Great memories from the 1980;s and early 1990's. Sad that things had to change. No more fishing industry, or hardly anything left of it now. Those were the good old days. What happened to all the deckies, gingerbeers, cooks and mates and skippers? The prawn buyers and the agents? The motherships and the refrigerated transport trucks, netmakers and the ship's chandlers? Boilermakers, electronics experts and hydraulics technicians and refitters? All gone our separate ways I imagine. Here's to the good old Barbary Coast!
A critical doco on the Barbary Coast that captures Jono beautifully. Well done Gary for your contribution to Australia’s maritime heritage. Lasting memory for me was the sign above the pay phone in the Forrest Bar that read. Caution this phone is bugged. Also only bar that the patrons used to sway not from grog but months in the Gulf. Love your work.
Garry, I and the rest of Australia thank you. Your footage of the last decades are not only extreemley important to Australian history, it is immesnley important to world maritime history in general. You are a bloody legend, and for you to upload this material for free is something that needs to be celebrated and honoured. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your generosity will be appreciated for generations to come.
World Heritage destroyed the Fishing and Mining industries that Cairns thrived on. 8,000 jobs lost overnight in a city with a population of 38,500. With no help from State or Federal Governments Cairns was left to transform itself into a 'Tourist Town'. Backpackers started arriving in the late 80's long after the death of the Barbary Coast. Johno and the Montgomery Brothers had the paper bag gig at the Great Northern. Yes they were chasing girlie backpackers, but they were past their prime and into their forties. Backpackers like DJ's, so the Cairns music scene was replaced by dush dush. Dottie ended up at the Stratford hotel but Cairns was no longer Cairns by then.
I was in Cairns in 1972,Drink Waiter at The House on the Hill Restaurant,was a nice place back then over looking the Cane fields,now roof tops,and The Esplanade was mostly Guest House's back then,now it looks like Surfers Paradise with all its Condo's.
I was part of that,and drank with Johno at the Tudur room,he had lost his voice due to self abuse, drunk sleeping head on the bar,you remember that Johno, I was a Machens Beach boy,regarded as dangerous, we raided the northern beachs,got there girls and had fights ,what a great part of Cairns history, Cooktown was great place to party also
I can remember it when the barrier reef hotel was there and the oceanic jono would be playing I told someone recently it was called the Barbary coast back in the day it was a hectic place Cairns has always been a very seedy place
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Great memories from the 1980;s and early 1990's. Sad that things had to change. No more fishing industry, or hardly anything left of it now. Those were the good old days. What happened to all the deckies, gingerbeers, cooks and mates and skippers? The prawn buyers and the agents? The motherships and the refrigerated transport trucks, netmakers and the ship's chandlers? Boilermakers, electronics experts and hydraulics technicians and refitters? All gone our separate ways I imagine. Here's to the good old Barbary Coast!
A critical doco on the Barbary Coast that captures Jono beautifully. Well done Gary for your contribution to Australia’s maritime heritage.
Lasting memory for me was the sign above the pay phone in the Forrest Bar that read. Caution this phone is bugged.
Also only bar that the patrons used to sway not from grog but months in the Gulf.
Love your work.
Garry, I and the rest of Australia thank you. Your footage of the last decades are not only extreemley important to Australian history, it is immesnley important to world maritime history in general. You are a bloody legend, and for you to upload this material for free is something that needs to be celebrated and honoured. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your generosity will be appreciated for generations to come.
Brings back a lot of memories we used to come down from Weipa in the mid seventies and head straight for there
World Heritage destroyed the Fishing and Mining industries that Cairns thrived on. 8,000 jobs lost overnight in a city with a population of 38,500. With no help from State or Federal Governments Cairns was left to transform itself into a 'Tourist Town'. Backpackers started arriving in the late 80's long after the death of the Barbary Coast. Johno and the Montgomery Brothers had the paper bag gig at the Great Northern. Yes they were chasing girlie backpackers, but they were past their prime and into their forties. Backpackers like DJ's, so the Cairns music scene was replaced by dush dush. Dottie ended up at the Stratford hotel but Cairns was no longer Cairns by then.
1993, was that Johnos blues bar?
I was in Cairns in 1972,Drink Waiter at The House on the Hill Restaurant,was a nice place back then over looking the Cane fields,now roof tops,and The Esplanade was mostly Guest House's back then,now it looks like Surfers Paradise with all its Condo's.
I was part of that,and drank with Johno at the Tudur room,he had lost his voice due to self abuse, drunk sleeping head on the bar,you remember that Johno,
I was a Machens Beach boy,regarded as dangerous, we raided the northern beachs,got there girls and had fights ,what a great part of Cairns history, Cooktown was great place to party also
Thank's for that. Pub culture that will never return. Glad I lived it and remember it well. 😢.
I well remember gigging at the barrier reef hotel in the early 2000s.
Especially replacing the flying libidos when they gigged elsewhere.
Loving this, trailblazers for the live music in Cairns, and should never be forgotten
I can remember it when the barrier reef hotel was there and the oceanic jono would be playing I told someone recently it was called the Barbary coast back in the day it was a hectic place Cairns has always been a very seedy place
Thanks for your efforts sharing this ,,, much appreciated
Please do one about the scallops in the boom time Mr Kerr.
The good old days. Great place to grow up
Good old Jonos Blues Bar how Cairns has changed
Great work mate 🇦🇺 👍
Knew it well
fresh