EDITOR’S FOREWORD
‘Finding Noosa – A Diary’ is the story of ‘The Molloy’s, some would say
Queensland’s, if not Australia’s, most notorious political couple in
recent years. Pursuing their own SeaChange experience, Ivan and Cate
Molloy moved to Noosa in the mid 1990s. He, an academic (political
scientist), she a nurse, the Molloys soon became involved in many
dimensions of politics, local, state and national. Over the next ten
years they were involved in endless political controversy. Ivan was
considered ‘a radical’ because of his constant public criticism of the
Howard Government and State and Federal politicians in the local and
national media. Cate Molloy achieved national fame when she entered Qld
State politics and won the un-winnable seat of Noosa from the Liberals
and joined Peter Beattie’s Labor Government. She soon achieved further
media attention when she championed nude bathing on some of Noosa’s
secluded beaches, which attracted the wrath of Premier Beattie and a
cohort of Labor Party ‘Feminazis’.
Over time, the Molloys
became fearless campaigners for many local and national issues, but most
especially against the Iraq War. Together they led an anti-war rally of
over three thousand people along Noosa’s Hastings Street; an event never
before seen in the famous holiday strip. A sort time later they were
engulfed in ongoing controversy which threatened to destroy their public
and private lives. A Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of
the Sunshine Coast, Ivan became an Australian Labor Party candidate in
2004 for the Federal Seat of Fairfax but sparked national controversy
when the media released photos showing him holding a machine gun and
standing alongside Muslim Filipino guerrillas in the Southern
Philippines. Enormous public outcry erupted. Some say the controversy
even cost Labor the election. Nationally Molloy was branded a ‘terrorist
sympathiser’. A heated dispute over his candidacy broke out in the
media, within Federal Parliament and within the Australian Labor Party
itself; and most particularly between Molloy and then ALP leader Mark
Latham. Ironically both later quit the ALP in disgust.
Meanwhile, after becoming
a Surf Life Saver, a decorated Patrol Captain and Vice President of a
Sunshine Coast Surf Club, Ivan attracted more national attention. In
2005 he had an adapted ‘Noosa-Style’ replica of the famous iconic
Melbourne-based ‘Chloe’ nude painting hung in the Surf Club to attract
patronage. However, while it sparked praise from Noosa’s artistic and
progressive community, it provoked a torrent of rage from others about
town.
Within a short time, there
was further community outrage when Ivan and Cate (also an ‘Active’ Surf
Life Saver) were suspended from the Surf Club. The subsequent bitter
dispute within the Club and then within the Surf Life Saving Movement
itself was possibly the longest in the history of Australian Surf Life
Saving. Public controversy, abuse, even assaults became part of the
virtual ongoing ‘civil war’ not only within the Surf Life Saving
community, but Noosa itself over the issue of the Molloy’s actions.
Eventually Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) ruled the Molloys ‘had
brought Surf Life Saving into disrepute’ and suspended them. The
suspension and subsequent expulsion of Ivan Molloy sparked a mass exodus
of both Active and Social members from the local Surf Club and divided
the entire Noosa community.
Meanwhile, Cate Molloy won her second Qld state election in a landslide
against the anti-Labor state trend only to be eventually dis-endorsed
from the State ALP on Premier Beattie’s order. Cate had listened to her
community’s calls to stop the construction of Beattie’s proposed
Traveston Dam which she claimed would be nothing less than economic and
environmental vandalism. Premier Beattie was enraged and moved against
her. Cate Molloy then turned independent only to narrowly lose the 2006
election to the Liberal candidate.
There is much more to this
following account, which as a work of literary ‘faction’ is greatly
inspired by the Molloys experiences and therefore while partly fiction
it covers many factual events. It includes encounters with former Prime
Minister John Howard, current PM Kevin Rudd and many other national
identities. Within this fascinating account Dr Molloy also provides
insights into other national issues including suicide and depression,
community violence, drugs, political rorting and questionable activities
even in the most revered of our public institutions.
This book is based on a
real Australian SeaChange experience. It exposes real life issues and
controversies which affect not only Noosa but echo throughout all
Australian communities. As such, this book has relevance for all
Australians whether city, town, rural or ‘famous’ beach resort dwellers.
It lays bare so many common themes and controversial human frailties
which affect us all at some time in our lives, and sometimes lurk just
below the surface of our many individual, social and institutional
facades.
The Editor,
Rock Mountain Publishing.
