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Spike Milligan: The 'goon' who loved Australia

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Former actor and comedian Spike Milligan often visited Australia to spend time at his brother's place in Woy Woy, NSW, which he once described as "the world's only above-ground cemetery". (Photo, 1974.)

I took this photo of Milligan hamming it up during an airport interview in Sydney.

The former "goon" was passionate about environmental conservation, once commenting: "It took the rest of the world 2,000 years to muck up its environment, but Australia did it in 200 years".

**These photographs are part of an IA series that looks at Australia through the lens of award-winning photojournalist, Bill McAuley.**

Bill McAuley's 40-plus-year news career began in 1969 as a cadet photographer at 'The Age' in Melbourne.

Bill has several published collections, including 'Portraits of the Soul: A lifetime of images with Bill McAuley'. To see more from Bill, click HERE.

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