Neil Wilkinson
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Admitted as a Solicitor in the 20th December, 1973, after having married Mary in 1970. Was with what then was Payne & Grose (Fred Grose.....John's father), Solicitors of Bourbong Street, Bundaberg through my period of Articles, leading up to Admission.

John and I had a great time 'working' there as Articled Clerks, and some of the stuff we both got up to had roots from my time at the BHS. He and I had our own Offices, separated by a three-quarter height wall, and connected by a door-less gap. His Office was in front of mine, which gave me a strategic advantage. The 'door less gap' was to my right. The three quarter height wall was perfect for all sorts of airborne attacks, and the gap allowed for many a cowardly ambush from behind. Some of the weapons were quite ugly........e.g. a piece of hard wood, turned into cylindrical shape about eight inches long (I think it was originally part of some ancient roneo machine, or similar) was the perfect device for smacking Grosey right on the 'funny' elbow joint.

Possession of said piece of hard wood was a much fought over thing.

So, not much Law/Work was done, but we each managed to have Hanger CJ of the Qld Supreme Court say, in my case, "Let Mr Wilkinson be admitted."

In 1974, the Firm did not have anough room for Grosey and I, and I drew the short straw. So off Mary and I, with daughter Helen, went to Rockhampton, where I was the 'inaugural' Solicitor for the Rockhampton Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Legal Service. Good Elde Whitlam ...... thanks Gough!

I stayed with that Legal Service until about 1978, and then joined one of the longest standing Firms in Qld, Rees R. and Sydney Jones, in Rocky. Would you believe that, eventually, I handed the reins over to none other than Peter Barson.

While there in Rocky, we had a mysterious visitor. One Howard Percival Bamsey was en route on some Diplomatic Spy Mission from NG. He had a Brief Case, which, I tells ya, he went to bed with ........ the Bugger would not tell me what was in it. Maybe he will in October!

Son Ben, born. Helen is now 36, and Ben will be 34 in August. Helen marries a week before the Re-Union, so I will be broke. Your shout, Eastgate!

Ben and Carolyn have produced my first Grandson, Matthew Jack W, now 23 months.

Mary and I separated, and she returned to Bundy with the kids. Virtually, simultaneuously, my old Firm asked me to return to handle all their Court work, and I took the opportunity to return to Bundy which was great, not only work-wise, but because I would be able to see the Helen and Ben easily.

While in Rocky, I was the 'keeper for their Rep. Cricket Team ...... cricket being the Sport I had maintained interest in. It was quite funny that there was one occasion when Rocky played Bundy, and I was back Home playing against my old friends. I can't recall whether Keith Fagg was part of the Bundy Team, but he probably was, as he has been a stalwart for Bundy Cricket over many years.

So, there I was, after returning to Bundaberg from Rocky. This is the late 70's early 80's. I developed what was regarded by my peers, as the most successful Criminal Law Practice outside Brisbane, and I successfully defended many hundreds of Defendants/Accused, personally. I never engaged a Barrister, preferring to do the Advocacy myself.  Many a story available but one of the best involved a polaroid photo of my daughter, Helen. Ask me in October!

Continued playing Cricket and a highlight was playing for Bundy against the WA Sheffield Shield Side which included, Langer, Woods, Hughes, Marsh, Lillie, Alderman et al. I took a blinder of a catch down leg-side off Langer, bowled Jeff Gear who had been an Australian School Boy Rep. Got an offer to go to WA to be under-study to Marsh, but let it slip ......... duh!!!!!! I claim the title of being the only 'Cricketer' ever bowled by Kim Hughes. Ask me in October!

Formed a Partnership with The Indian Bride, Umi, in the early 80's and inherited two Step-Daughters. The Eldest has presented me with the young female delight of my latter life, Grand-Daughter, Sasha, now 10, and more recently, Jileila (where do they get these names), now 23.5 months, about the same age as Matt.

In 1983, The Indian Bride announced that she "had a Job on the Sunshine Coast, and was I coming?". So, that involved leaving what then was Payne, Grose & Redhead, and setting up again here on the Coast.

That turned out to be a good move. It took the Boy out of Bundy, but not Bundy out of the Boy.

Since then, we have developed our Base here, and now, Umi and I rattle around a six bedroom Home, on Bokarina Beach.

I continued in Law, and then, in 2001, accepted a position with a 'large' Corporation here, which was headed by Alison Kerr-Jones (now Grosse) OAM, as Board Chairman.

Her story featured on the ABC's "Australian Story" and if you were watching you would have seen, Yours Truly, all too often.

I played a prominent role in her legal land-mark "stalking" action against that Corporations GM, and it all became quite political, reaching the august heights of the Cole Royal Commission into the Building Industry. I suffered some collateral damage at the hands of Cole in 2002-03. [For the outcome, see below]. Ask me in October ..... and especially ask me if I believe Cole to be an agenda driven Commissioner! The AWB have probably had their fingers in the cookie-jar, but they are right to attack Cole. I saw him in action first hand.

Moving right along ....... after ensuring, with Grosse, that the Corporation [which employed thousands of Apprentices] would survive with a new structure, I really was no longer required there, so I took a Locum position on Bribie Island until 30th June 2004, when I decided to get out of Law.

That I did, and we commenced to operate three Cabs. That is now four, and I drive ...... day-time only. Ask me in October!

I am now your official Taxi Driver!

[And the outcome from all that grief with the Cole Royal Commission? Cole reported in February 2003. Among his report's many conclusions were four "adverse findings" against me, in relation to a loan, loan documentation, a transfer of title to property, and payment by the company of land tax. These were referred to the Legal Services Commission (a government body), which referred them on to the Law Society. In January 2006, the Law Society eventually got around to commencing an investigation. I provided detailed written responses to the accusations.

In September 2006, the Legal Services Commission finally advised me that:

So that little episode is finally over. Thanks very much, Commissioner Cole.]

Created: 19 July 2006 - Last Amended: 12 April 2007 by Roger Clarke - Site Last Verified: 15 February 2009
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