Late last year, I was told that a "well known" pinball person was discussing the early days of the amusement industry in Australia with some colleagues. There was a claim that the industry started in the early 70's. A rebuttal to this claim was made by an attendee, and my late father's name was raised as a possible pioneer of the industry in Australia 15 years earlier. This is where it all becomes a Circus - "apparently", this well known individual "assisted" my old man to start his own business in the arcade industry. He stated this as fact.
I can handle BS artists and liars trying to bignote themselves, but to fabricate a story in an attempt to re-write history is pathetic and dishonest.
So I came across a HEAP of documentation recently, and I found an invoice book my old man used in the 1950's. The word "pinball" is specified as "Pin Ball". It just was not part of our vernacular in the country as yet (assumption) ! The date is 1957. Not 1970 something. So far, this is the earliest document I can find with a date, associated with Pinball.
I thought I'd share this - and I found a heap more early documents that I will post shortly.
For the record, Dad was a motor mechanic when he moved permanently to Australia in 1953 ;