A chapter of Newtown’s history ends
The owner of Gould’s Book Arcade, the multi-levelled expanse of literary glory that sits on the end of King Street, Newtown, died amongst his collection on May 23 at the age of 74. Bob Gould was known locally for his ubiquitous green trousers and long white beard. But the diverse collective of friends and family that attended his wake at Courthouse Hotel last Thursday night celebrated the life of not only a book keeper, but that of a idiosyncratic yet wonderful, courageous political activist.
“There was this guy running around at a thousand miles an hour, and his name was Bob Gould,” described long time friend Paul Reuner, who recounted that as a fiery young rabble rouser in the 1960s, Bob had a habit of going to demonstrations to seek out the best vantage point to count the number of protestors. During US President Lyndon B. Johnson’s visit to Sydney in 1966, he was arrested after police found him up a tree. Mr Gould’s adventurous nature did not wane, despite a long battle with liver cancer, he managed to perch himself on top of the toilet block behind St James station in 2005 to observe how many had turned out for the anti-Iraq War rally.
In his 35 year career as a book seller, Mr Gould did not avoid controversy. “Yes,” said political collaborator and opponent Mick Armstrong, “What I liked about Bob was that he made a nuisance of himself.” In the mid 1960s, Mr Gould displayed what was considered to be a highly controversial black and white photograph of Michelangelo’s statue of David in the front window of his bookshop, then located on George Street in the city. Solicitor and friend of 48 years, Maurice, described that after the subsequent arrest of Mr Gould on the charge of selling “obscene publications”, the case was summarily dismissed by the judge as “absurd”.
“Until the day that he died, Bob had very direct views… I found that very attractive,” described Mr Gould’s former wife, Marie Peterson. Daughter Natalie Gould also answered the question that has plagued the mind of many since hearing of her father’s death, what will happen to his legendary arcade?
“We will keep it open,” said Ms Gould. She conceded, however, that it would be very difficult without Bob, a man known collectively as a compelling, intelligent, idealistic and militant human being.
