Liam Phillips
WHEN word got out that John Thorpe and his wife Joy were planning to sell the Gawler Cinema as they looked to retire, Mr Thorpe received a message from someone that had read legendary country musician Smoky Dawson was once hosted at the venue.
That man was Robert McMahon, now in his 90s, who grew up in a Victorian orphanage, like Dawson, where the two met, went on the road together as musicians, and formed a life-long friendship.
Mr Thorpe, after a phone conversation, asked Mr McMahon if he would come up to the Gawler Cinema as his guest and speak to an audience about the life of Smoky Dawson and tell his story.
He agreed, so Mr Thorpe picked up his star attraction from his Prospect home.
When he arrived at Mr McMahon’s home, he was invited inside to see the piles of memorabilia, complete with photos and stories of meetings with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and many more.
“Bob said to me ‘I want you to have this, it’s a jacket that was worn by, and signed by Smoky Dawson’,” Mr Thorpe said.
“I said to him, ‘this is worth more than the Gawler Cinema, it’s a piece of national history’.”
After he had told his stories, and watched a movie, the two went to lunch before eventually dropping Mr McMahon home, where he was caring for his injured wife.
“I said Bob, I want to thank you,” Mr Thorpe said.
“But Bob said to me, with tears in his eyes, ‘thank you, this is the best day I’ve had in years’.”
The two have stayed in touch since, exchanging Christmas cards and gifts, with Mr Thorpe pointing out just how generous, and kind-natured his new friend is – even offering to donate original cartoons drawn by Smoky decades ago.
He plans on framing the jacket, along with something signifying Robert McMahon, and while he would like to display it in the cinema, he said that when he leaves, the jacket is coming with him.
“I’m a big country fan. I have a room at home dedicated to the American Red Indians and a lot of memorabilia,” Mr Thorpe said.
“I have a lot of John Wayne stuff there, so he can be the legend of America, and Smoky can be my legend of Australia.”
Mr Thorpe said that when Mr McMahon’s wife gets out of hospital, he will pick them up from their Prospect home, take them to a movie, and out to lunch, where the three can exchange more stories and enjoy each other’s’ company.