Vale Andrew McMillan

My mate Andrew McMillan died yesterday and I’m not sure the place he held in my heart will ever be filled…Not sure I want it to.
The pictures below were taken in his beloved Larrimah a place only Andrew could love.

Here’s the last time he got behind the wheel

and in a rare moment of self preservation,suggested I get off the middle of the Stuart Highway at 3 in the morning and turn around as a bush fire approached on both sides.

After his diagnosis he chose to go out working , constantly writing and dreaming up new projects like his latest band ” The Rattling Mudguards”

He was the only one that my motives for being in the Territory made sense to, and the big brother I never had.
Like many before me his bunker in Westralia St was my first port of call after I first arrived in Darwin 9 years ago, sitting opposite him surrounded by maps , drafts of novels , model airplanes and the assorted relics he took home after 3 decades of picking over the bones of the Territory I felt like I was at some bizzare job interview with Andrew the CEO of some mysterious organization that may or may not let me in on it’s secrets.
Our conversations were littered with gentle laughter and short pauses as he stopped talking to write down a choice phrase or anecdote for future use , with plans to come together for various projects that intrigued us both…The notion of history and place in a part of the country that had plenty of both if you chose to look as he wisely said “History is on the ground , you just have to look for it”…a bit of advice that I have followed to the letter resulting in our collaboration on my 2009 exhibition 42/45.
I have spent the morning listening to your voice brother, and I am crying!

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 29th, 2012 at 12:25 pm and is filed under 42/45, Mates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.