Jim Harte took a few photos during his recent trip to Broome.

Many thanks to Jim Harte for sharing this link that provides me with some interesting reading as I had not come across it before.

https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/portal/system/files/engineering-heritage-australia/nomination-title/Carnarvon%20Tracking%20Station%20Nomination.pdf

The document gives an outline of the history of the Carnarvon tracking station (AWA/NASA), and the raison d’etre for OTC Carnarvon.

It’s a nice adjunct to the information previously provided by people like Gus Berzins, the on-site engineer when the satellite comms station was built back in 66.

Ted Bastow has advised us of the passing of Doreen Hansen, widow of Tony Hansen, who passed away at her nursing home in WA last Friday.

No further details are available at this time.

Doreen accompanied Tony to various outstations for OTC and she also worked in HO as a Tea Lady for a while in the 1970’s.

Ted and his wife met Doreen for the first time in Port Moresby and became lifetime friends from then on.

May She Rest In Peace

Alan started with OTC (A) in Lonsdale Street Melbourne as Traffic Assistant Gr. 1. on 17 April 1961 and resigned on 16 August 1968.  R.I.P.

Funeral Service:

WHEN: 12:00 pm Friday 7th July 2017

WHERE: St. Stephen’s Anglican Church,

Corner Phyllis Street and Warruga Avenue, Bayswater Vic.

Devoted husband of Pam cherished father and father-in-law of Kellie and Sean, Jamie and Vivien.

Much loved Grandpa of Jasmine, Portia and Harley.

You left us unexpectedly, alone and very sad but with a lifetime of memories.

R.I.P.

Robert Hall

OTVA VIC

Many thanks to John Iacus-Pisco for supplying these:

Fellow Members of the OTVA

Bernie and his wife, Evelyn, have been living with their son, Laurie and his wife, Noelene, for some time now but had relocated to a nursing home prior to his passing.

Bernie has been a great contributor to and supporter of the OTVA for many years and will be well known to many of you.  He was a Life Member of the OTVA and an active member of the OTVA Executive for many years until 3 years ago when he started to experience some health & well-being issues.

Bernie’s Working Life

• Joined AWA in 1938 as a messenger at 14 years of age and gained experience as a telegraphist until he was appointed as a Ships Radio Officer in 1949.
• Joined OTC in 1957 as a “Island Room Operator”
• Seconded to Papua New Guinea Telegraph from 1960 to 1964 as the Radio Officer In Charge
• Returned to OTC as a Radio Officer, CRS in 1966 where he worked in Sydney Radio and Darwin Radio
• Appointed in 1967 to the position of Pay Clerk & Administration Officer in Operations Branch until his resignation from OTC in 1976 to take charge of his own accountancy business.

Funeral Service:

1:30pm

Monday 26 June 2017

United Church,  70 Kitchener Pd, Bankstown NSW

It is with great sadness that I relay to you the passing of Bob Kraal.

I worked with Bob in the Paddington ITMC in the 1970s. He was a character that I will never forget. Bob also worked at Ceduna Earth Station & Scoresby Exchange. If you would like to send a Tribute to Bob’s family please send it to me and I will pass it on and with your permission also include it on the OTVA web site.

Thanks to Ed Willingham for passing on the details of his funeral service which are:

Robert Willem Kraal

31/8/1944 – 11/6/2017

Funeral:               Lilydale Memorial Park Chapel,

126 – 128 Victoria Road, Lilydale

When:                  Monday 17/6/2017 @ 10am.

Peter Bull

I did not work in ISTC at Paddington but I did work in the building from 1975 to 1991 and these photos did bring back a few memories and a few names:

• Tony Batoni
• John Hodgson
• Jack Creswick
• Neville Farrar
• Phil Ryan
• Peter Skinner
• John Newlyn
• Jack Orton
• Chris Stanley
• Ian Campbell

How many others can you remember?

Jim Harte recently returned from a trip to Broome where he took the below photos at the town Historic Museum that may be of interest to those with a HF/CRS background.

Below are some photos taken by Ernie Wan when he visited the same museum in Oct 2005.

A story about the closing of the CRS and its history.

Ernie commented to his wife, Trish, that he used to work on similar HF transmitters in AWA to which she replied that maybe he should be posted with it  as two museum pieces. How unkind!