Tom Wickham, retired policeman

Recently a reader (Graham Sciberras - thank you so much Graham!) sent me a link to a 1962 ABC Four Corners report on the gentrification of Paddington, an inner-city suburb of Sydney. The report is interesting to watch because of the hilarious English accent that so many of the reporters of the day affected, but also, and most importantly, because my great great uncle, Tom Wickham is featured in it. I've seen a few photos of him before, but never seen film of him, so this was brilliant to see!

Mum was visiting my grandfather recently, who is Tom's nephew, and though he is quite unwell, when Mum asked him, my grandfather did remember his Uncle Tom. So today Mum and I visited my grandfather again and showed him a still photo of Tom from the Four Corners report, and also some of the footage from the story. Sadly, the other day my grandfather must have been more lucid because today he just kept looking at the photo and shaking his head. Because of his illness I don't think he could get his head around the fact that this was someone he once knew.

However, should you be interested in what Tom Wickham, retired policeman, looked like in 1962, pop over here and take a look - he's about 2 minutes in. There is a big resemblance to my grandfather. And then compare him to how they imagined him in Underbelly: Razor - slightly different!

Tom Wickham, interviewed for ABC Four Corners, 1962 

Steve Le Marquand, as Tom Wickham for Underbelly: Razor