Bagdad Online Access Centre

Gordon Mann

It’s Blissful in Our Bagdad. As reported by the Herald Sun on the 9th March 2003

There has been a mini-invasion in Bagdad, but the locals aren’t too worried. They reckon all those mainlanders are moving to Bagdad for the open air and the lifestyle. That’s Bagdad, Tasmania, about a half-hour drive north of Hobart, where the round hills gently rise on either side of the Midlands Highway. They are a friendly bunch in Bagdad welcoming to newcomers and happy to chat to strangers passing through. This sleepy valley is 13,000km from its Iraqi namesake and a world away from the threat of weapons and violence.
People here are more bothered by drought and the threat of bushfires, unemployment and the rising price of petrol.
Dig a little deeper though, and almost everyone in Bagdad has an opinion about the impending war.

Bagdad’s population of about 650 is spread throughout the valley’s dips and rises.

The areas hubs are the Bagdad Community Club, the primary school, church and general store.
Kylie works in the general store and post office, which her parents own, and greets almost every customer by name.
Everybody knows everybody else around here, and most are happy to stay right where they are.
“I lived on the mainland for a while, but I came back – it's home” Kylie said.

Friend and co-worker Jodie Stewart left Sydney’s rat race for Bagdad a year ago with her husband and daughter.
It’s a very quiet way of life, a very tight community sprit,” she said.
In the evenings, the locals filter into the Community Club for a few beers and a yarn with manager Geoff King.
Among the crowd are fathers, sons and cousins, many related to “Powder”, 74 who props up the bar each evening.
Powder – real name Dennis Hill – was born in a house up the road and worked with explosives – a powder monkey – on the roads. Only one of Powders five children lives outside Bagdad – the rest are content to stay in their peaceful haven.
But it is hard to ignore the outside world when you have US President George W Bush on the news on the club’s corner TV.
“A lot of people don’t want to know about this”, Powder’s nephew, Chris Cartledge, said as he motioned towards the screen. Chris and his mate Digger reckon Baghdad, Iraq, is about as different as you can get from their neck of the woods.
“We haven’t got palaces or anything,” Digger said. “The peasants here run the place,” said Chris.
But they believe the ordinary Iraqi is not much different to them. “I feel the general population would be like us – it’s unfortunate they are in a dictatorship,” Chris said. “The poor buggers haven’t got freedom or choice- they have got nothing.”
There was not much support for a war among the people of Bagdad.
One of the town’s newcomers, retired engineer Graeme Roberts, wonders if President Bush is trying to finish off the job started by his old man. Graeme, who is planting a vineyard in Bagdad with his family, thinks Prime Minister Howard support of the US is not in keeping with values that Australians hold dear.
“Australia is all about relationships, helping other people and looking after each other,” he said.

Gordon Mann, who has lived in Bagdad for most of his 64 years, reckons Saddam is an evil bloke. He has no time for war. “What do you want a war for?” he said. “Make them (world leaders) go to church and say their prayers – if they keep praying to God, he’ll help them sort out their problems.”
Bagdad residents are united in another opinion – that they wouldn’t live anywhere else. “You won’t find a much better place to live than Bagdad,” Gordon said.
Former Sydney resident Lorraine Bennett who managers the Bagdad Online Access centre, agrees. “When the bombs start falling, I’ll be in the right Bagdad.” she said.
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