Kangaroo Kay

Kangaroo Kay is a historical biography about Chip Cathcart Kay, a tea planter from British Central Africa. Born in Nyasaland to Scottish pioneers in 1931, Chip's life has spanned the historic changes of the British Protectorate, from colonial roots through independence to current day Malawi. Chip's life was one of adventure. He was educated in Cape Town and England as a young child, catching trains and ships alone at a young age and then taking care of his little sister along the...
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Kangaroo Kay is a historical biography about Chip Cathcart Kay, a tea planter from British Central Africa. Born in Nyasaland to Scottish pioneers in 1931, Chip's life has spanned the historic changes of the British Protectorate, from colonial roots through independence to current day Malawi. Chip's life was one of adventure. He was educated in Cape Town and England as a young child, catching trains and ships alone at a young age and then taking care of his little sister along the journey. When he returned to Nyasaland to help his father run the tea estate, Satemwa, he began to develop hobbies and interests outside of agriculture. By the mid 1950's he was an expert bush pilot, trained on Tiger Moths and Cessnas, he flew all over Africa for business and pleasure. He was the heart and soul of the local flying club and famous in Africa's interior as the pilot with the "yellow tail." His nickname, "Kangaroo Kay" was coined after his bouncing attempts at landing his first tiger moth on the runway. "You look like a Kangaroo!" his flying buddies had teased. And the name stuck. He ran rescue missions for downed pilots, arriving days too late to rescue one from the jaws of hyena. As Chip grew up, the country he loved so much grew along with him. He witnessed the 'winds of change' as Malawi gained independence. He fought to maintain his estate under changing conditions. He lost a marriage and close family members who died tragically from accidents. He battled the wild African bush and animals as he sought to domesticate a corner of Malawi for his family. He loved deeply and he lost more than he thought he could bare at times. The family tensions he felt growing up along with the white and black tensions in his beloved home country are central themes of this book. Chip never thought of himself as different from his African childhood friends on the estate until his 21st birthday party when he realized his stark privilege. He loved the Malawian people in ways that outsiders could not fathom. As Chip aged, he became an avid storyteller, and could be found on a Sunday afternoon on the lawn of the home he built when he was 18 years old. An eager group of visitors would circle around him and the abundant tea trolley with all its nibbles and dribbles, would be in the center of the crowd. He would relish retelling his life stories, the Iceland plane confiscation, his mother's religious obsession, his father's passion to grow tea, and how he and his wife Dawn overbooked the kitchen on a Sunday morning with the horse and flying clubs accidentally invited on the same day. People always told him to write a book so this important part of Malawi history could be preserved. Many travel magazines and articles have been written on Chip's life, but this book is the complete edition of stories told from Chip himself to me, every Monday afternoon for two years. A pristine collection of newspapers, journals and photographs kept in Blantyre and loaned to me by friends allowed me to piece Chip's story together with added historical interests that corresponded with Chip's life. His story is really a depiction of Malawi's last Colonial. A story of human endeavor, of triumph and tragedy.