By Tyler Wright
Over several decades, the ‘Belgrave Wizard’ has grown to be a popular, albeit mysterious figure in the Dandenong Ranges.
Known for his soft-hanging, colourful clothes, and his plethora of staffs, 93-year-old Desmond Patrick Bergin, AKA Baba Desi, frequents local haunts in Belgrave, Tecoma and Upwey; an intriguing sight for passers-by and those willing to have a chat.
One of those curious locals was long time Upwey resident Pauline Klemm.
“Everyone’s attracted to him when they see him because he’s very enigmatic, unique,“ Pauline said.
“I’ve lived up here for about 27 years now. I remember the first time I saw him, I was driving up Burwood Highway towards Belgrave, I drove past him and I just went, ‘what?’ My head did a swivel in the car. And I thought,’far out, who’s that?’”
Pauline’s first meeting with Desmond was in November 2020, after seeing him once again near Upwey Station, and finally plucking up the courage to ask him to meet for a coffee.
“I just wanted some shots for my portfolio, and I had thought that many times when I saw him and I hadn’t taken any action, and I was in a motivated mood that day. I thought ‘stop just thinking, go and take some action,’” Pauline said.
“I did a U-turn, parked my car, went into the station, asked him. Of course he said yes and I took my nurse’s ID with me for a bit of cred with him and met him for a cup of coffee.“
Three hours later, Pauline said she walked out of the cafe and thought ’there’s so much to this man than just a few photos.’
“I said to him ‘I’d like to document your life.’“
Pauline said Desmond had “so many stories“ from times in South Melbourne; including running an op shop that would give its proceeds to Father Bob Maguire’s social causes.
“Very active, very well known in South Melbourne. He was the minder for a South Melbourne mayor at the time…and he actually ran for the Senate whilst he was living there and also ran for Mayor in the South Melbourne Council.“
“He wore different clothing then… he used to wear a lot of black and he was a very tall man and well built and he’s got a very deep timber to his voice.“
Desmond was born in Wangaratta before his family moved to Richmond, followed by a move to Sandringham and then resting in Warrnambool, where he attended the local Christian Brother’s College.
“It was towards the mid to late ’80s he started to wear colour and morphed into what we know as Baba Desi now,“ Pauline said.
“It’s shrouded in a bit of mystery how he got that name. He always dressed very distinctively and during that time, also, he was doing a lot of acting in B-grade movies for quite a few talent agencies, he was given a stage name Von Bergin.“
It was also in the ’80s that Desmond became politically active, Pauline said, protesting in the anti-uranium movement among other social movements.
“He was a target for the cops, so there’s a lot of stories about being arrested and getting off and he used to wear a lot of black leather then. He said he used to put oil all over the leather so when the cops tried to grab him they couldn’t get a good grip on him.
“I’ve had so many people say to me, especially if they’ve grown up here, they have memories of him from their childhood, and these are people who are 30, 40 years old now, and they’re still amazed that he’s still alive.
“There might be people dressing similar to him but it’s also his staff that’s a big part of his identity. He’s got about 250 of them, so they’re all unique. So it’s the whole thing. It’s his clothing, his staff, his rings, his jewellery, his bags, plus just his great age.“
In 2021, Pauline was successful in receiving a $10,000 grant from Yarra Ranges Council to create a multimedia exhibition documenting Desmond’s story, but plans fell short.
But current photos are being posted on Facebook page ’The Baba Desi story’, run by Pauline, which has now amassed over 4,000 followers.
“I will read out comments to him so he hears everything that goes on there and quite often I’ll put a reply from Des to someone that’s put a comment I’ll say ‘this is Des,’” Pauline said.
“The page has been great because everyone knew him, but the page has let people into his life whereas they weren’t privy to that before.
“They just saw the man, the legend walking the roads of the hills rain, hail or shine with his staff and through the forest too which he doesn’t do anymore because it’s too dangerous for him. But it’s opened up a world to them that they didn’t have before.”
Formerly a property investor, it was the tragic death of Pauline’s brother, who was a professional photographer, in 2017 that sparked her own passion for photography.
After visiting India with her four sisters to bring their brother’s belongings home, Pauline went to a shop to sell his beloved camera – but was disappointed with the cash amount the store offered, and decided to take it home herself.
“From the minute I start using his camera, I was just taken with it, just infatuated with the image,” she said.
“It’s a really beautiful thing that through the death of someone, I’ve met Des and I’ve gone down this path in my life and Des has come down this path with me.
“I will do a photo book at some stage which will be a mixture of my photos and my journey with him; anecdote stories, my feelings about it, what it’s like hanging out with a wizard…that’s my end goal at the moment.”
Desmond said the reason he is so popular is still a “mystery“ to him.
“I’m so old, I’m ancient,“ he said.
“I’ve been fighting the corporations since I was in my 40s.
“What I want to see is in every suburb, every country town, every city, all the people get up and stand up and say, ’we’ve had enough’.“
Desmond also said seeing families and children smiling at the recent Belgrave Lantern Festival in June was “beautiful to see“.
“That’s what I’d like to see right through Australia, everybody happy,“ he said.
