Calodema Memorial Page

I dedicate this website to the memory of the following people: Graham John Hawkeswood (5 November 1931 - 8 January 2005) My father Photo 1 Graham John Hawkeswood was born on the 5 November 1931 (during the Great Depression) in the small north-eastern New South Wales village of Evans Head. Little has been recorded or is known of his early life but soon after he was born, the family moved to Dubbo in central New South Wales and finally found themselves living in the northern beach suburb of Narrabeen. My father apparently did not like primary school and left as fast as he could (knowing Australian schools of that era which were fashioned on the English system and were nothing more than penal institutions for youngsters) I don't blame him. Photo 2 My father often told me that one of his first jobs was on a "bread run" when he was about 14 but that position didn't appear to last long as he was rather a wag, getting into all sorts of mischief. One of my first recollections is being a small child (about 2 years old) in the Brisbane suburb of Capalaba (pronounced Car-pal-ar-bar and not as Sydney people pronounce it, Cappa-lar-bar!) where my father owned a farm of about 12 acres and my companion was a large poodle dog called Loopie (that's what a lot of my scientific enemies have called me during my life and worse! ha ha!). Loopie was a great dog and often allowed me to inspect his throat (I was practising to be a medical doctor!). Anyway, my father was now a golf professional and a very good one at that, teaching, playing and making golf clubs at the Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane and previously at the Maryborough Golf Club. He was a really great and very fit sportsman, as some the photos here show. He often entertained a number of visiting golf dignitaries from overseas and trained a number of local golf professionals, including female ones! Such as great athletic sportsman was most likely to attract criticism and one of his main detractors was Norman Von Nida, which my father detested, and who finally recently died (thank goodness). Photo 3 My father was a great success at this sport and could easily have been greater than any of the celebrities then or now but there was often much pressure on him and he may have suffered a nervous breakdown at some stage, although I am not sure. However, before I knew it, he had left the golf professional business and was employed in other areas and finally sold the farm at Capalaba and joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1961, when I was 5 years old. My father looked great in a uniform but looking back I wished he had have remained as a golf professional, but this was not to be. He completed his training successfully in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales and his first posting was to RAAF Operational Command at Glenbrook, New South Wales where he remained for 5 years and earned the respect of officers and non-commissioned ranks alike. He obtained the rank of Corporal there. Photo 4 [One aspect of him which I vividly remember as a child, was his winter uniform which was dark blue and resembled a policeman's uniform. I was protected by this uniform at school because many bullies who wanted to pick on me because I was smaller and smarter than them, saw him and thought that he was a cop, so they stayed well away from me!] While he was stationed at Glenbrook I became really interested in natural history, exploring much of the bushland of the lower Blue Mountains before it was later destroyed by fires and residential development. Finally, in 1967 my father was transferred to Townsville in north-eastern Queensland. This was a great posting as it meant we got to live close to the ocean. While I was there I decided to become a marine biologist! My father didn't like Townsville very much and while he was there he started to become rather aloof and distant from our family. He was next transferred to Sale in Victoria, where we experienced one of the most terrible and stressing periods in our lives. We all became very sick there, especially my mother, during the wettest and coldest 12 months that that town had ever experienced. Our family had to leave there before my mother died and we were promptly transferred to Toowoomba in south-eastern Queensland, where the temperature was as cold but at least the place was drier. Photo 5 My father stayed there another 2 years during which he was promoted to Sergeant. Upon gaining this promotion, we were again transferred, this time to Wagga Wagga in New South Wales where he had undergone his initial RAAF training. At the end of 1974 he was again transferred back to Operational Command (Glenbrook) as Flight Sergeant G.J. Hawkeswood. During his stay there I attended the University of New England where I undertook studies for the BSC (Hons) degree. In 1977 our family heard that he was being transferred to Penang, Malaysia. My family and I were thrilled with this news as none of us had been overseas before. My father stayed there 4 years, longer than most and almost made Warrant Officer ranking. After returning to Australia in 1981, he worked at Richmond Air Force Base, Richmond, New South Wales for a few months before soon retiring from the RAAF and moving to Brisbane, Queensland, where he bought a small trucking business, which he ran for many years. Photo 6 During middle 2003 he was diagnosed with terminal cancer caused by a life time of smoking and finally died in the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland on 8 January 2005. He was just over 73 years old. My main thoughts on him after being with him for almost 50 years are that deep down he was a really great guy with tremendous physical fortitude but that the world affected his vision such that he made some really bad choices in his life. But all people have faults and make mistakes. We are only human. I have made mistakes because I am human. However, it can be safely said that G.J. Hawkeswood, no matter what he did, and wherever he was, he gave his best and his best was usually better than anyone else's. He was a superb golfer and an excellent supervisor, gaining several medals for his services. He was a great credit to Australia and he should have been given the Order of Australia for his services during the RAAF. However, his forte for golf did not completely wane and while in the Royal Australian Air Force he taught many of the officers how to play golf properly and that is why he was given certain privileged positions and responsibilities despite his relatively low rank of Corporal, Sergeant or Flight Sergeant which had been assigned to him for much of his 21 years in the Service. He was also awarded a longer overseas posting than most personnel including Officers. I do hope this Internet website will be a fitting memorial and tribute to Graham John Hawkeswood and hopefully these old photos will be a remembrance of times long gone. Vale G.J. Hawkeswood, for one reason or another, we won't forget you! Photo 7 Photo 8 Photo 1. A publicity shot of G. J. Hawkeswood for a newspaper taken by a journalist showing his classic andperfect style using a driver club (wood) (early 1950's). Photo 2. My father and I about to do some marine biology together at the Gold Coast, Queensland. I amabout 3 years old here (1959). Photo 3. My father in RAAF winter uniform during training in 1961 at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. Photo 4. Shot of my father with other golfers at the Royal Queensland Golf Club (early 1950's). Photo 5. Another publicity shot of G. J. Hawkeswood (second from left) with colleagues at the Royal Queensland Golf Club (early 1950's). Photo 6. G.J. Hawkeswood when very young (approx. 18 in 1949-1950) showing the perfect golfing style and follow through of a most talented and gifted sportsman. Photo 7. My father (approx. front centre with hands behind back) in RAAF summer uniform in about 1968 at Townsville, north-eastern Queensland. Photo 8. Cutting from the front page of the Brisbane Telegraph newspaper. The story printed is as follows: "Their Topic is Golf. Golf professionals played topentrants in the State women's championship meeting at Royal Queensland today. Here PGA secretary, Graham Hawkeswood and Grace Henderson discuss play." My mother has written in the bottom margin of the cutting "I guess Geoff will say that there is a bit of flirting going on?" (early 1950's). My father was very popular with the female golfers. Of course, he was the most handsome! (early 1950's). Wendy Ann Hawkeswood (d. 9 September 2004) My cousin Ruby Lauder-Hawkeswood (19 June 1992 - 30 December 2006) My second cousin