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The 26-metre Japanese trawler Konpira Maru 15 was beached on Bathurst Island during cyclone Tracy.
On Chattarton’s initiative he and Hawks, using the Larrpan, successfully salvaged the abandoned vessel and
withstood the subsequent legal challenges by an Aboriginal group from Bathurst Island and then by the former
owners. After two months repairs, mainly to the electrical system and engine room, the Konpira was ready for sea.
On the 26 August 1975 it was chartered by Kerry Packer to take him and a TCN9 television crew to Dili. Despite
also having a medical team and supplies on board, the Portuguese would not issue an entry permit and Australian
customs had only cleared the Konpira to Bali. Two weeks earlier the Timor Democratic Union (UDT) had staged a
coup ahead of the Portuguese withdrawal from East Timor which was scheduled for the following October. Strong
fighting between the pro-Portuguese UDT and the more radical independence group Fretilin had resulted in many
refugees fleeing to Indonesia and Australia. Hawks found the fighting in Dili ‘haphazard and very disorganised’
with several mortars narrowly missing the Konpira but sinking a Perkins barge nearby. Hawks took Packer and
a group of evacuees several days later 20 miles offshore to the Portuguese controlled Atauro Island where some
aircraft were still operating, then returned to Dili. Neither Hawks nor Chattarton were directly involved in any of
the fighting between the UDT and Fretilin, and were able to move around and meet with various organisations
before departing Dili. The Konpira returned to Darwin on 4 September with 176 (mainly Chinese) evacuees; one
had died and a baby had been born during the voyage. Brian Peters, who had shared Hawks’ cabin on the journey
to Dili, returned to East Timor on 12 October and was one of the five news crew shot at Balibo on 17 October.
In 1975, while Hawks was in Singapore arranging Panamanian registration for the Konpira, Chattarton had
gone to the assistance of a crippled yacht the Brigadoon and towed it from Macassar to New Zealand. Hawks
decided to leave the partnership with Chattarton, and Martin Johnstone, another of the latter’s partners, purchased
Hawks’ 49% share of the Konpira.
After then Hawks, Thien and James lived a relatively quiet lifestyle at Ludmilla, Darwin. Thien was a member
of the Indonesian Consulate staff, James studied at the Northern Territory University and Hawks was involved with
the East Point Artillery Museum and conducted a small picture framing business.
P Barry, The Rise And Rise Of Kerry Packer, 1993; R Hall, Greed, 1981; Northern Territory News, August–September 1975; Northern Territory
Archives Service, Oral History Collection, S Hawks, 1988; Royal Australian Navy File 1932/3/51.
RUARY BUCKNALL, Vol 3.
HAYDON, LAURENCE JOHN (JACK) (1918– ), Citizen Military Force officer and insurance consultant,
was born on 18 February 1918 in Launceston, Tasmania, a descendant of John Haydon who died on 9 March 1587
and whose tomb is found in the Church of St Mary at Ottery in the County of Devon, England. John Haydon was
a Bencher of Lincoln’s Inn, and builder of Cadhay, a fine Tudor mansion. In 1545, John Haydon was made one of
the first four Governors of the Church of St Mary at Ottery.
After completing his schooling at Wellington Square Practising School, Haydon joined the 12th Battalion
(the Launceston Regiment) as a Cadet on his 15th birthday, and then enlisted in the Militia two years later on his
17th birthday, 18 February 1935.
He served with the 12th Battalion during the period of voluntary enlistment, whilst employed as a grocer,
as a member of the Horse Transport Section in Headquarters Wing, and in his first year of service won the
King’s Trophy marksmanship award of the National Rifle Association. The battalion was reconstituted as the
12th/50th Battalion with effect from 1 December 1936, and was mobilised for war service in 1939. Haydon
attained the rank of Sergeant, and was then commissioned on 7 January 1940 with the rank of Lieutenant. Upon
the outbreak of the Second World War, he served on full-time duty with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), with
the 12th/50th Battalion in Launceston, the 10th/48th Battalion AIF in Darwin, and the 2/6th Cavalry Regiment
AIF in the Northern Territory. He was present in Darwin during the first and several of the subsequent Japanese air
raids and served a total of two years in the Northern Territory. He transferred to the Reserve of Officers in 1945,
but maintained his military connections as a member of the 12th Battalion Rifle Club.
From 1945 to 1957 he worked in the field of automotive engineering, while from 1957 to 1963 he worked
with Ajax Insurance Company in Launceston as an engineer; he was appointed Justice of the Peace for Tasmania
in 1958. Upon the raising of a Citizens’ Military Force (CMF) by voluntary enlistment in 1948, he joined the 6th
Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery and served as a Lieutenant and Captain. The unit was
redesignated 6th Field Regiment in 1950 and re-equipped with 25 pounders, and Haydon continued to serve until
- He was Officer Commanding A Troop, P Battery, and fired the Royal Salute for the visit of Her Majesty the
Queen to Tasmania in 1954, and was then Officer Commanding R Battery, at full strength with National Service
trainees. In 1959 he was nominated to become Commanding Officer of the 6th Field Regiment, but was instead
transferred to the Infantry Corps, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed Commanding Officer of the
12th Battalion (the Launceston Regiment). He retained his link with artillery, however, as parade commander on
7 May 1960 during the 100th anniversary celebration of the Launceston Volunteer Artillery.
He presided over the 12th Battalion’s celebration of 100 years of volunteer service in Tasmania at this time, and
successfully applied for the award of the Battle Honour ‘Goodenough Island 1942’ to the 2/12th Battalion AIF, for
an action there (as Drake Force) on 22–26 October 1942. He was the Battalion’s 24th and last Commanding Officer,
and was responsible for laying-up the Colours of the 12th Battalion in the Launceston Town Hall on 7 May 1960,
prior to the battalion’s incorporation into the Royal Tasmanian Regiment. From 1 July 1960, under the Pentropic
organisation, Army Reserve units were grouped geographically within State-based regiments. Haydon thus became
Officer Commanding, Launceston Company of the 1st Battalion, Royal Tasmanian Regiment (1RTR), between