Holyoake

"Gibbs’ warm and easy relationship with Holyoake, who went on to become prime minister briefly in 1957 and again for more than a decade from 1960, boosted his boyhood confidence. Ian’s ambition and his success at Kinloch, meanwhile, provided Alan with a benchmark that in time he might measure himself against. His eldest brother also drove around in great sports cars. As a schoolboy, however, Alan could only daydream of future deeds and entrepreneurial schemes as he stomped the streets on his paper rounds or delivered parcels of groceries during holiday jobs at Hazelwoods. He took any opportunities that presented themselves to trade, however, such as with bubble gum at school or when mushrooms could be gathered on the hills and sold on the roadside."

"It was a blow, but Gibbs didn’t despair yet. They’d also written to Holyoake, who’d been overseas early in September. He’d discussed the project with Marshall and asked his deputy to be ‘kept in touch with developments’.[9](private://read/01jrsfvkjy84rkprtbz9amfvj8/#rw-num-note-477268-974936905-9) Eventually Marshall relented and the brothers secured a meeting with him, but their charm and enthusiasm weren’t sufficient. Writing a month later, Marshall offered only a flicker of hope that he and Customs Minister Norm Shelton might consider some licences for the Anziel project further down the line if the balance of payments situation improved, allowing for a general relaxation of import controls. But there was no assurance.[10](private://read/01jrsfvkjy84rkprtbz9amfvj8/#rw-num-note-477268-974936905-10)"