A PIECE of Rottnest history was returned after 60 years this week in a touching intersection between a young West Aussie’s boyhood adventure and the role Rottnest Island played during World War II.
Back in the 1960s, Warrick Johnson ventured up to the island’s Oliver Hill battery guns with a friend and, using a two-bob coin, attempted to unscrew a bolt as a keepsake.
After the coin produced no joy, the young Mr Johnson ventured to his family’s boat and brought a wrench back to the guns, successfully carrying off the “souvenir” of his adventures.
Souvenir
The bolt is clearly stamped with markings consistent with those used by the army on its battery guns.
This week, Warwick’s daughter Terri Johnson returned the bolt to the historic battery guns on Rottnest, which will likely be tagged and put into the Wadjemup Museum.
According to Ms Johnson, her father, who is a history enthusiast, treated the bolt as his pride and joy and always kept it behind glass in his home bar.
“He’s very much a collector of machinery and coins and all of that kind of stuff,” Ms Johnson said.
“As a young boy he took such good care of it, so it was very well looked after.”
Ms Johnson, who works in the tourism industry herself, used her contacts to get in touch with the Rottnest Island Authority and organise to hand-deliver the bolt back to its original home, 18 kilometres off the coast of Fremantle.
Although the details are a bit hazy, Ms Johnson and her father reckon he was about 10 years old when the bolt was removed, judging by the fact he used a two-bob coin from the imperial currency of the day.
“He was probably so proud, probably boasting to everyone when he got it,” Ms Johnson said with a laugh.
“He’s absolutely chuffed it went back to the right place after all these years.”
by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER
Perth Voice Interactive 
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