Dave Martin

David Thornton Martin was born 11 November 1910 in Roseville Chase, New South Wales. His parents were William Henry Hawkins Martin and Euphemia Sarah Henderson.

Dave Martin with Phil Roser. Phil was an early member of the *Mullock Heap Boys*, playing piano - Phil had stage fright and would only play from behind a curtain!

Martin was a veteran of World War II, enlisting 12 November 1943 and discharged 29 January 1946.

Dave is fondly remembered as a local personality, story-teller and businessperson.

He operated The Bottle House tourist attraction in the 1970s, and worked as a tour guide for Herman Kreller’s opal business.

Unrelated to that, he famously lived at “Paradise”, the nudist colony on the Four Mile opal field.

Dave was partly responsible for the formation of the Mullock Heap Boys band (later The Shincrackers), as he brought frontman Keith Lewitt to town in the 1960s.

Dave Martin passed away 28 September 1996 at the age of 85, and is buried at Lightning Ridge Cemetery.

Dave Martin @ Find a Grave.

Article: Research by Leisa Carney, edited by Russell Gawthorpe. LRHS research compiled by Len Cram and Barbara Moritz. Sources: Lightning Flash Newspaper, 12 March 1971, 16 June 1988.