The sixties and seventies were a dynamic time to be a young customs officer in the west and north of Australia. The iron ore ports were opening up in the Pilbara, the rapidly growing Port Hedland was a colourful, if rough-and-tumble place, and Darwin airport was busy with American R&R flights coming through from Vietnam to Sydney. It was a time of great change as jumbo jets replaced passenger ships, container ships took over from general cargo ships and the fight against drugs supplanted that of illegally imported watches and transistor radios. Part 1 of On Customs and Coffins charts Michael Metcalf's experiences during a thirty-year career in customs, before he left to enter an equally challenging field of endeavour: the funeral industry. Part 2 of his honest, frank and humorous memoir tells stories from the next twenty years in which he established and managed a small funeral company in Perth. The stories are sometimes tragic and sometimes sweet as he recounts the day-to-day operations of a family-run funeral home. On Customs and Coffins is told with a twinkle in the eye and a light touch. It's a fascinating read for anyone interested in the social history of Western Australia over the last sixty years and the huge changes as seen through these very different industries.
