ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

I have very fond memorys of the old Buick our family owned, which was the only form of transport we had for many years.

THE OLD BUICK

There it stood beneath the gumtree, faded paint work long now gone,
wiper blade still hung there loosely, full of rust just holding on,
the upholstery long had weathered, just a few springs left to show
of the good times shown this family, doesn't seem that long ago.

It was only drove in daylight, had no headlights to turn on,
but when mother was in labor, could not wait for light to come,
so big sister on the side board, standing rigid, held a light,
and would flash when cars approached us,beeping horns gave her a fright.

How Dad hated that old hand pump, when the tyres were half down,
he would work what seemed like hours, just to ready them for town,
and he never saw the fun that, only kids like us could see,if
in the valve you stuck a feather, all the air would be set free.

Mother said,''teach me to drive dad'' round the home yard we did go,
stalling, lurching, faces white now,''hang on kids,MUUUM, go slow,
fathers nerves just couldn't take it, shouting, screaming, ''take me home''
mum mistook, pushed the wrong peddle, fencepost gone, Dad's mouth did foam.

Off to town to get the groceries, once a month that trip was made,
as we pulled into the main street, mothers screams were heard to bade
Dad to check to see what was that, crawling neath her under wear,
as she quickly pulled her dress up, half a redback fell from there.

It was just a paddock basher, well thats what my Dad would say,
had no money for the rego,on the back roads we would stay,
It was mainly used on sundays, hauled the wood home by the ton,
and it loved to test Dad's temper, when it's motor wouldn't run.

I still smile when I remember, how his face would turn so red,
as he tried to crank the motor, that would splutter, then stop dead,
and he'd curse and yell at mother, ''pull the choke out when I say''
thick black smoke would fairly billow,when that motor did obey.

Then he'd shout ''well are ya's coming, better climb up on the tray,
and don't let me catch ya's standing, from the side board stay away''
so on board we all would scramble, all eight kids squeezed in the back,
and the old blue dog would follow, as we headed up the track.

Though it's make was well outdated, to us kids no other place
would we rather be on sundays, then right there, wind in our face,
voices ringing loud with laughter, as the buick creaked and churned,
how I wish I could go back there, to those days I long have yearned.
Sue Pearce©

Love it Sue it's great. Did your family attach names and personalities to their cars? I always think cars become just like family members, I know I am always very loath to part with mine and know they always last longer than any marriage or relationship I have had and cost me a darn sight less as well and that is true. My Mazda was 20 years old when she went to God her name was Molly, Ethel my old Escort was about 19 years old and the Caddy Waggon my trusty Nissan Ute is coming up to 24 years Like you I too love those old paddock cars. They may not be allowed on public roads any more but they still have a shelf life and serve a useful purpose, and you don't have to be too precious with the paint work.

Our old Daddo paddock car, had a tin mug permanently attached with string to the dashboard - because every time it rained and you went round a curve a stream of water would pour onto the front passenger seat. Easy to catch in a cup. Never did fix the rust hole in the roof. The back seat was sticky where a drum of molasses had tipped over, and it was plastered with hay from hay bales, so only got to be a real problem in Summer. Repeated lickings by the dogs had got rid of most of it. At the end it had to become a dry weather car only due to having no windscreen as a result of my ex firing a warning shot at my two goats who were clambering on the roof trying to eat the leaves of the silky oak tree in the drought. He was an excellent shot so his story that he just misjudged the angle never really gelled with me. He claimed he was shooting over their heads, but hey presto - a shattered windscreen. Hmmm. Didn't make a damn of difference to Sascha and Tenneille they still clambered over it.

Onya Sue . . and it warms my heart to let you know that my kids regularly ride in the back of my old work ute - up the drive to catch the school bus, down the paddock to get fire wood or down through the scrub to the creek. And when I get home from work they all run out and climb on the side boards as I drive in.

Just thankful it starts a hell-of-a-lot easier than the Old Buick!

Great read that one.

Cheers, Marty

Memories will always hold the good times Sue. Maureen I'm still driving a Nissan dual cab ute 85 model which I've already warned Heather is cleaner in the back tray ( thats cause I replaced it with a 2010 tray after the old one rusted out. It is still in good nick though and roadworthy) I've had it for 26 years.

The front drivers seat is a little low cause the springs have let go but they only offered $ 3000 as a trade so will drive the old girl till she stops.

I had a scrub basher on the block as well Sue it was a ? It was a ? bugger can not remember but I gave it to a mate so his girl could learn to drive a manual when I moved into town. Oh it was a Celica hatch back.

Great story and By the looks of it a memory jogger for many.

Thanks Sue.

She's a beauty Sue kinda like the old Whippet that I learned to drive around the paddocks in.
No brakes had to time your run to the paddock gates and have to open and close them in time or else you had to mend the gate and got a clip under the ear and banned from useing it for a fortnight and that hurt more than the clip under the ear. beauty Sue keep it up

Bill the old Battler

The first car I can remember dad having was an old Morris Minor, sort of olive green in colour. We used to go up to Koetong and Shelley where dad worked for a period of time, and the old morry used to struggle up the steep climb between Old Tallangatta and Koetong. Sometimes she would keep jumping out of first gear, and we'd all have to get out of the car, and dad would carefully turn her around, and drive up in reverse! We would follow on foot, then back in the car and off we'd go.

Thanks for sharing the memories Sue!

Yeah, good yarn Sue, I have also had my fair share of old bombs, can't say I have ever been that attached to any of them though, they are a means of transport............. and income these days, I change my work utes every 18 months or so now, they generally have about 80-90,000 klicks on them by then and I just see them as a toolbox on wheels! I do remember a lot of good times in and around old cars though!

Thanks Maureen, Marty,Bob,Bill and Trace, pleased this one seems to have brought a smile to your faces.
Maureen it was only ever known as THE OLD BUICK, and somehow it just keeps sneaking into conversation whenever we have a family get together, all of these things really happened and many more, Dad tried to reach Mum to drive in it with us kids in the back, it was a rough ride that didn't last too long, Dads nerves couldn't handle it so after much yelling she headed for home,as she approached the front gate, voices telling her to slow down, she mistook the brake for the accelorator and we took the gate post clean out of the ground, she never got behind the wheel again, the impressions from where we hung on were there for years!!! As for letting the tyres down, my brother and I can still feel Dads hand on our ar......s for that.
Glad you all enjoyed the read.
Ps have added an another verse since original posting, keep thinking of new lines to write.
Sue

Thanks Ross, when we were kids we didn't have much in the way of finer things, a station hands wages didn't go far, but we certainly had lots of fun and laughter so the things that bought pleasure to you were easy to get attatched to, we used the Old Buick for everything, rabbitting, crayfishing, shooting and it carted many a sick lamb home to be nursed.These were the days of no television, computers or electronic games, kids made their own fun, thank god I grew up in those days.
Cheers
Sue

I have to agree about growing up in those times Sue, not too sure how many were "the good old days." but some of them sure were!