Kevin O’Brien, Doug Tasovski and others have passed on the sad news of the passing of BobE.

Bob’s passing was expected for some time & although his wife, Jennie, is upset about him going she said he just gave up on life.

Bob E passed away on Sunday after a long illness of over 4 years caused by a stroke.

Jenny has asked for BobE’s friends and colleagues from OTC to be informed about his passing.

EMANUEL, Robert John

April 14th, 1953 – December 21st, 2025

Aged 72 years.

Loved by Jennie and by so many others in Blackheath, around Australia and across the world. He revelled in friendships everywhere.

Go well, dear Robbie.

Please join us to celebrate Rob’s life at Leura Memorial Gardens, on Monday, December 29th 2025, at 2pm, and afterwards at the Gardners Inn, Blackheath.

For funeral details please view:

trbrownjohnmemorialhome.com.au/funeral-notices/

(02) 4782 2613

Published by The Sydney Morning Herald on Dec. 24, 2025.

Fred Kannard has passed on the sad news that Ken Theaker passed away yesterday at his home in Wahroonga.

Margaret Noonan has supplied the details of Ken’s funeral service:

WHEN:               29th Dec at 10.30am

WHERE:             Camella Chapel,

Macquarie Park Cemetery & Crematorium

Plassey Rd, North Ryde.

After the service there will be light refreshments in the associated Wallumatta Function Centre.

Margaret Noonan worked with Ken Theaker, Morrie O’Connor, John Hibbard and others at OTC/Telstra

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Vaughan Kippers has responded to the item on the OTVA website article in January 2016 on Bribie Island Radio.

“I know I’m almost ten years late, but I have a photo of my father, Derk Kippers, “signing off” (using Morse code) from VIB at Radio Street, Pinkenba, in June, 1966. VIB was later situated at 881 Bribie Island Road, Ningi, which is very obvious on Google Earth. OTC built five or six homes for the radio operators, on the western side of Caboolture in the vicinity of the intersection of King Street with Bellmere Road.”

I can’t provide any information about the “event” to which the photo relates. I do know that selection of the site at Ningi involved a long process. On a couple of occasions, I accompanied my father on a yacht that sailed around Moreton Bay, exchanging signals with shore sites that had been short-listed for the proposed site of the new radio station. I was 13-14 years old at the time.

A work colleague from NBNCo, Dave Standring, passed on the sad news of Ian’s passing yesterday. They think that he may have suffered a fatal heart attack.

David and his partner attended Ian’s 62^nd birthday last Saturday where he showed no signs of a health condition.

May He Rest In Peace

Mick Callaghan relayed to me the sad news of Ed’s passing over the weekend.

Ed’s wife, Anne Marie, phoned Mick to advise that Ed has passed after a collision of his ultra-light aircraft that he has built. Ed had been flying ultra-lights for many years. The accident is covered on page 4 of today’s Daily Telegraph.

I worked with Ed in the early 1980s in the ITMC and INMC sections at the Paddington Terminal building. After leaving those sections he worked with Anthony Kalcina and Mick Callaghan in a software development area to support the operation of the telecommunications network operated by OTC.

Ed was a happy go lucky and likeable chap who had a lot to offer to OTC and its staff from a technical and talent perspective.

I have asked Mick to pass on the sincere condolences of the members of the OTVA.

Fred Kannard has advised yesterday that Paul Mulcahy passed away. He died in July with a funeral service held on 6th August.

Paul’s sister, Annette, delivered a eulogy. If you would like to receive a copy of the eulogy please email me at president@otva.com

I first met Paul when I was on Field Training in the Paddington ISCC (Quality of Service Section) located adjacent to the International Transmission & Maintenance Centre (ITMC) on Level 1 of the old Paddington Terminal Building at 363 Oxford Street Paddington.

Paul work with Patricia Anderson and Eddie Tammes to perform test calls to determine line quality of telephone circuits to all international destinations to which OTC had established direct connectivity. The quality checks along with those performed during ITMC routine maintenance were undertaken under the watchful eye of Ernie Wan who was in charge of the Quality of Service Section located on Level 10 of Head Office that was located on the corner of Pitt St & Martin Place in Sydney.

Paul was a real gentlemen who was liked and respected by all of those who knew him and worked with him. Paul was very good friends with Robert Lee (Engineer) who passed away a few years ago.

When the new Paddington Terminal works were completed in 1980/81 Paul moved to Level 7 of Paddington and worked as an integral part of the International Network Management Centre (INMC) where he and others continued to perform line quality testing. By that stage Mike Elkin and David McCredie had joined their ranks.

I am sure that Paul will be missed by his many friends in the Sawtell area of NSW to which he retired in the early 1990s.

May He Rest In Peace

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Gary Kelly has passed on the sad news that Tim Playfair has passed away. There was a notice in the paper advising that Timothy Browne PLAYFAIR passed away on 27^th June 2025

Tim worked in both OTC Melbourne and Sydney.

He was our Video Conferencing Product Manager and then an Account Manager in Melbourne.

Great guy helped me open the Adelaide office.

Partner to Laraine, father to Tom and Sam, he was aged 72.

Memorial Service is at the MCG Long Room, July 18^th from 3 pm to 6 pm.

May He Rest In Peace

Joe Collister’s son, Darryl, has advised that Joe passed away on 18 June 2025 aged 99 years.

Joe’s family is holding a memorial service on Monday 30th June at 12:15pm. No flowers please

WHERE:                      Rose Chapel, Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium, Cnr Plessey Rd and Entrance Dr North Ryde NSW 2113

The below photo is from a celebration at Bringelly and features Joe third from the left – he was only a little fella! It may have been Harry Stone’s farewell.

Those in the photo are (from left to right): Trevor Thatcher, Keith Vincent, Joe Collister, Harry Stone, Orm Cooper, John Walker

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Paul’s daughter, Jennifer, wrote:

Sadly, dad passed away last week, 4th June 2025. He was 90 years old.

Dad worked for OTC for 24 years. As a young man he worked with Cable and Wireless in Malta. When he emigrated to Australia in1954, he was able to get immediate employment with OTC. During his time with OTC, he worked initially in Melbourne, but then took the opportunity to work in Sydney, Perth, Suva Fiji, Fanning Island, and in the 70’s did a 2 year stint in Cairns. He worked mainly on telegraph and telephone submarine cables and computer-controlled switching systems.

Dad was a private person, and although he often spoke about the OTC veterans, I don’t believe he was ever actively involved. I do think however, several years ago, he may have given the OTVA a CD which described life on Fanning Island. If not, and you are interested, I may be able to find something in his archives.

Dad was always very proud of his work in OTC. And it’s good to know that the historical aspects of communications in Australia are not being lost thanks to OTVA.

I found the below photo in Dad’s archives. The photo is of the team on Fanning Island c.1961. Dad is seated in the front row on the lefthand side as you look at the photo.

Following is the link for livestreaming Paul’s service. It will be recorded and will be available to view for up to 3 months.

The service will be held on Monday 16th June, 2025 at 10:30 am (AEST) at Pinegrove Guardian Chapel, Kington Street, Minchinbury NSW.

https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTc0OTEwNjU5MzE2NDc4OTcmb25lcm9vbS1hZG1pbiZjb3B5X2xpbms=

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John Taylor has passed on news that another Radio Operator who had worked with Gareth Evans and lots of other Radio Operators around the country passed away at Carina, a suburb of Brisbane.

He was Paddy Phipps-Ellis and passed away about an hour after Gareth Evans passed away on Saturday.

Paddy worked at a number of Radio Stations and was also in the Radio Club.

Paddy’s funeral is in Brisbane on Thursday 12^th June 2025 if anyone wants details they can contact Martin Folks on 0406 177 656.

May He Rest In Peace

From Transit September 1992:

BRISBANE MCS lost two of its best known characters recently following the departure of Maritime Communications Officers Paddy Phipps-Ellis and Martin Folks.
Both men were given an emotional farewell at the Mayfaircrest International Hotel in Brisbane, where friends and colleagues recounted stories of ‘the dynamic duo’ .
According to Steve Fraser, who was the Acting Manager of Brisbane Radio at the time of Paddy’s and Martin’s departure, both men have given many years of loyal service to OTC.
‘Since joining OTC in the 1970s, Paddy and Martin have been staunch supporters of their colleagues, both in the workplace and through their activities with the PREI (Professional Radio and Electronics Institute)’, Steve said.
Following their departure, Paddy and Martin have decided to take well-earned overseas holidays, before returning home to consider their future options.