Barry Crump (1935-1996): The Kiwi bloke who wrote the novel A Good Keen Man in 1960 followed by Hang On A Minute Mate (1961), One of Us (1961), There and Back (1962), Gulf (1964), Scrapwaggon (1965), The Odd Spot of Bother (1967), A Good Keen Girl (1970), No Reference Intended (1971) and several others as well as starring in Toyota 4 wheel drive adverts on TV until his death in 1996. While he'd inspired Kiwi blokes with his rough and rugged ways, his yarns about deerhunting, hard drinking and people he'd met, his real life was far from perfect. He married five times, sired nine children who he had little to do with, and was nearly charged with manslaughter. A landrover at a holiday camp he was running ran off the road into a river killing four boys. .

The driver was under age but had been left in charge of the vehicle. According to one account Crump had left the boys on their own time after time with access to firearms and the vehicle while they were supposed to be in his care. Numerous books have been written praising the "good keen man" while others paint a darker side.

Wordman's Home page // Buzz Words contents Yea, gidday, owarya? That's the story!