Cees Koeman

Story

A sense of adventure, having an ex-cowboy living next door, & a headmaster who encouraged us to embrace the whole world, were all factors in me leaving my beautiful small rural village (horticulture, tulip farms, pear orchards) in the north of Holland. At 14 I wanted to go anywhere. My father insisted I have a trade so I was apprenticed to the local builder/joiner 5 _ days a week (summer 55 hours, winter 50). $12/week in the first year. 4 years later & night school, I got my diploma.

At that time the Dutch Government actively promoted immigration of its own citizens and paid 50% of their fare. Since my only possessions were an old rusty bicycle and a box of tools, I gladly accepted the offer. The Australian Government paid the other 50%; they could see the benefit in getting us here. The Dutch Government was terrified of running out of space for its citizens; lots of babies after the war! Many very large rural families immigrated. Another reason for wishing to see the world was my refusal to do national service. I received my call up papers when I was on the immigrant departure list. I remember my visit to the Australian immigration office in the Hague. I had studied some English and learnt some slang. I passed quickly. Previously I had put my name down for South Africa, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, U.S. but Australia was lucky to get me!

The flight aboard a DC4 PHTLW, ‘Lazy Willem’ 4 props, sometimes 3, was an experience for an 18 year old. On boarding at Amsterdam airport, a government official said ‘be good citizens of your new country and quickly assimilate.’ Waving goodbye was exciting for me, but later I realised the trauma for my Mum and Dad. At that time, it was goodbye forever. You went and did not come back. I have been back 29 times since 1967, once in 1958 as a deckhand on a Norwegian ship. The flight out to Oz was 7 days and nights. Amsterdam-Rome: first spaghetti delicious. Cairo: so many pyramids, low flying. Basra: desert refuelling. Karachi: hot and millions of people. Calcutta: beggars in gutters, babies without limbs. Singapore: rest day for the crew, stayed at Raffles, white suited Planters. A steward dressed as Neptune threw a bucket of water over us in the plane when crossing the equator. 1 meal ticket, 1 drink voucher (soft drink) for each day. Jakarta: hot, refuelling, lunch then long haul to Perth. I have a fascination with cartography, and I had drawn and redrawn as a boy the NW Cape Exmouth Gulf. I recognised it immediately as the first landfall from 4000 feet up in the air! Coincidence. At Perth it was over with the luxury KLM hotels. Iron barracks at the airport. Next day to Melbourne where each person was handed 25 pounds, and you were on your own. Next morning to Hobart by DC3. No one to meet me but I had an address; there were 3 village men already there. One, who had a brand new gleaming Hillman Minx, said ‘See that car? You don\’t get that by working, you go to the races!’ Each Saturday afternoon he\’d arrive at my boarding house (5 pounds/week including meals and cut lunch) with heaps of money. After 3 weeks I relented and went with him to try his ‘system\’ and lost my first 3 weeks wages (15 pounds/week). I have never been back. I could sense my Mum and Dad watching me from afar!

Sunday in Hobart in 1953: a young man looking for some life; a lonely time. Just one milkbar. Still, there was the occasional Saturday night dance, no drink, but a bottle in the bushes. A fortunate meeting with Hobart bushwalkers; a bunch of tough men and women. I joined and it set me on a course which became my life\’s work and play: I was introduced to skiing in Tasmania and got the bug. I must have climbed almost every mountain looking for snow. I realised there were bigger mountains on the mainland. I got a job at the Chalet at Charlottes Pass in the Snowy Mountains, worked there for 3 great years. From 1960 I have been involved in various aspects of the development of Thredbo as a ski resort Ð creating ski trails, operating ski lifts, etc. In 1963 I married Ann and in 1966 we built our guest chalet in Thredbo Ð Kasees Lodge. Our lodge was entirely built by immigrants and mostly by hand. Hungarian architect/builder, Yugoslav bricklayers, Greek labourers, German stonemasons and plumbers, Italian carpenters, German painter, and me, a boy from Holland! Ann and I still own and operate our beautiful lodge. We have two daughters born in Thredbo and I enjoy skiing and have many other interests.

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