Profile: Bob Porter

Recently, I was talking with a client having a general discussion about various things. The client asked me how Bob Porter was going. My father’s brother, Ron Telford is married to Bob Porter’s sister, Helene (my ‘Aunty Lane’). I told the client that Bob had unfortunately passed away. This question emphasised the fact that Bob’s passing a few years ago was not marked with much fanfare or publicity. I immediately thought that I should write an article about Bob given his remarkable contribution to the Whitsunday area. Many people now living in the area possibly do not even know who Bob Porter was.

Bob and my Aunty Lane moved to Proserpine from Augathella in 1949. Bob’s parents, George and Thelma, purchased the local Proserpine newsagency and a jewellery business. Bob and Lane attended St Catherine’s Convent School and then went to Nudgee College and Lourdes Hill in Brisbane respectively for their secondary education.

Bob finished school in year 10 and then started working in the family business which included a Queensland Tourist Bureau agency (‘Porters’ Travel’). Bob’s uncle, Doug Robinson, went overseas for twelve months so Bob went to Brisbane to manage his Uncle Doug’s jewellery business in Edward Street. Bob became interested in gemmology and studied to achieve the appropriate qualifications in Australia and Britain and then after two years, he went to America to obtain the equivalent American qualification which then allowed him to work in America for a few months.

Before returning home, Bob travelled through England and Europe and returned home full of enthusiasm and ideas as to how to improve the family business. By this time, Lane was also working in the business.

Bob was very interested in the travel and jewellery aspects of the business which resulted in the diversification of the business such that the newsagency remained where it was and the jewellery and travel businesses were shifted into a new shop in Deicke’s arcade in the main street of Proserpine. George and Thelma then sold the newsagency after twenty years of consistent work which involved long hours, seven days a week.

Porter’s Travel in Proserpine was the managing agent for TAA. The Proserpine Airport opened in 1951 and a daily DC3 service operated between Brisbane and Proserpine.

The Porter family was very involved in the port at Shute Harbour. George Porter was part of a group that walked a track from Airlie Beach to Shute Harbour and was instrumental in establishing a road between Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour. This allowed boats to service the Whitsunday islands in all weather conditions.

It was after the construction of the road to Shute Harbour that the family built the first kiosk at Shute Harbour. This was in 1967. In 1968, TAA purchased the Whitsunday Airport which now, coincidently, is owned by my best friend, Jeffrey Ruddell. Small feeder planes operated from the Shute Harbour Airport and connected with larger planes in Mackay and Townsville. The Porter family were instrumental in the management and the operation of the Whitsunday Airport in conjunction with the kiosk at Shute Harbour.

During this time, the family operated flats on Shute Harbour Road across from the Airlie Beach Hotel. In place of the flats is now a building called “Pacific Place”.

Perhaps the turning point for tourism in the Whitsundays was in 1970 when Bob and the Porter family built the Whitsunday Village which is where Magnums is now situated. This was followed by the construction of the Whitsunday Terraces by the family in 1982. Today the Terraces is surrounded by unit developments built by Bill Sharpe.

Bob was involved in many projects in Airlie Beach including the Wanderers Paradise Resort and he constantly met with and promoted the Whitsundays with travel agents from all over the world. Bob was successful in arranging the first P&O ships to call at the Whitsundays and anchor at Cid Harbour. Bob then arranged for local tourist operators to take boat guests on day trips to the outer reef and the local islands. If that was not enough, Bob was also the founder of the annual “Fun Race” in Airlie Beach. Bob and his friend Allan Southwood were one day sailing in the Whitsundays on their respective vessels. Bob had purchased an old pearling lugger called “Dahlia” and Alan owned the “Torres Herald”. One day, Bob and Alan decided that they would race back to Airlie Beach and the winner would be given a bottle of rum by the loser. This has turned into what is quite possibly one of the largest annual events in the Whitsundays.

As time went on, the family divested itself of its business interests, however, Bob continued to live in Brisbane operating his travel office and continued to promote the Whitsundays. Bob had three children, his first son Christopher from his first marriage to Ann Watt and Jack and Georgina from his marriage to Channel Seven news presenter, Janne Rayner. Sadly, George Porter passed away in September 2006 and Bob not long after that in November 2007. Thelma Porter will turn 96 in August of this year. To the Telford family Thelma is sort of like the Queen Mother. She always conducts herself with great dignity and class and is kind and generous to everyone. I would personally like to wish “Ma” all the best for continued good health and to publicly acknowledge her and recognise her as the remarkable matriarch of the Porter and Telford families and for her family’s significant contribution to the needy through the St Vincent de Paul Society.

My personal recollections of Bob Porter extend back to my childhood with my cousin Paul and sleeping over at the Village Resort in Bob’s unit which was situated above the bar at the front entrance. I also vividly remember the tree house at the front of the Village and going for swims in the tropical lagoon-style swimming pool that Bob had constructed at his house which was situated where Pinnacles Resort now exists. Bob, to me, was a charming, charismatic man with wonderful curly hair. He has probably done more for the Whitsunday region than any other individual. The legacy left by Bob is something that we now all enjoy and that is the world-class tourist destination that Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays have become.

 

It would be my suggestion that at some time, if not now but in the near future, that our local Whitsunday Regional Council make some effort to formally recognise both the economic and charitable contribution made to the Whitsundays by Bob Porter and his family.