Welcome. It’s Adrian Bo from Ray White Park Coast Eastern Suburbs,  and I’m at 178 Beach Street in the marvelous Coogee, known as the Tara building, to talk about a man who was described by the late Sir Michael Parkinson as “the most famous Australian of all time, bar Dame Edna”, Mr Richie Benaud. Richie lived here in the Tara building with his wife, Daphne, for many years, with a view of Wedding Cake Island until his unfortunate passing eight years ago in 2015.

His cricket career is best summarised by Ian Chappell at Richie’s induction into the Cricket Hall of Fame, courtesy of The Nine Network. Ian Chappell: Test debut in 1952, he played sixty three test matches before retiring in 1964. He scored three test centuries and took 248 test wickets at an average of 27. He captained Australia on 28 occasions for 12 wins, only 4 losses, 11 draws, and one tie. As captain of Australia, he never lost a series. It took him a while to get going in test cricket but he certainly made his mark at Sabina Park in Kingston 1954/55.

He scored 121 in just 96 minutes. with 18 fours and 2 sixes. It was many years later at that, same ground, Sabina Park that I got an example of his dry wit. As he walked out onto the ground where he hadn’t been for many, many years, he looked around. He looked into the outer and he said, “where’s that adjectival tree?” I said, “which tree?” He said, “the one that bloody Walcott kept hitting me in to”. Against that, same West Indies, In 1960/61, he and the captain of the West Indies, Frank Worrell, conspired to produce a
great series. Australia finished up winning 2-1. There was the famous Tied Test Match at the Gabba And these two captains helped to drag cricket out of the doldrums at a time when Test Cricket was really struggling.

A few months later at Old Trafford, in the fourth test match, he produced a magical spell of bowling. On the final day, England needed 256 to win, and they were rattling along at 1 for 150 with the England skipper Ted Dexter in fine form. He called his team together at drinks, and he said, “the draw is no longer an option. We have to play hard to win this game”, and he said, “I want you to field like you’ve never fielded before in your life.” He then grabbed the ball, took 5 for 6 in 24 balls, and Australia produced a magnificent victory by 54 runs. He truly was an inspirational Australian captain. “Yes. He’s caught by Simpson at slip.

Murray, caught Simpson Bowled Benaud, Benaud has now taken 5 for 50”. “I think Richie’s probably made the biggest contribution than any other cricketer in the last fifty years.” “And Benaud meets his best ball with a virile hook to take Australia’s score to 300”.
“Well, he was probably one of the best all around cricketers this country’s produced”. “He’s caught behind the wicket. Dexter caught behind by Grout off Benaud”. “I would say, definitely, he was the best leg spinner in the world. and when he came back from the wonderful tour in South Africa, he was the best all rounder in the world.”

“He was a very good player indeed. I mean, of course, he was. He was one of the great spin bowlers of his time. He was a marvelous captain. There have been very few better than that, and a very very useful Batsman”.

And the crowd were electrified as Benaud takes a remarkable diving catch to dismiss Richards. He’s been, one of the best captains that this country has ever produced. He was the first man to sort of engender team spirit, into a team”.

“Well he he was the first open neck shirt. He was a Brylcreem boy”.
“Men on the go, like Richard Benaud use — Smoothex. — best shaving break I’ve ever had.”
“Benaud was in bowling his leg breaks. Richardson, beaten by flight, mistimed his drive and he was out caught and bowled.”
“Well, he was one of the first of the flamboyant sort of captains or even players because every time you took a wicket, he would run up to you and and congratulate you.”
“He had all the buttons undone, Rich and he used to jump around, so it was, it was quite nice to see that I’m sure he enjoys the modern day cricketer jumping around as well.”
“Hi there. Just enjoying some Iced Milo. Marvelous what a differece Milo makes to keep you in top form”.
“He’s revered. He’s possibly, apart from Dame Edna Everage,
He’s the most famous Australian of them all.”
“He’s probably made a greater contribution than Don Bradman, Shane Warne, Dennis Lillee, all the other great players because he’s been, the perfect foil for any young child, any commentator, any cricketer. He never put a foot wrong, Richie on or off the field.”

Richie had a habit at the Boxing Day Test each year at the MCG commentary box. where he would use his mini binoculars to find the seat his wife, Daphne was sitting in, then lower them and waved to her, even though he knew she could not see him. He was a massive fan of Coogee and was often seen by locals going for a stroll around Coogee precinct and also along the beach. “The first time I came here, to Coogee, I was just an 8 year old boy who came to watch his father play cricket for Cumberland against Randwick at Coogee Oval. I still remember racing down to this beautiful beach.

The first time I’d ever seen the ocean. The waves and sounds, and the smells, I was captivated. I fell in love with the place and twenty nine years later, Daphne and I moved here and we’ve happily stayed here. Coogee? It’s our home, our little corner of the world. It’s been a year and a few months since my car accident, the sun cancer treatments. Now the doctors say they are happy with my recovery, steady as it is. We’re back walking every morning, doing our best shooting the breeze the way we always have.
The newspapers to collect as the world moves on. And with the coming of another summer, we won’t miss a ball of the cricket.”
He played three matches at the Coogee Oval after he had retired from pro cricket, filling in for his brother, John, for Randwick Petersham. Billy Birmingham famously featured Richie heavily in his Twelfth Man series.

“Just imagine that your voice box has been removed from your throat, put on the floor, stomped on, and ground into the earth, then you pick it up again and you put it back in your neck, and it’s just got this kind of a squashed sound to it. And then what you’ve got do is imagine that your bottom lip has a mind of its own, almost like it’s been hooked by a fishing line. So when Richie turns into profile, you’ll notice that his lip is almost in another postcode, and then he turns back. And you don’t notice it quite so much,
still obvious, but you don’t notice it quite so much. And, look, I think it it helps to put on a cream, bone, white, and off white, an ivory or a beige jacket. Certainly helps put you in the mood and, a bit of fake tan I’ve always found helps, because Richie has never seen a winter in oooh something like eighty years.

Ian Healey told the story about the occasion when Billy Birmingham and Richie met. It was very brief. Billy introduced himself in a corridor. Richie responded. Ah, yes. I know who you are. And darted into his nearby office to avoid any further discussion.
His TV career started when in 1956 after the Ashes he stayed in England and took a BBC TV presenter course.  He began working at the News of the World newspaper in 1960 while still captain of Australia and later met his wife Daphne, who was working for the English cricket writer, EW Swanton. Richie adored his car which was a 1963 Sunbeam Alpine. The story goes that he once sold it when he was touring overseas, but noticed It was for sale again, so bought it back on his return to Sydney.

Sadly in 2013, as his health deteriorated he crashed the car into a brick wall. It led to him being absent from the commentary box during the 2013/2014 Ashes. Equally sadly, a presentation of a new baggy green was due to happen at the SCG as Ritchie had lost his many years before but illness and his passing stopped that from happening. Richie Benaud was an extraordinary man,
and we should be proud that he called Coogee home. Now the latest median prices in Coogee show that 2 Bedroom apartments
are realising a median of $1.25 million, 3 bedroom apartments, $2.35 million, 3 bedroom houses, $2.6 million and 4 bedroom homes at $3.63 million. Interesting to note that gap of $1.1 million between the two and three bed apartments and equally the gap of just over a million dollars between the three to four bedroom homes.

The median of five bedroom homes in Coogee sits at $5.47 million, just shy of $2 million above four bedroom homes, which is again quite a premium in the current market. The real estate market can be quite confusing so if you would like an appraisal of your property, regardless of if you’re looking to sell or not, I can certainly provide you some clarity given my thirty five years of experience selling in Coogee and surrounding suburbs.

Please call me on 0418 278 316 or email me at adrian.bo@raywhite.com in the current market. Richie Benaud was a true legend and I think it’s vital we keep these local stories alive. Several years ago, there was a discussion about establishing a sporting walk of fame here in Coogee but as far as I know, it never happened. Thank you for tuning in to my local community series, and always remember your home is worth more with Adrian Bo.