Rudolf Boelee

The life of

Onno Boelee

1945 – 2013

Rudolf Boelee

The Life

of

Onno Boelee

1945 – 2013

Photography: Robyne Voyce & Rudolf Boelee

Design: Rudolf Boelee

Publisher: Crown Lynn New Zealand Limited

© Rudolf Boelee 2014

1944 - 1945

The Boelee family likes to thank the

Worthington family for their care of Onno

during the final stages of his life.

The Dutch “Hunger Winter” was a famine that occurred during the winter of 1944 -

45 at the end of the Second World War in the German controlled parts of the

Netherlands. Widespread starvation was seen especially in the cities of the

western Netherlands. The German blockade was caused by the reluctance of the

Dutch to help the Nazis win the war; this resulted in the starvation of the urban

population. The Dutch had to survive with 30% calorie intake at the worst

situation People ate whatever they could find, such as grass and tulip bulbs, and

did whatever they could find in order to stay alive. Children often looked through

trashcans to search for food. With the gas, electricity, and heat supply turned off,

the Dutch suffered from the cold weather and hunger. By May of 1945, more than

20,000 people starved to death by the time the food supply was restored.

Approximately 4.5 million were affected by the famine but eventually survived

through the tough period with little food supply and warmth.

Onno was born during that dreadful time on the 30th of January 1945, the

third child of Anneke and Bram Boelee. I was the eldest born 1940 and

our brother Jelle was born in 1943 at the Navanderstraat 10, Blijdorp in

Rotterdam.

1945

The rest of the 1940’s and early 1950’s appeared to have been relatively

normal. Our father Bram worked as an electrical engineer for the GEB,

Rotterdam (municipal power supply authority). Our mum Anneke cared for

the three of us and in 1952 for four with the birth of our sister Anita. The

Navanderstraat apartment became too small for three growing boys in one

small bedroom. In 1955 we moved to a much larger apartment in the

Doezastraat 12b, Blijdorp, were we had a bedroom each.

Onno was quite small as a boy. I spend some time in the merchant navy

and when I came back from my first trip to South America in 1959, Onno

had turned into this immensely strong ‘Michelin Man’. I immigrated to

New Zealand in early 1963 and Onno followed a year later as an eighteen

year old. He spoke virtually no English, but made his way as a carpenter

building bridges for the new motorways in central Auckland and working

as a doorman at various night clubs.

Photo: Onno and our grandfather Jan Boelee, a legendary figure in the

Rotterdam dockside world.

Onno played rugby as a prop for Grafton Rugby Club but decided after a

couple of years that an individual sport like judo was for more him. He was

New Zealand heavy weight champion in 1967-68-69-72-73. 1972 open weight

champion. 1966 Oceania H/W bronze and 1973 Oceania H/W gold

Onno took up skydiving during the seventies and a sight to behold as one

the largest men to take up the sport in New Zealand. He was a member of

the New Zealand Federation of Prachute Clubs.

Rudolf Boelee painting

Portrait of Onno Boelee AKA Otto Mannheim 1976. This work hung for

many years in Shantytown, a night club in Queen Street, Auckland, where

Onno was the bouncer.

ONNO BOELEE - Height 6'1 - Weight 125 kgs

Onno Boelee

Onno Boelee is a New Zealand actor, stuntman and retired professional

wrestler of Dutch decent. Although never winning a championship title, he

was a popular star in Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling, frequently

appearing on Rickard's wrestling programme “On the Mat”, and later in

Japan for Giant Baba and All-Japan Pro Wrestling during the early to mid-

1970s.

A Dutch New Zealander, Onno Boelee grew up in Auckland and later

became a bouncer for the well-known Shantytown night club in Queen

Street. His older brother Rudolf, who emigrated from the Netherlands in

1963, painted a portrait of Onno which was displayed at Shantytown for

many years. When the occasional patron became upset with his brother,

according to Rudolf, they would throw their drink at the painting rather

than at him.

Onno began training at a gym in Mount Roskill for a career in professional

wrestling. He made his debut in 1970 working for Ernie Pinchers and South

Pacific Wrestling. A year later, he joined Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro

Wrestling and toured the country for the next five years. In one of his most

memorable matches, he and partners Frank Lipanovich and Bronco Barnes

took on the 490 pound André the Giant and "Kiwi" Johnny Frazer in a

three-on-two handicap match at the sold-out Auckland YMCA in 1972; this

was André the Giant's official debut in New Zealand. Boelee was also

invited to Japan where he appeared for Giant Baba and All-Japan Pro

Wrestling from September–November 1974.

In 1975, Onno was among the many native New Zealanders to appear on

Rickard's wrestling programme On the Mat. During its first two years, he

was one of the show's first stars with bouts against some of the top

names in New Zealand including "Wild" Don Scott, Jock Ruddock, Merve

Fortune, Del Adams, Robert Bruce, King Curtis Iaukea, Teddy Williams,

Butch Miller, Bruno Bekkar, Johnny Garcia, Al Hobman and John da Silva,

and international stars Big Bad John, Abdullah the Butcher, Bulldog

Brower, Mark Lewin, Waldo Von Erich, and The Sheik.

I saw how strong he was one night at the Y.M.C.A. in Auckland. The place

was packed out and overflowing. A guy broke in under where the dressing

rooms were. Onno picked him up by the seat of his trousers and tossed

him out the back door and made sure no one else broke in. Dave Cameron

He was well known as a bouncer around the night club scene. He was

bouncer at Shantytown in Queen Street back in the 70s and Alfie’s in the

80’s. Onno and Robert Bruce were both bouncers , Onno used to sit in a

barber’s chair smoking his pipe.

In 1975, Onno was among a number of New Zealand wrestlers to

appear on Rickard's wrestling programme “On the Mat”.

During its first two years, he was one of the show's first stars with

bouts against some of the top names in New Zealand including

"Wild" Don Scott, Jock Ruddock, Merve Fortune, Del Adams, Robert

Bruce, King Curtis Iaukea, Teddy Williams, Butch Miller, Bruno

Bekkar, Johnny Garcia, Al Hobman and John da Silva, and

international stars Big Bad John, King Curtis, Abdullah the Butcher,

Bulldog Brower, Mark Lewin, Waldo Von Erich, and The Sheik.

His booming voice and roaring

laughter…

Following his retirement from the wrestling business, Onno tried his hand

at acting. He found some success in local independent films with roles in

Prisoners (1981), Other Halves (1984) and Second Time Lucky (1984). His

brief foray into the Hong Kong action cinema genre, however, saw a rise in

his career with supporting roles in Mad Mission 4: You Never Die Twice

and Legacy of Rage (1986). He also starred in director Garth Maxwell's

1988 independent film Beyond Gravity before taking a break from acting

for the next several years.

Onno eventually started a successful private security company which

became involved in stunt performance, armory and acting in the New

Zealand film and television industry. In 1994, after a six-year absence,

Boelee appeared as Gargan the Giant in the television movie Hercules and

the Lost Kingdom. He also had a minor role in the 2000 independent short

film Sci-Fi Betty, guest starred on the children's TV series Power Rangers

Dino Thunder in 2004, and on both Maddigan's Quest and Street Legal in

2006. In recent years, his security company has participated in the

productions of Crooked Earth and Orange Roughies.

Stills from Mad Mission 4 & Legacy of Rage

Onno eventually started a successful private security company which

became involved in stunt performance, armory and acting.

1981 Prisoners Squeeze

1984 Other Halves Patient

1984 Second Time Lucky Ripperus

1986 Mad Mission 4: You Never Die Twice

Hornsby

1986 Legacy of Rage Prisoner

1988 Beyond Gravity Truck driver

2000 Sci-Fi Betty The Bouncer Short film

Television

1994 Hercules and the Lost Kingdom Gargan

the Giant Television movie

2004 Power Rangers Dino Thunder Security

guard Episode: "Thunder Storm, Part 1 &

2"

2006 Maddigan's Quest Mean Milton Man

Episode: "Road Rats"

2006 Street Legal Boris Episode: "No Man

Put Asunder”

Onno’s 50th

4 STEPS TO HEAVEN

1995

Friends

Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell

normally responsible for producing antibodies. In multiple myeloma,

collections of abnormal plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow,

where they interfere with the production of normal blood cells. Most cases

of myeloma also feature the production of a paraprotein—an abnormal

antibody which can cause kidney problems. Bone lesions and

hypocalcaemia (high blood calcium levels) are also often encountered.

Myeloma develops in 1–4 per 100,000 people per year. It is more common

in men. With conventional treatment, median survival is 3–4 years, which

may be extended to 5–7 years or longer with advanced treatments.

Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematological malignancy

in the U.S. (after non-Hodgkin lymphoma), and constitutes 1% of all

cancers.

About twenty people turned up for Onnos wake at Tanuki's Cave last

Monday at short notice .

The best story was about Onno and Matsuura from Doshisha Uni on the 1st

nights practice. Onno had never met such a small very skillful Japanese

judoka before. Onno's feet had never faced the ceiling so many times

before.

Seinage, tomoenage, seionage, tomenage etc.

Onno came off muttering shit! I hate little Japanese.

As Onno had donated his body to the medical

center a funeral director was not involved

and thus no death certificate had been

issued. This in turn prevented Judokai and

Auckland Uni judo clubs from putting a notice

in the N.Z. Herald regarding the wake. No

death certificate no public notice. That

Monday we rang the Births, Deaths

government department and they had no

information but suggested we ring the

Auckland medical center which we did,

which gave us the following message; We

will reopen on the 16th January 2014.

Sorry Onno old mate but we did our best.

Anyone wishing to contact Onno by phone

please ring 027-490-6284 and you can still

hear his cheery Dutch accent voice message

asking you to leave a message…

Sayonara Sayonara Sayonara.

Friday’s at the Middle East

Onno Boelee Profile

I started wrestling for South Pacific Wrestling in 1970. I did my training at

a very good gym in Mt Roskill, Auckland, New Zealand.

The promoters I worked for were Earnie Pinchers, Steve Rickardand Giant

Baba.

I toured New Zealand extensively from 1971 through to 1976 for Steve

Rickard.

I have toured internationally only to Japan in September, October and

November 1974.

Opponents

The local and international wrestlers I fought were: Frank Lipnovich, Wild

Don Scott, Bronco Barnes, Robert Bruce, King Curtis, Mark Lewin, Teddy

Williams, Butch Miller, Bruno Becker, The Sheik, Jock Ruddock, Johnny

Garcia, Big Bad John, Abdullah the Butcher, Al Hobman, Bulldog Brower,

Waldo Von Erich, Merve Fortune, Del Adams and Andre the Giant.

My toughest opponent was John da Silva.

I now work in the TV and Film industry with my security company in

stunts, armoury and acting.

Onno died on Wednesday the 18th Dec

2013 after a long battle with leukemia.

A Wake for Onno

was held at

Santhya’s,

Dominion Road

on the 23rd

of

January with his

closest friends

in attendance

Onno, funny, loved Drambuie, was kind to

waitresses (we needed kindness) had a dry

wit and was brave and crazy (he jumped out

of airplanes for God’s sake) loyal and honest.

My friend, Good Journey!!!

Sher Gillard, Brisbane