The Bastard from the Bush: An Australian Life by Jarratt John

Author:Jarratt, John
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Autobiography, Australian film, Australian TV, Australian theatre, Non-fiction, Noni Hazlehurst, Wolf Creek, Mick Taylor, Ned Kelly, Picnic at Hanging Rock, John Jarratt, Charlie Jarratt, Will Jarratt, Better Homes and Gardens, Django Unchained
ISBN: 9781760401016
Publisher: Echo Publishing
Published: 2015-09-11T04:00:00+00:00

My addictions

In writing this book, I don’t intend to hurt anyone, put anyone down unnecessarily or write too much about the darker things that have happened between me and others. One, because I don’t want to implicate anyone, and two, it’s nobody else’s business.

I wouldn’t have written this book while my father was still alive, as it would have hurt him. If there is an afterlife, I’m sure from that lofty position he understands.

Having said that, I’m not too afraid to talk about my own defects, otherwise this book won’t make sense. As a young man I got a bit of a reputation as a hard-fighting, fast-driving, womanising party animal. I was none of those, but I’m an alcoholic–addict and when under the influence I can become that person. Instant arsehole: just add alcohol. I chain-smoked marijuana, snorted cocaine when I could afford it, took tabs of acid and engaged in binge drinking.

Alcohol was the daddy of them all for me. If I hadn’t had so much weed in my life, I think I would have been drunk a lot more. I was the type of drunk who’d be sent to get a carton of milk and return four hours later, drunk as a skunk without the milk. I used to say smugly, ‘I’m weak, therefore I’m strong, I stay strong and don’t drink because it’s trouble.’ I thought because I got drunk on occasions and not every day, I was in control. I later learnt that it’s not how much you drink, it’s what it does to you.

When I get drunk I can be the all-singing, all-dancing life of the party. I could be having the time of my life doing the flamenco on a table when the host would come up and ask me to stop as I was scratching the crap out of his table. I’d jump off the table and smack him in the mouth and start seriously flirting with his wife, who’d be screaming at me because I’ve KO’d her husband. Sound a bit far-fetched? Well, that happened and it wasn’t unusual.

In June 1990 I had an a-ha moment. I looked back at all the disasters within my relationships, especially with Rosa, and 99 per cent of them had happened when I was drunk. I have never had a mistress or a long-running affair, but I have got drunk and been lustful. Usually I’ve been too drunk to get anywhere unless I’ve happened upon a woman who’s as drunk as I am, or someone who wants to sleep with an actor. I have been guilty of one-night stands, not that many. I’m more guilty of making an arse of myself under the influence, in public places. This has given fuel to the rumour of me playing the field. In reality, most times I ended up face first in the field.

I’ve always loved Rosa deeply and I always will. Back in the day, when I was guilty of this behaviour, I ached to my core at what I’d done.

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