Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Spike spikes Abe

Spike's little piece on Abe Saffron in today's SMH has instigated a bit of would-be revisionism.

Abe is to be commemorated in one of the brass plaques to be unveiled by the Lord Mayor at 7pm Saturday 13 November near the El Alamein Fountain, followed by 'Mother Inferior does the drag' hosted by the Sidsters of Perpetual Indulgence -- part of the Kings Cross Arts Festival, now on.

The plaque pays tribute to the musicians of the Cross and Abe Saffron is included because he employed so many of them at his nightclubs -- and, apparently, paid them well.

But some locals are a bit upset about Abe's infamy in other areas and are asking Council to exclude him -- even though other pavement plaques, all written by council historian Shirley Fitzgerald, include Tilly Devine and Kate Lee of Razorhurst Fame, and deal frankly with the mixed history of the Cross. Maybe you have to be dead to be acceptable. Mr Saffron is only on a cruise.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What small minded little prick would want some sort of revisionism. Abe Saffron is a character of the Cross. You may not agree with him but he is part of our social histotry.

He remains one of the largest property owners in the area and some of his businesses have contributed to the Kings Crosss Partnership without any publicity.

If any member of the Partnership objects to him , then just like Clover they must refund his significant financial contributions he has made to them over the last few years and publicise this. Otherwise they must shut up.

His links with the labor party are documented. They would want to honour his contribution.

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree more. That is the same disappoving, miserable-minded spirit that wants to sweep every "unpleasant" apect of our culture under the carpet. This is the same attitude that wants to rid the Cross of it's colour, and the same attitude that did a good job of removing most evidence of Australia's convict past. There is more to life, thank god, than middle class niceties. Will we never grow up?

Anonymous said...

What a legend SMH 26 October

The former Kings Cross nightclub owner, convicted tax cheat and all round colourful guy, Abe Saffron, is to be immortalised by a Kings Cross Arts Festival legends plaque on Darlinghurst Road in November. Saffron is one of eight Kings Cross luminaries to receive the honour, including pianist Marie Francis, vocalist Barbara James and journalist Harry Stein.

"Abe's plaque is to commemorate the contribution he made to Kings Cross in regards to music and employing musicians and paying them the right money," said the Kings Cross Art Guild president, Robyn Greaves. But what of the former Roosevelt Club and Carousel Cabaret owner's past?

"He made an enormous contribution, we're not interested in his other activities." The contributions of Saffron and his fellow legends will be marked by a ceremony on November 13.


I would like to propose a plaque to some of our living legends-:

Any choices?