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Freewheelers: How Two Aussie Brothers Survived the Sixties

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Sex, drugs, free love, peace, war, the space age, man on the moon, the verge of nuclear destruction ..... these two brothers nearly missed it all! Funny, sad, poignant. A journey of family history, from Lancaster, UK and Brno in Czechoslovakia, to a new satellite settlement for migrants in Australia in the 1960's. A story that traverses the destruction and displacements of world wars and communist takeovers, family fortunes and structures torn apart. To a new start, in a new land that provided two brothers freedom to freewheel their way in blissful ignorance and enjoy a childhood as childhood should be - free and fun."Many people talk about how difficult their childhoods were, how their mum or dad didn't understand them and how still to this day they cannot forgive them. For those people I feel sorry. My childhood was a blast. I loved every minute of it. Sure, it had its moments and challenges but I don't think I would want to change a thing. You see, I was fortunate to grow up to be a '60s child. No, not the free-loving, drug-taking, anti-war protesting teenager so often portrayed during the '60s. But a "Freewheeler", happy-go-lucky, adventure-filled kid who could roam the streets in gangs with his mates on two- or three-wheel bikes, investigating untold fields, creeks and drains of the inner suburb and new satellite cities, like Elizabeth in South Australia, which were popping up around Australia to house the influx of migrants - particularly the "Ten Pound Poms," or the "Whinging Poms" as many came to be called. "Whinging" because they came and complained relentlessly about how much better it was in England. Well, that's how it seemed to us local Aussies at the time. In reality, whilst there definitely were "whingers", most were courageous families that travelled halfway across the world to start a new life in a young, unsophisticated country such as Australia was then and into new urban experiments like Elizabeth. Elizabeth was where Tony and I lived for the majority of our childhood. This story is dedicated to the wonderful memories I have of this time.Sadly, for the parents and kids of today, our children are generally not able to experience the space and freedom we had - through either the inherent dangers of inner-city living, the increased pace and density of population, or our own lack of trust in others to allow our children to have the space and freedom that we Freewheelers of the '60s grew up with. This story is also a message of sorts for parents of today to connect with this time and its spirit and adopt them in today's parenting ways - so parents get themselves and their children away from the TV, computer, or game consoles, and out into the sunshine and the streets together - swapping their child's tablet or smartphone for the tactile experience of a real book. When I became a parent, I wanted my two children Nicholas and Kate to somehow experience this freedom I enjoyed. But due to my own fears and societal expectations about providing protection against the many evils of today, I don't think I was able to do it to the extent I wanted. The best I could do was rent a house located on ten acres that would allow them the space and freedom to get out, unaccompanied and unburdened by parental overlord supervision, and encourage them to read books, draw, make things with wood and nails, and ride a bike. Hopefully Nick and Kate have grown up with their own wonderful memories and will be able in years to come to regale others with how wonderful their childhood was. To them, my mum and dad and all the Freewheelers of this time, I dedicate this book." - Gary Bohanes

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