
A Man Called Possum
Max Jones
This is the story of a bush legend of the 20th Century. A man who shunned society and chose to live a life alone with nature, with the mighty Murray River as his lifeline for 54 years. Max Jones, a Detective Sergeant with the South Australian Police Force became interested in "The Possum" and to why he had "gone bush."
Was he a murderer on the run?
Had he committed serious crimes that lead to him avoiding all human contact for years? Max Jones instincts as a police officer lead him on a 28 year quest to get to the bottom of the mystery. The Possum roamed hundreds and a times thousands of kilometres along the Murray and often was not sighted for years at a time.
Max Jones during breaks in his police duties would set out in search of the Possum, often tracking him for many days only for the Possum's tracks to disappear into the Murray where the recluse would swim across the river or seek refuge on one other many small islands in the river system. But Max persisted and not only did he track down the Possum, he gained his confidence and heard the real reason why he had turned his back on society.
This is a remarkable story of survival against the odds and of two men who have established themselves in Australian outback folklore.
Duration - 2h 34m.
Author - Max Jones.
Narrator - Graeme Goodings.
Published Date - Sunday, 22 January 2023.
Copyright - © 1984 Max Jones ©.
Location:
United States
Description:
This is the story of a bush legend of the 20th Century. A man who shunned society and chose to live a life alone with nature, with the mighty Murray River as his lifeline for 54 years. Max Jones, a Detective Sergeant with the South Australian Police Force became interested in "The Possum" and to why he had "gone bush." Was he a murderer on the run? Had he committed serious crimes that lead to him avoiding all human contact for years? Max Jones instincts as a police officer lead him on a 28 year quest to get to the bottom of the mystery. The Possum roamed hundreds and a times thousands of kilometres along the Murray and often was not sighted for years at a time. Max Jones during breaks in his police duties would set out in search of the Possum, often tracking him for many days only for the Possum's tracks to disappear into the Murray where the recluse would swim across the river or seek refuge on one other many small islands in the river system. But Max persisted and not only did he track down the Possum, he gained his confidence and heard the real reason why he had turned his back on society. This is a remarkable story of survival against the odds and of two men who have established themselves in Australian outback folklore. Duration - 2h 34m. Author - Max Jones. Narrator - Graeme Goodings. Published Date - Sunday, 22 January 2023. Copyright - © 1984 Max Jones ©.
Language:
English
Opening Credits
Duration:00:00:09
Foreword
Duration:00:02:30
Chapter 1 the mystery man
Duration:00:02:42
Chapter 2 jack higgins contact with possum
Duration:00:11:41
Chapter 3 kevin handke talks about possum
Duration:00:05:20
Chapter 4 first clue to possums identity
Duration:00:02:40
Chapter 5 mac smyth tries to win possum over
Duration:00:03:17
Chapter 6 possum sails lake victoria
Duration:00:05:19
Chapter 7 the bird doctor
Duration:00:01:32
Chapter 8 possum the caretaker
Duration:00:02:12
Chapter 9 a taste for honey
Duration:00:04:25
Chapter 10 i speak with possum for the first time
Duration:00:06:57
Chapter 11 my second meeting with possum
Duration:00:08:02
Chapter 12 a unique lunch
Duration:00:08:02
Chapter 13 possum has a narrow escape
Duration:00:08:03
Chapter 14 memories of possum
Duration:00:03:12
Chapter 15 possum gets 14 days for vagrancy
Duration:00:09:49
Chapter 16 possum replenishes his supplies
Duration:00:08:36
Chapter 17 possum's diary entries
Duration:00:01:42
Chapter 18 a list of possum's 'plants' and their contents
Duration:00:03:34
Chapter 19 a letter from possum's cousin
Duration:00:05:43
Chapter 20 possum's bad dream
Duration:00:04:36
Chapter 21 some rare contacts with possum
Duration:00:04:28
Chapter 22 spellbound
Duration:00:05:05
Chapter 23 possum's relatives
Duration:00:01:20
Chapter 24 possum's watchtower
Duration:00:03:06
Chapter 25 the reason why
Duration:00:03:59
Chapter 26 my last conversation with possum
Duration:00:19:04
Chapter 27 jimmy the possum is dead
Duration:00:00:57
Postscript
Duration:00:01:43
Acknowledgements
Duration:00:01:38
About the author
Duration:00:02:43
Ending Credits
Duration:00:00:12