Over the course of two weeks, or more, we saw reporting every day from a disaster zone that eclipsed all others. The two awards, this year, go to the ABC for the coverage of the East Timor earthquake! We have all three of the team here tonight, Carol Chivers, Bernard Turner and Matthew Delaine, come on up and get your awards.”

The two guys escorted me to the stage to great applause. We were given the awards and the microphone beckoned. I gave the award I was holding to Bernie and stood at the podium.

“Ladies and Gentlemen. We did not expect this, tonight. On the HMAS Canberra, and on the ground in East Timor, we were only doing our jobs, to the best of our abilities. It was fortuitus that I had spent time with the ADF making a series that began recently. I have been on many ships, flown in fast jets, and trekked the rain forest with the army. During that time, I was accompanied by a serving officer of the Navy. She was in a position on the Canberra to make our time aboard much easier. During our reports, I spoke to the medical teams. I had already interviewed those same medicos for the series, so they were happy to give me time. Going to the disaster zone, we flew in a Blackhawk with a crew that I’d flown with before. We were given every help on the ground until international rescuers arrived. Our reports could only have happened with the exceptional camera work of Bernard, here, and the final reports that Matthew produced, on the run, before we sent them to the satellite. I was just the speaker. It was these two and the ADF that produced those stories. Thank you all.”

We had a group hug on stage, then went back to the table, who were all standing for us, along with many others in the room. We sat down and I took a drink of my wine before both Randall and Pauline hugged me. She had a grin.

“Wonder Woman becomes Humble Mum!”

I had to laugh as she picked up the award that I had put on the table. She stroked it, lovingly.

“Will we be up for awards at the AACTAs next year, Mummy.”

“Maybe. The ‘Cruising’ shows had good viewer numbers, and the fan mail is still coming in. Who knows, you may be nominated for the ‘Emerging Talent Logie’.”

She giggled and blushed. The night continued and I was looking forward to going back to the hotel. Many on our table were very merry. Sir Edward had gathered all three awards, telling us that the organisers would supply replicas for the three of us and the originals would grace the awards cabinet in the Ultimo reception.

I was fading when we reached the final award, the Gold Walkley for Journalism. The emcee had the envelope as she stood at the microphone.

“Ladies and Gentlemen. The Gold Walkley is not given to the best-looking journalist. Nor is it given to the one who has had most spots in the media. It is given to the one with great presentation under stress, an enquiring mind, and the ability to see things we don’t.”

She opened the envelope and took out the card.

“This is exactly the person who I had thought would win. A person who has given us stories that have entertained and informed. Moreover, they were stories that shifted the government into new directions. The winner of the 2039 Gold Walkley is Carol Chivers!”

Our table stood as one as I sat there, stunned. Sir Edward came and helped me out of my seat and escorted me to the stage, where I was given the top accolade of the night. I was pointed to the microphone.

“Ladies and Gentlemen. This is a total surprise. I don’t have a prepared speech, so I’ll just revert to ‘Humble Mum’ as my daughter called me a while ago. I am thoroughly humbled by this award. I have to thank the ABC, and Sir Edward, for taking me on and giving me the opportunity to pursue a couple of things that had given me pause for thought. I thank my whole crew for their support, mainly Bernard and Matthew who have been my rocks. I thank my husband, Randall, and my daughter, Pauline, for putting up with me locking myself away to do research and then getting on with their lives while I was away making the shows. Most of all, I thank the organisers of this event for making this the best night of my life as a proud ABC employee, the best media company in the country. Thank you all.”

Sir Edward was smiling as he escorted me back to the table, my knuckles white with my grip on the award. After that, it was a whirlwind of hugs, kisses, backslaps and a modicum of jealous looks from the old guard who expected more from the night. I finally gave up the award to Sir Edward, after he had promised me that I would get it back with the replica to be shown at Ultimo.

I was still in shock when we were taken back to the hotel. I helped Pauline cleanse and get into her nightie, and she was asleep as I kissed her forehead. I went next door to our room, where Randall and I helped each other undress and he gave me an award of his own.

Marianne Gregory © 2026

Chapter 9

Next morning, we were both awake early and I was resting my head on Randalls’ shoulder. It was quiet in the hotel, just the sound of the air movement from the conditioning. He squeezed me.

“I guess that we should remember these moments before the storm. You realise that today is the first day of the rest of your life. Up until now, you’ve been a good presenter and reporter, with some stand-out stories. Today, you’re a multiple Walkley winner, with one of them a gold. That’s something that others have taken decades to earn.”

“It will make some things awkward, love, but it doesn’t change who I am. Or who we are. If I’m any fortune teller, there’ll be a flurry of activity and then we can go back to normal business.”

“I expect that the ABC will want you in the studio to record an interview with the host of Seven-Thirty. That may take quite a while.”

“I’ll call Rex and see if we can turn our return tickets into open ended. What about your job?”

“I’ll call the boss when he gets in and ask for a couple of extra days. If I can’t get it, I’ll go home with Pauline. She shouldn’t miss too much school, seeing that it’s the end of her first year.”

We roused ourselves and took showers. We had brought casual clothes for the trip home, but could wear what we had arrived with, in a pinch. When I knocked on Paulines’ door, she was dressed and ready for breakfast. I took a close look at her.

“For a girl who was out like a light, you look like you didn’t get much sleep, sweetheart.”

“I woke up in the early hours, Mummy. I did what I needed to do but couldn’t get back to sleep. I kept wondering what changes will be happening from today, now that you’re famous.”

“That’s what we were talking about as well. We may not be going home as usual today but will try to leave tomorrow. I’m sure that the ABC has some plans after last night.”

We were sitting with our second cups of tea, after a good breakfast, when Emily came in and sat on the spare chair. The waiter was beside her in a flash and she asked for a black coffee. Then she turned her attention to us.

“Sorry to mess with your plans, folks. Carol, you have an interview to pre-record for Seven-Thirty. Then there are a lot of people in Ultimo who want to meet our Gold Walkley winner, so we’ve organised a lunch where you can do a Q&A. This evening, you all have dinner at Government House, with the Governor, the State Premier and some of the State Cabinet. His wife is a fan of Paulines’ so it should be an interesting evening. We can let you go home tomorrow. You’ve finished the ADF and series two of ‘Cruising’, so the boss doesn’t want to see you until after your trip with the Minister. If you can think up some other stories to pursue in that time, you have next year to research them. That is all dependent on another natural disaster, when you’ll get minimal notice to go anywhere.”

“Thanks, Emily, I think. I’ll move our return tickets to tomorrow. Pauline will have less than a week to catch up with. That was a surprise, last night.”

“It was a surprise for us as well. We knew that we had the one nomination, but the other three awards must have been decided by the judges. We had put forward a few names, as did all the other stations and print media. It’s just been wishful thinking in the past, as the winner usually comes from commercial stations with more money to spend on promotion.”

After we had freshened up, she led us out to the car and driver and we were taken to Ultimo, where I was redressed in a skirt suit, made up, and sat with the presenter of Seven-Thirty, talking about my life and my work. Back in my own clothes, the lunch was a full room of ABC staffers who wanted to hug and kiss, with Pauline getting a lot of attention as well.

We were then taken into the city, where Randall was outfitted with a hired set of tails, and Pauline and I had very expensive dresses with enormous skirts. Randall went back to the hotel while my daughter and I were in a salon for the second time in two days. In the afternoon, I rang Rex and postponed our return tickets for a day. Randall had rung his boss and had been told that he was officially on duty, as the bodyguard of a Nowra celebrity.

At six-thirty, we were picked up by a uniformed driver in a vintage Rolls-Royce and taken to Government house, where flunkeys opened the car doors and helped us out. Pauline and I felt as if we were characters in a period show, dressed as we were in the elegant surrounds of the old building. The dinner was silver service and vintage wines, with everyone dressed like us. The talk was interesting, with us being included, but with many of the subjects at a level that we had never encountered in our lives.

There were official photographers, and we were featured in many, standing with bastions of society and politics. I gave one assistant our home address and was promised a set of prints. It was all very genteel and elegant, and Pauline was ladylike enough to save her snort for when we were back in the hotel. Randall looked at me and we couldn’t help but laugh at the pomposity of it all.

When we arrived back in Nowra, there were local reporters and photographers at the terminal to greet us. The Mayoress welcomed us home and advised us of a dinner in the Town Hall dining room on Saturday evening, but to be just ‘casual elegant’. We would get picked up from home. The local member, who I had spoken to all those months previously, would be there as well.

We drove home in wonder. Just forty-eight hours ago I had been just an ABC reporter, well respected and popular in the local area, and now I was being wined and dined by the upper strata of society. There had to be a catch, which I learned about on that Saturday evening.

The local member would not be contesting the next election and wanted me to consider putting my hat into that particular ring. He told me that my public profile and my friendship with the PM and other Cabinet Members were strong reasons for me to leave the ABC and enter politics. I had plenty of time to think about it, as the next federal election was two and a half years away, but he would like my answer in six months, so that I could be added to promotions leading up to the poll. Before he turned away to talk to others, he smiled.

“There’s another reason that you would make a good politician, Carol. I was watching you when the Minister of Defense was here to make that announcement. I remember you talking to me in a polite, yet insightful way. I could see through the Ministers announcement as spin to paper over a decision they shouldn’t have made. As I watched you, I could see that you didn’t believe a word of it, and that one question of yours rattled him. I have seen BS many times, and that answer was totally made up. Yet, by the way you were dressed in that interview, I saw that you must have recorded it that later that day. You could have skewered him but didn’t. I wondered why, until I started watching that ADF series. He knew that you knew that he had been caught out, and you used it to get his assistance with recording that show.”

“Actually, sir. My silence on that particular matter wasn’t needed after his announcement. We had a frank discussion about the BS after that interview. The ADF shows were his idea, authorised by the PM, and designed to increase recruitment into the future. I allowed myself to be used to get a damn good series out of it, along with getting the gratitude of a wide range of influential people in the government and the military. It’s not my way to knowingly scheme. I would rather take things as they come. Doing that series got me the contacts to give the reports that got us the Walkley. Getting the Walkley has led to you asking me to consider politics. If you think that I was planning tonight when we stood on that tarmac, then you have a wonderful imagination. You should be writing books.”

He laughed.

“That’s exactly what I plan to do in the future. There’s one in my head about my life and my political career. See, even in jest, you’re psychic.”

We settled back into normal life. We had BBQ parties where our guests wanted pictures with me, and the four awards lined up on the sideboard. I had pulled my vase out of the box and dusted it off, so it sat in the middle of the group. Many read the list of groups and squadrons on the back and there was often comments on the 617 Squadron, who everyone knew as the ‘Dambusters’. I never showed my flight jacket with all the patches, now complete with the extra army and navy ones, as well mementos from Timor; a Fifth Aviation Regiment patch that operated the Blackhawks and a Navy Fleet Air Arm 808 Squadron that had flown us back to Darwin. I sometimes put on the one that I had bought for Mum as a laugh.

Pauline got through her exams and the first half of the ADF series finished. We had a quiet Christmas dinner at home, giving each other gifts. Then, we had been invited as guests of honour to the city New Year Eve party. After that, we were packing for our overseas trip. Bernie and his wife were joining us to film everything, and I had been supplied with a camera and recording harness, in case I was taken up in a plane.

The five of us went to Canberra, where we met the official party. The Minister had two Navy Captains, two Air Force Group Captains and an Army Colonel. We were in the first class of a regular commercial flight, which went to Europe via Africa to avoid the Middle East and Russia. In Paris, we were housed in the Australian Embassy and driven to various meetings by coach, with escorts. There wasn’t a lot to film, but a lot to make notes about. Randall and Pauline, with Bernies’ wife, were given tours of the city sights while I was otherwise engaged. That changed when we went to visit the various factories. One was building cheap, but very nasty, suicide drones. Another was building drones that had stand-off and return home capabilities and carried up to four missiles.

Bernie was allowed to film the official party and overviews inside the factories. I was able to talk to the military types about the advantages of these weapons. We were supplied with factory film of testing, which showed the damage the drones could do in slow motion.

Then we went to a few factories building the major components of the Eurofighter, mainly big factory floors with lines of computerised cutting machines and 3-D printers. Lastly, we went to the Evreux-Fauville French air base, where they had four of the new fighter prototypes. One was the fighter/bomber version and two were straight fighters. The last was set up for demonstration and the Minister, the two Group Captains, and I, were taken up in it. As qualified pilots, the other three were allowed to fly the plane and try the AI assisted fighting capabilities.

I was loaded with my harness over my flight suit when I got in. It wasn’t too different to the F-35 that I’d flown in. As we were sitting on the threshold, the French test pilot spoke good English and asked me if I’d ever been in a fast jet. I told him that I had been through the sound barrier in an F-35 and done some aerobatics with the Minister in an FA-18.

Silly me. He took that as me having more experience than I really had and decided to demonstrate some of the capabilities that he had been told not to with the others on board. We were hardly at rotation when he hit the burners and pulled back the control wheel. We went from horizontal to vertical and shot skywards like a Saturn Five rocket.

It was a good job that my harness was recording everything, as he threw the plane around and I had to shut my eyes and swallow hard to keep my breakfast down. When we came in on the approach, he asked me if I had enjoyed myself. I told him that it had been fun, and he did a bump and circuit, then overflew the air base at close to breaking the sound barrier at less than a hundred feet in the air. If nothing else, I knew that my recording, along with Bernies filming, would make for thrilling TV, if we were allowed to show it.

When I was helped out of the flight suit, everyone gave me a hug. I was sure that I would be sporting bruises where the suit had inflated to stop blood pooling. We recorded the Minister announcing that these aircraft were being considered as Australias’ next front line. Confirmation would come after the PM had reviewed the reports.

When we were back on the coach and away from all the French, Algy came and asked me if I had been filming.

“I had turned everything on. I don’t know if it’s good enough, I had my eyes shut most of the time.”

“When we get into the Embassy, I would like to get our boffins to download a copy of what you recorded. What on earth did you say to that pilot for him to do those tricks?”

“He asked me if I had any fast jet experience, so I told him that I had gone supersonic with your son in the F-35 and had flown with you in that FA-18. That’s when we went vertical and shot into space. What’s the big deal?”

“If you had records of the instruments, it would tell us a lot about the capabilities. What he did to impress you had stuff that we haven’t been told about yet. We will need the ones we get to have those capabilities. If we get that, I can see us buying two squadrons of the fighter, for Williamtown, and two of the fighter/bombers to replace the eighteens at Amberley.”

Back at the Embassy, Bernie and I helped their techs to download the recordings. I had been filming with five cameras, with one on my arm looking at me. The other four were pointing sideways and forward. That evening, we reviewed the five cameras views with the sound. We got given a disc with the view of me and the views outside the plane. The two that had recorded the instruments were kept back. I had watched the one that showed a ‘G’ meter and was gob smacked at the pressures that I had endured. No wonder I had bruises coming up. When I mentioned that, I was sent to the infirmary where they photographed the bruises and put some soothing cream on them.

Bernie got a full copy of his filming, as a lot of it was too far away to be meaningful. What excited the serving officers was the stability of the flypast at such a high speed and low altitude.

We stayed in Europe when Bernie and the official party left, with Bernie taking my harness and all our recordings. We had a return flight from Paris in a week, so we went over to England to say hello to Briony and my brother, and then spent a few days showing Pauline the historic sites in London.

We were back in Nowra in plenty of time for Pauline to spend time with her friends before starting second year. While she was out of the house, Randall and I had some serious discussions about this political business. We left it to one side for the moment.

The ADF series ended in February and the fan mail was interesting reading. There were a lot of men who thought that I was the new Lara Croft and wanted pictures of me looking like a badass. The ABC had sent me several boxes of pictures from the shows, and I was able to cater to their wishes.

In late March, we started filming series three of the ‘Cruising’ shows. This time, we had to go further afield for our interviews, and only got two shows in the can over the Easter break. After that, I was in Canberra with the PM. We had shown the Ministers announcement in the news, back in February, with vision of the plane going vertical and overflying the airfield. The feedback had been very positive.

This was reinforced with a fifteen-minute segment on Seven-Thirty about the French inspection tour, with it disclosed that I had been the passenger in the extreme flying. That had created discussion about getting the planes, and had also added to my own image, making it necessary to employ a secretarial service to deal with my fan mail.

The interview with the PM was to go on air the evening that we had his announcement on the news. After we had finished the recording, he asked me to come to his office for a talk. We were served tea and biscuits, and he opened the conversation.

“Over the last year or so, Carol, you have impressed me and my colleagues with your highly professional shows, as well as your discretion. I want you to know that since those ADF shows, the recruitment numbers have increased. I know that you’ve been approached to stand at the next election, and that your local seat will be vacant. Have you had any thoughts about that.”

“We’ve discussed it, sir. My problem is seeing past the voting day. I wouldn’t want to be another token woman on the benches behind you to make you look inclusive.”

“Just so. Look, I can assure you that there would be a good position for you when we win. With what you’ve done, so far, I can see you as an assistant to Algy, in the defense portfolio, with the job to oversee interservice operations. You would be the go-to person when we have wargames or get called in for disaster relief. At the moment, that side of things is an extra load on him and is usually carried out by his staffers. Staffers, I may add, that have zero experience in the field.”

“That sounds like an interesting job, sir. I’ll take that on board and discuss it with Randall.”

“You do that. Remember, we have just two years to the next election. By then, that girl of yours will be in fourth year and with a career as an entertainer ahead of her, if that was what she wanted. You’ll be a good age to enter politics, have an outstanding body of work behind you and an approval rating that most of us are jealous about.”

“You haven’t seen my fan mail, sir. There are a lot who think that I’m Wonder Woman and have only been working as my alter ego, the ABC reporter. Maybe I should start wearing glasses as a disguise.”

After that conversation, I had more with the people that I respected. Starting with Randall and Pauline, who both told me to go for it if that was to be the job I would be doing. The local member told me that I could trust the PMs word and that I would be fantastic in the role. I was able to talk to Algy, and he told me the same as the PM.

Finally, I had a one-on-one with Sir Edward. He said that he would be sad to lose me as an employee, but that he would support me if I stood, especially if I extended a hand of friendship to whoever would replace me.

I notified the local branch that I would like to add my name to their pre-selection list and carried on with my job. Over the next two years, we did two more ‘Cruising’ series. I, and the crew, reported from two minor war zones and three natural disasters, aided by support from the ADF in place. Pauline won the ‘Emerging Talent’ Logie for the ABC, and ‘Cruising’ took ‘Best Family Entertainment’ at the AACTAs two years in a row.

I was interviewed in the February of election year, having won pre-selection for the seat. That was my last ‘live’ appearance on TV as an ABC employee. After that, I was thrown into pre-election visits, meetings and being interviewed as a candidate. There was a host of celebrities from the ‘Cruising’ show who were happy to promote my cause and stand at the voting sites to hand out ‘How to Vote’ papers.

For me and my family, election night was very wearing. Not only was I a candidate, but I was also coerced to sit on a panel in the ABC studio in Canberra as the votes were being counted. As the votes started to come in, I was on tenterhooks, but as my lead increased, I took my leave from the panel at eight and was taken to the airport where a charter plane was waiting for me. I arrived in Nowra where Randall picked me up and we went to the election night party in the city, in time for me to join in with the celebrations. The TV pundit declared me as the member for Gilmore at around eleven, and it was on for young and old.

Randall took a happy and tired Pauline home and came back for me. I was home at around one, while the party was getting even more boisterous. When someone unfurled a banner, reading ’Lara Croft, MP’, I thought that it was time to leave.

In my early forties, I had started yet another career, as a Federal Member of Parliament with an office and staff in Nowra, and the main office and staff in Canberra. As promised, I was made an assistant to the Minister of Defense, in charge of all interservice activities. I leased a flat in Canberra for when we had long sittings, but mainly travelled up for the day with my Rex loyalty card and government credit card being well used.

We stayed in our home, but the parties changed as Pauline got into her later teens. She had blossomed with age and experience. She still played guitar, but wanted to go to university to study journalism, her close knowledge of where it had taken me as an impetus. She married at twenty-one and gave us our first grandchild at twenty-two, something that Randall and I cherished, as we had never thought that we would have one when we married.

Randall transferred to the Commonwealth Police as my security chief and travelled with me wherever I went. Those places included Far North Queensland for the annual wargames, which included periods on board the Canberra as the lead ship in the naval exercises. Moyra was now a Lieutenant Commander, in charge of a department, and looked after us like royalty. Randall was absorbing all the helicopter travel, the need to be kitted out in appropriate battledress when visiting the troops during live-fire exercises. He now understood, fully, what had given me the resilience to do what I did.

I served for five terms. Four in power as the Assistant to the Minister, and the last in opposition, as the Shadow Minister. During that time, I had been interviewed by Pauline, now doing what I used to do. Five times, those interviews took place among shattered buildings. Twice in a war zone and the others at a natural disaster where the ADF was aiding. It was the war zone coverage that got her a Walkley of her own.

I was in the official party at the commissioning of all five of the new drone carriers. They were given names of the five small towns around Nowra. They were part of my duties, as all the drone pilots had to do their basic and pilot training in the air force, while all the underwater drone drivers were navy. There would be army on board as well, seeing that the ships may be offshore, providing back-up for ground troops. Randall and I did a short voyage on the third one completed as it did sea trials and some live fire exercises on an old destroyer. It was a hell of a way to finally decommission it.

Over the years, there was hardly a country in the world that I didn’t visit as a member of government, as someone who could talk to their military, almost on their level. I was the one sent to talk to the injured when we did have the odd fracas. I stood in for the Minister at many meetings and even had my own speechwriter.

I retired from politics in my mid-sixties, to live next to the Shoalhaven River in our home, now filled with mementos of all my years. We would have the BBQ parties that we had kept up over the years, now with guests that included the movers and shakers of Nowra, as well as our daughter, her husband and our three grandchildren, now mostly with families of their own.

These days, I would wear my special flight jacket for the family, as it was now a token of my life, with all the extra patches that I had been given while in politics. There were a few more trophies on our sideboard. The ones I had won as a journalist, the ones for ‘Cruising’, and the medal I had been given when I received my Order Of Australia. The vase that started it all, from recognition of my work to meeting the love of my life, still sat in pride of place in the centre.

For me, it had been a long road. An interesting and happy life, now entering my old age in a land far from where I was born but one I now called home. From that kid on the Hospital Radio in Colchester, to where I am now, was a leap too strange to contemplate.

As I write these words, I can hear Icehouse singing ‘Great Southern Land’ on the local radio, in a ‘Last Century Nostalgia’ show. It was a song that I had played to the patients in Colchester without fully understanding that the lyrics were Iva Davies reacting to homesickness while on an international tour. It had been thirty years old then.

I now understood his connection to this land, and I can relate to the yearning for this country, thinking back to my own ‘Ghosts of Time’.

Marianne Gregory © 2026