Ben Carlin book: THE LAST GREAT AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURER

[Mike K]

A few interesting themes from the book.

Buccaneer Ben was married three times, the first and third lasted around 12 months. He probably was a borderline alcoholic.

Elinore felt like she was used and became bitter , she didn't feel like commenting on anything to do with Ben Carlin or the Atlantic trip.


Ben Carlin had became rather unstable in his 50's and he was proposing marriage to almost complete strangers, even trying to get his best friends wife to abscond to the USA with him ! More than one acquaintance described him as being very strange.

A Trove search reveals that the Australian print media had more or less lost interest in the trip by the mid 50's. Only a few very short paragraphs is all you can find.

Reminds me of Errol Flynn