The Other Brother.

The Other Brother

Geoff Elliott

Allen and Unwin

ISBN 1741143241 A$24.95 194 pages.

The Other Brother is the story of Simon Holmes a Court, the younger brother of Robert, the West Australian billionaire. Unexpectedly it's a fairly ordinary story of a rather quiet, shy young man making a career first as a wild life protection officer in the then Bechuanaland Protectorate (now independent Botswana). After independence, having to leave the British Crown service, he decided to start up a yacht charter business but first had to find a boat and learn to sail. Unfortunately this enterprise did not prosper so he then decided to make a wild life documentary film whilst sailing round the world. He completed his filming and spent a year or so editing the film footage he had taken but found no takers for the finished film. He then returned to Botswana starting out again as a sculptor.

What is puzzling is that in June 1977, at the age of 37, he suddenly disappeared. His vehicle was found abandoned some two days drive away from his home in a remote forest. Moreover the vehicle identity had been defaced as if someone did not want the identity of the owner to become known.

Three years later some girls out cutting twigs to make brooms stumbled across a skeleton which was presumed to be that of Simon. Alongside was a double-barrelled shotgun, one shell still unfired. An inquest was held and the case closed. The official cause of death was found to be an accident or suicide and it was also found that no one else was responsible for the cause of death.

All of this was reported in the South African press but did not get exposure in Australia where his mother and brother lived. This is not really surprising as he wasn't an Australian or a resident of Australia and his story wasn't unique.

So how did Elliott get involved? It seems that Elliott began his career as a journalist in Western Australia where, amongst other stories, he reported on the rise of Robert Holmes a Court. Later he moved to Europe and then to South Africa, working in Cape Town. A colleague there mentioned that he had gone to school with the Holmes a Court brothers and that Simon had disappeared. This was the first time that Elliott knew that there was a younger brother and he became intrigued (obsessed) by the story. This book is the result of the research that followed.

It would appear that Simon was a somewhat foolhardy young man and early on in his sailing career was 'lost at sea' between Maputo (Lourenco Marques) and Durban. Fortune smiled on him and he was rescued by a passing oil tanker. However he had run up a huge debt for the rescue. In settlement for the rescue and towing, and to pay the cost of repairing his yacht, he agreed to a sailing trip up the east coast of Africa, ostensibly a charter trip for two rich tourists.

In reality this was electronic surveillance or spying trip where he also honed up his skills as a sailor. Another sailboat and a round the world sailing trip followed, ostensibly to film wild life. Unfortunately his film was not the commercial success Simon had hoped for and he ended up back in Botswana starting a new career as a sculptor. His friends say that he had a natural ability and could have become well known. During this time, he apparently became involved with a married woman who was living apart from her husband. The night before he left there was a tiff she said she needed a breathing space, time alone to work things out. Simon left early next morning for Johannesburg, ostensibly to purchase casting supplies for his business but he never reached there or returned home.

Elliott's style is easy to read and my only complaint is where he comes into the story himself as a fictional reporter. As he says, he had trouble with writing this part of the story and this was his way of managing it. All-in-all a light read useful for passing the time on a long air trip.