We only realised later that the older gentleman sharing the lift with us at the Sydney Opera House was none other than the Australian showbusiness legend, Barry Crocker. He sported dark sunglasses, a black hat, and jacket, and was navigating with a mobility assistance walker. There were just four of us in the lift, all focused on reaching the Concert Hall and finding our seats.
This marked my first experience using the accessibility options at the Opera House. With its vast staircases, the Opera House also features a network of lifts and a team of friendly staff wearing outfits adorned with wheelchair logos, clearly identifying them as aides for individuals with disabilities. Judy, who also has a physical disability, and I were both impressed with the support we received from the moment we arrived at the Opera House, passed through security, and entered the lifts.
The older man and his companion (who appeared to be in his forties), were already in the lift when we joined. We chatted about accessibility at the Opera House and traveled up and down a couple of levels before reaching our destination. Only when he walked out ahead of us, and his companion addressed him by name, did we realise it was Barry Crocker.
Known for his role as the eponymous lead character in “The Adventures of Barry McKenzie,” Barry Crocker was acknowledged in the State Memorial for Barry Humphries which we were attending.
Barry Crocker was the only celebrity we encountered up close, although we did observe other well-known figures, such as former Prime Ministers Malcolm Turnbull and John Howard, seated together, as well as, we believe, Paul Keating.
Despite Barry Humphries falling out of favor in recent years due to his controversial comments on various political and gender-related matters, Judy and I chose to attend. The memorial not only celebrated his comedic creations like Dame Edna and Les Patterson but also highlighted his contributions to music and painting.
In addition to the public aspect of the memorial, there were private moments as family members, including his children, shared insights. Oscar, one of his sons, discussed his own struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, contrasting with Barry’s abstinence from alcohol since the 1970s. The speeches collectively painted a portrait of a man who, while flawed, was undeniably a creative genius.
There was a lengthy queue as we waited to use the lift to get back to the ground level. Ahead of us there were maybe a dozen other people (mostly much older) with a range of walking aids. “This is always the way”, Judy said, adding, “The disability queues are always short to get in, as people come in separately, but they’re always lengthy when everyone tries to leave at the same time”.
It’s always good to hear that less abled are looked after without it being overdone. Humphries was quite good as self analysis and its seems he knew he got it quite wrong in his last performing years, and he was always performing, even when in a serious interview.