The Car Pool

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It was 1959, and Graham Kennedy had just taken delivery of a brand-new white Holden FC station wagon. He'd traded in his beloved Vauxhall and was itching to show off the Holden on a jaunt to Geelong for an outside broadcast of IMT. The entire GTV9 crew was often deployed to various locations on Friday nights, and this trip had been in the works for ages. Being close to Melbourne, a car pool was organised, and the notice usually went up outside the maintenance department on Thursday.

The station buzzed with chatter and friendly jostling about who would score a ride with Graham, the station’s most flamboyant and adored personality. Who would it be? There was room for at least two passengers. Surely it would be Panda and Tom Miller, the producer. The person preparing the list faced a real conundrum! In the end, they hit on the perfect solution: pair the most popular with the second most popular, and toss in the most introverted person on the staff for good measure.

On Thursday, the noticeboard was a hive of activity, with everyone peering and speculating. Finally, the list went up:

G. Kennedy, J. Allen, A. McKean

I barely slept that night. On the day of the broadcast, I was waiting nervously in the GTV9 maintenance department. Graham strolled in with a broad smile, “Where’s Andrew?” he called. I peeked out from behind a camera I was tinkering with and introduced myself. “Come with me,” he said, and I followed him to the car park, acutely aware of the envious stares. There it was, his gleaming new FC Holden. To my astonishment, he walked to the passenger side, opened the door, and beckoned me to sit. Shortly after, Joff Allen arrived and took the rear seat. We set off, Graham driving with great care, as the car was brand new.

Navigating through Melbourne’s bustling streets, we stopped at the traffic lights at Swanston and Bourke. “Look, isn’t that Graham? And Joffa! Who’s that young guy in the front?” The traffic stopped, pedestrians gawked and pointed. The lights turned green, and I couldn’t resist giving a cheeky royal wave as we glided past. During the trip to Geelong, I sat in awe, listening to Graham and Joffa’s non-stop stories and laughter. I hardly said a word. Upon arriving in Geelong, Graham found the OB van and dropped me off with a courteous handshake and smile, as did Joffa. I scurried into the van, just in time for rehearsal.

Graham had impeccable manners and a unique ability to make people feel at ease. He was a true gentleman, admired and respected by all—a real top bloke, the nicest person I’ve ever met.