No matter what obstacles appeared on the horizon, Run 2612, The 50th Anniversary of Hashing in WA and of the Perth Hash House Harriers was going to start on the steps of Parliament House with the Harriers sent on their way by The Premier.
Subtle car park changes and negotiations with Government Departments by Seagull, Sir Knob and others, Bushie interviewing ER or UT (Extinction Rebellion/ Urban Terrorists) who, as it turned out, knew about Hash and said they wouldn’t interfere with us and a nudge to the start time, coupled with a well marked trail from the bucket to the actual start, set the stage for a fantastic celebration. With Hashmen from Hamersley, Harriettes, West Coast, Corio Bay and other clubs, and old members returning for the event, even Soapie from Thailand, there was a very large pack.
As the pack assembled for photos on the steps, The Premier arrived and after some photos with the assembled pack, proceeded to the top of the steps where he spoke of the history of Hashing from Kuala Lumpur and its eventual arrival in Perth. With the formalities over, he declared the start of the run “On On that way to the left, or if you were on the ground it was to the right.” Just proves how apolitical Hash is.
The pack headed off to the city, a drink stop and then Jacob’s Ladder. From all reports received to date, it was well marked, well set and a very enjoyable run.
The circle was called, or in this case a polygon and the formalities started.
The welcome is reproduced in full here.
Visitors and Returnees.
Welcome everyone to the 50th Anniversary celebration of Hashing in Perth and of the Perth Hash House Harriers. Perth Hash is the 4th oldest club in Australia and along with Canberra, a daughter of Mother Hash. It is also the mother of 10 other Hash clubs in WA, across the nation and the world., including Honiara in the Solomon Islands, Jersey in the UK and Santa Cruz in Bolivia. God knows how many grandchildren and further generations have sprung from there.
50 years ago some intrepid Hashmen set off on what was the first run, but as there are so many visitors here tonight, I thought it best to get four outstanding Hashmen to represent all of us. The rest of you can do your own down downs. So, representing those first Hashmen, Foundation Members and Life Members of Perth Hash, Cans and St Peter.
Representing all of those Hashmen who missed the first run, but have joined since, some have left and others have stuck like the proverbial. A Hashman who started on Run 14 and hasn’t missed one since, Pitt.
In February 1970 this next Hashman was just past a twinkle in his dad’s eye, but not yet making his mark on the world, or his mother’s tummy for that matter, as he didn’t take his first breath until Run 30. So representing all those Hashmen born after the start of Perth Hash, Seagull.
Instead of having a racist, sexist, politically incorrect joke on such an auspicious occasion, the On Sec instead reminisced about the state of the world at the time of the birth of Perth Hash, included by request.
| Back in 1970, the world was a very different place, There was a famine in east Africa and many in the Western World were volunteering to go there and assist. This included some from Australia. Anyway, there was a good looking girl over there dishing it out…. the food I mean, and she was kidnapped by an African war lord. As I said, it was a very different world and the Iranian Army was over there as peace keepers. Soon they rescued her and, as she was very good looking, she ended up in a prince’s harem.Remember that there were no mobile phones back then and you had to book trunk calls. The UN was able to get a message to her family back in Australia that she was all right.Eventually, after quite a few weeks, she was able to contact her family in Australia. Her mother said, “But why didn’t you try to escape?” To which she replied, “It was like this… I’d rather be pleasantly perforated by the perfumed penis of a Persian Prince than have my belly button battered by the bouncing balls of a Biafran Bandit.” |
The Grand Master then presented Cans and St Peter with Founding Member shirts which said on the back,“I’m over 70 and have been running Hash for over 50 years.”The RA then took over with down-downs for Hashmen with over 40 years experience and then he told his joke.After all of this, it was time for a feed and a great job was done by Dick Tracey and his helpers, cooking the chicken breast fillets which were consumed with with bread rolls and salads.More drinking and interacting with the other clubs, finally brought the night to a close at around 9:30.All in all a very pleasant conclusion to the evening.From the congratulatory messages received on the night and over the next couple of days, it was a roaring success. So well done everyone involved.Here is a list of our daughter clubs.
Descendants:
Honiara H3 [SLB 1973],
Casuarina H3 [AUS 1973],
Perth HH Harriettes [AUS 1978],
Hamersley H3 [AUS 1978],
South of Perth H3 [AUS 1981],
Bendigo H3 [AUS 1985],
Jersey H3 [GBR 1986],
Santa Cruz H3 [BOL 1990],
Perth Bush H3 [AUS 1998],
West Coast H3 [AUS 2002]
50 Year Anniversary
Saturday at the Pickering Brook Sports Club, started with some early starters arriving at around noon to find Growie already set up from the night before.
As the attendees arrived to set up camp, some on the top car park, others at the back of the oval and the non campers trickling in right up to the 4:00pm run start, lots of stories were exchanged and contacts re-established.
The Hare, Boner explained that the trial was uphill, except when it was down hill or on the flat. Off went the pack, walkers included for a ramble through the hills and bush to a drink stop and then a return journey back to the club.
There were some stories from the outgoing GM and Nanny had a Hard Quiz section whilst everyone was assembled on the lawn. After some showers for those smelly ones, and the arrival of 200 cars from the Ford Car Club, the food was served just as it started to rain.
The car club’s band struck up and was still going when the last of the car club members left, so the Hashmen, wives and partners, took over the dance floor. When the band finished and was packing up, an executive decision by GM Barcode, saw them stay for another set, thereby ensuring that those Hashmen who weren’t worn out from running up and down hills were knackered from dancing.