Francis Birtles - Australian Adventurer written by Warren Brown

Jan Thompson · #1 23-10-12, 21:02

For anyone who has a Kmart store nearby you can pick up a copy of the book for $25. Other bookshops have it for sale at $35. If anyone wants to hear Warren's talk at the AMVCS meeting you are more than welcome to attend on Wednesday 14th November.

warren brown · #2 24-10-12, 04:01

Thanks Howard and Rich. (Not to mention Jan and Richard!)It's funny - everyone asks whether Beeb Birtles (from Little River Band) is related and the answer is - probably! I interviewed Francis Birtles young niece Muriel Tait (aged around 96) and his whippersnapper nephew Calvert Birtles (who's about 86) - neither of whom knew each other btw - and learned that the Birtles clan is flung far and wide. Muriel's probably the only living person who actually remembers interacting with Frank Birtles - he'd pretty much burned his bridges with all his siblings, but her mother seemed to be the only one who tolerated him. Francis was one of nine kids -and even though he had no kids of his own - there were plenty of nieces and nephews who had been ingrained with the awareness he was a bit of a rogue and it filtered down through the generations. Last week I was interviewed on ABC News 24 - the producer who rang me to confirm beforehand's name was Bill Birtles! He'd always been of the understanding he was related, but apparently a recent family tree suggests he's not. Lots of Birtles relatives turned up at the book launch and surprisingly quite a few of them had no idea of the others' existence. It was great fun.

Richard Coutts-Smith · #3 18-11-12, 00:17

Warren, thanks for introducing so many us to the Birtles story, and what a fantastic story it is too. I can't beleive that an Aussie who was a mixture of Phil Irving, Len Beadell, Gelignite Jack Murray and Christopher Skase has disappeared from modern day conciousness. I note that the generation older than mine seem to know of him, so I wonder if his fame was lost in the plethora of Aussie Motorsport Icons that followed, from the 50's to the 80's.
What this guy put himself, and others through, he must have been as mad as a cut snake.
Are there any centenary projects planned to replicate some of his feats?
Thanks again
Rich.

Richard Farrant · #4 18-11-12, 00:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Coutts-Smith

Warren, thanks for introducing so many us to the Birtles story, and what a fantastic story it is too.

I second that Rich having just read Warren's book. You cannot believe what the man went through on those trips, the part where they hauled the car up through the jungles of Burma was amazing, but then the whole story is amazing.

Thank you Warren for putting together such a well researched story.

warren brown · #5 05-12-12, 02:12

Thanks Richard(s)!!! (I'm not sure what you call a group of Richards... a bunch of ....?) Nevermind! Sorry I missed your messages - I've been out and about and have only just seen them! Yes, there was a drive celebrating the centenary of the Perth-Sydney single cylinder Brush adventure. Brush cars came from all over the world - it was amazing to see them arrive in Martin Place. And yes- I'm intending a big drive too...