A legend by land or sea

Modern day market identity Allan Ellem with a picture of David ?Pink Top? Simcock, the legendary Perth fruit seller.

David ‘Pink Top' Simcock was a local legend in, and around, Perth long before he arrived on the blood-soaked Gallipoli Peninsula where, like so many, he would enter into history.

Before Pink Top went to Gallipoli in 1915, he had been a successful and popular fruit merchant in Perth.

The son of a prospector, David Simcock migrated to WA from Callington in South Australia as a young man in 1906. Searching for an income, he invested in a local fruit barrow and started trading in and around the city.

With light red hair, he dubbed himself the ‘little boy with the pink top', a moniker he used while trading and which has stuck even to this day. Starting out as a fruit barrow boy, ‘Pink Top' shortened his name as his reputation grew, and when he purchased his first shop he also dubbed it the same.

At metropolitan markets and market gardens, Pink Top gained a reputation as an astute buyer of quality fruit and vegetables.
He also quickly became an entertaining spruiker, attracting media attention for his loud, witty banter and selling style.

His shop on Barrack Street got so much attention that, at times, an adoring crowd battling to get in his front door for the fare - and the entertainment - would obstruct traffic.

At times, he would shout outside the shop, and even auction off fruit bags.

Modern market identity Allan Ellem has spent years collecting information and memorabilia on Pink Top.

"He was good at selling anything," Mr Ellam said. "He spent seven or eight years wheeling and dealing fruit, he loved it.

"He would never miss the Wagin show and followed most shows with his stall of fruit, lollies and lemonade. People would crowd around just to watch him sell."

By 1914, Pink Top Simcock's business was booming.

He opened a second shop in Fremantle before the start of World War I.

At the age of 31, Pink Top volunteered for the army and was assigned to the 11th Infantry Battalion. Although described as clumsy and untidy in dress, he was said to be a very good soldier.

His unfailing sense of humour made him well known and popular in camp.

En route to Egypt, Pink Top put his business skills to use by taking comrades' orders to the canteen, buying and distributing the goods and making a small profit for his service.

When they arrived at Aden in November, 1915, Pink Top used his profits to buy crates of oranges and sold them to troops on the ship.

He also often kept the men's minds distracted from war by making jokes, mostly at the expense of battalion officers.

Tragically, like many of those comrades, Pink Top was dead within a short time after landing at Gallipoli, but exactly how is unclear.

Some say he died trying to save a comrade, which may have cost him his life.

It is believed his sister sold the shop in 1923 - although it continued to trade under the Pink Top banner in Barrack Street until 1979.

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