Baba Desi, Wizard of the Dandenongs

An article about an eccentric activist in Melbourne. His determination, and flamboyancy made him a character irresistible to interview.

Published September 2018 Swine Magazine, Melbourne, Australia.

Baba Desi, 2017, Courtesy of Edward Foo

The mist hangs low over the primordial rainforests of Melbourne, eucalyptus trees tower above, their pale trunks create a ghostly visage, everything is silent, the plants sway silently in the wind. The quite is broken by the sonorous tapping of heavy wood on concreate, and a slow measured tramp of soft leather on hard ground. Heavy green robes rustles with the trees and he emerges, his white hair blends with the tree trunks his robes with the canopy, his finger glitter with silver and gold, only his eyepatch stands out from the forest. This is Baba Desi, a man of another world

Every morning for the last decade Desi, dressed in his finest turban, and robes, staff in hand, and eye patch on, has walked down from his forest home to protest at a local McDonalds. After his morning protest, he strolls over to ‘Desi’s spot’ at a local café. Where he wiles away the day talking to anyone and everyone. Desi is a local feature, and that’s how he likes it.

“Everything he does he has the local community in mind.” Said Alex Lowes, a local documentary maker. “He is always thinking; how can I support the local community.”

Lowes followed Desi for his documentary ‘Baba Desi’ which premiered at the 2017 St Kilda. Film festival. Lowes has seen Desi in his suburb since he was a child and jumped on the opportunity to tell his story.

Many in Melbourne know Desi as the mystical Wizard of Belgrave. Desi wears his myriad of hats with pride; pirate, healer, wizard, eccentric. But people who know him see a different side.

“I was surprised at how normal he was, he was just a regular guy.” Said Lowes, who was shocked to find the wonderful wizard, while extraordinary, was a kind, laid back man, who spoke with a thick ocker accent.

Desi is an activist at heart and uses his eclectic clothing to bring attention to issues he cares about, especially indigenous issues, which are an important part of his life. Lowes recalls an Australia day protest he attended with Desi.

“That was intense, it was thirty degrees… Everyone there was twenties full of energy and the he’s there nearly ninety and still full of energy.” Said Lowes.

Born Desmond Bergen in the small Australian town of Wangaratta, on October 22, 1929, his early life was markedly normal. He went to the Christian Brothers College in the small town of Warrnambool on the great ocean road. He moved to Melbourne as an adult, settled down, got married, had children, and got a well-paying job as a floor manager at the Georges Department store. Then he got divorced.

“I never involved myself in politics until my divorce, it helped me … to fill up the hole that was within when my children and wife weren’t.” Desi recalled in the 2017 documentary ‘Baba Desi’

He sat on the South Melbourne Council in 1987 and later ran for Victorian Senate, getting 26’000 votes. During his run for senate he designed his own Australian flag, combining the Commonwealth, Aboriginal, and Torres strait, flags. He was so proud of his design he had it tattooed on his right hand. It was after this that he began to dress flamboyantly.

“It went quite for a while, then I discovered colour,” Desi recalled during Lowes’ documentary.

Desi recalls initially using his unique style in his run ins with law enforcement at the Melbourne docks, while protesting American uranium shipments.

“We worked against the American ships… the police were beating people up I wore leather I covered it in oil, and the police couldn’t catch me.” He laughs fondly remembering his past indiscretions.

Despite his surprising youthful vigour Desi is beginning to show his age having lost his left eye to glaucoma in 2013.

Desi made a life changing trip to India in the 1980’s. It was during this time that he took on his new name, Baba Desi, which means international father, according to Desi. After two years of soul searching in India, Desi returned to Australia moving to the Melbourne suburb of Belgrave. In the primeval rainforests of the Dandenong’s he found his home.

He wasn’t initially welcomed back home, but his tireless local activism and laid-back good nature, won him friends and admirers throughout the town and around the world.

“Everyone in Belgrave knows him, and he knows everyone,” said Lowes of his time with the wizard.

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