Stylish, sunglassed, Sobranie-smoking, Volvo-sports-driving 'mere slip of a girl'
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From where had this phenomenon sprung? Ainsley Gotto was born in Brisbane on Valentine’s Day 1946, the middle daughter of Sidney, an RAAF careerist who would retire as a group captain. Her mother, Lesley, was a spirited beauty who would survive two of her daughters and die aged 93 in October 2017. Her obituary described her as an “entertainer, arts administrator, television personality and entrepreneur”. Ainsley attended schools in Brisbane, Britain and Melbourne before leaving school at the age of 14, by which time her father was in Canberra. Her parents’ marriage was an unhappy one. They would separate in 1967 and divorce in 1972.
Ainsley had trained at the Borovansky School in Melbourne and “Madame Boro” believed she could have become a prima ballerina assoluta. Her father advised her to have a fall-back career in case she broke an ankle. She did; but fortunately she attended secretarial college, emerging first in typing and joined the commonwealth government’s typing pool. It was from here that she emerged.
This stylish, sunglassed, Sobranie-smoking, Volvo-sports-driving “mere slip of a girl” drew much (unwanted) attention as PPS. It did not help that she looked like Audrey Hepburn. She even called ministers by their Christian names. The federal president of the party and a stickler for correct form, Jock (later Sir John) Pagan, was appalled to hear Gotto refer to the prime minister as “John”. She was, after all, a Modern Woman, but her strengths were always loyalty and dedication.
It is an affront to even ask, but “Did she sleep with John Gorton?” No. As her biographer Ian Hancock has revealed, “the truth is much more interesting”. She was in love with the Fabian Race Mathews, then, incredibly, her opposite number – chief of staff to the leader of the opposition, Gough Whitlam (later Labor Federal MP, Victorian MLA and state minister). But there was no subterfuge – that was not the Gotto way – both leaders knew – they trusted their confidantes and kept their secret.
Ainsley Gotto, whom an MP called “Miss Mini Whip”, 1969.
Photo: Fairfax Media
Article source: http://smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/fitness/the-desire-to-live-longer-is-killing-middle-aged-men-20170829-p4yvmg.html
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