TRAVEL:                              By car or by Ferry (for Ferry timetable see http://www.transportnsw.info/resources/documents/timetables/F3-parramatta-river.pdf)

WHERE:                              Kissing Point Park, Putney NSW

WHEN:                                Between 10am and 2pm

Well the weather was ordinary but the camaraderie, conversations and memories were great! It is a great shame that we did not experience Saturday’s weather. Jim Simpson also would have preferred …

Peter John Gorman passed away peacefully with me by his side after a long illness with prostate cancer on the 16th September.

Peter’s Funeral will be on the 30th September at 1:30pm at St Marys Church, 240 Birrell Street, Waverley.

On behalf of my family I would like to thank you for keeping in touch with Peter all these years.

Peter enjoyed working for OTC and playing cricket for OTC. He enjoyed the friendship and especially the matches against Melbourne in Wagga Wagga which he often spoke of. The children and I attended the 40th anniversary of Wagga Wagga and Peter did the speech regarding the history of Wagga Wagga cricket.

Please pass this onto the OTC people and say thank you for the friendship and all those great memories which Peter had.

Regards

Charmaine D Gorman

Melissa Paramo and Scott Gorman

11.04.1936  –  09.08.2016

Barry passed away on 9^th August 2016 age 80 at the Casey Hospital Berwick. Barry is survived by his wife Lynne and loved father of Mark, Darren, Tracey and Leanne and cherished Poppy of 11 Great/Grandchildren.

The Funeral service was held at Tobin Brothers 232 Cranbourne Road Frankston on 15/8/2016 at 2pm.

The Funeral was attended by about 120 Family/Friends and including 10 OTC Colleagues namely:  Ron & Dulcie Carey, Mary Tancheff, Charlie Micallef, Teddy Dennis & Daughter, Robert & Sue Beck, and Robert & Judith Hall.

Barry was born in Cora Lynn near Kooweerup Victoria being the second eldest of five boys, Peter who is the last surviving brother is welcome here today. Barry attended Cora Lynn State School then to St. Francis Xavier in Frankston until he left at the age of 14 after achieving his Merit Certificate.

Barry started his career at OTC in 1950 as Circuit Assistant and then the next 24 years in the Melbourne Operating Room (MOR) resigning to go into the Cosmetic Business Called (Save More) with his wife Lynne where they manufactured their own cosmetics and sold them through their chain of stores. Their factory was in Moorabbin and when Barry had his stroke at age 56 his working life was over.

After leaving hospital he was in rehab for 6 months and became strong enough to be able to walk again at which time he left hospital and came back home to Lynne who has been his primary carer ever since.

On leaving OTC Barry has kept in touch with many colleagues and despite his difficulties with stroke was quite a regular at our OTVA Reunions in Melbourne. Many years ago my wife Judith and I on a regular weekly basis saw Barry at Caribbean Gardens tending a stall selling Pet (Dog & Cat) various items which he did for a period of time and kept us in touch with Barry & Lynne.

Barry’s sporting interest was Collingwood he clearly had a terrible taste in footy teams and would be none too pleased to know that a Carlton supporter is doing his farewell service today. Other things Barry loved were Horse Racing, McDonalds and Barney Banana Ice Creams and Scotch.

Barry and Lynn had travelled to America and England during their marriage for holidays and wonderful times were shared together.

Barry enjoyed time with all his Grandchildren his face would light up when he saw them coming, first thing he would say  is “give me a kiss”.

Barry had a stroke 24 years ago and his life changed forever. He has been well cared for by Lynn until 2 years ago when Barry was moved to Southern Cross Aged Care facility Lyndhurst VIC where he was well looked after by the dedicated carers there. Barry’s health deteriorated recently and admitted to Casey Hospital Berwick where he was extremely well cared for in his last days ironically Barry was unaware that a Great Grandchild was born the day before his passing in the same hospital.

May he now be resting peacefully and comfortably and there is no doubt he will be very sadly missed by Lynne and all of his family.

By Robert Hall

McCONNACHIE

Alan Alastair

Formerly of Sydney and the Central Coast of NSW.

Passed away peacefully at Caroona Kalina Nursing Home, Goonellabah on Saturday June 18th, 2016. Aged 84 years.

Beloved husband of Romola and cherished father of Fiona, Catriona and Alastair. Dearly loved grandfather of Pieter, Madeleine, Angus and Annabel. Loved brother of David.

“They will come back, come back again, as long as the red earth rolls.

He never wasted a leaf or a tree. Do you think He would squander souls?”

Relatives and friends were invited to attend Alan’s Funeral Service held at The Chapel Of Lismore Memorial Gardens, Skyline Road Goonellabah, on FRIDAY (June 24th, 2016) at 11:00 am. After the service the cortege left for Dunoon Cemetery.

Published in The Sydney Morning Herald on June 21, 2016

May He Rest In Peace

Today’s SMH has the death notice of Beryl Frances Molloy, wife of Thomas Molloy.

Tom Molloy was OTC’s Director(Administration) from about 1959 to 1977.

Beryl was aged 100 years. Her funeral is at St Joseph’s Catholic Church Edgecliff at 10.30 am on Wednesday.

Thanks to David Richardson for circulating advice of her passing.

May She Rest In Peace although she had a very good innings.

I wonder at the changes that she had seen in her 100 years.

A short note to let you know that I am also retiring at the end of July having commenced with Uncle OTC at DCA Waverton in 1970 then various locations around Sydney with Eng Branch then Radio Services at OTC house then Doonside, Laperouse, Townsville and finally at Brisbane Radio. I then left and joined the Queensland Police as a Comms Tech. and then Calibration Tech. calibrating Speed Detection and Breath Alcohol equipment for the police and ended up as Manager of the NATA accredited Calibration Laboratory at the Police Complex at Alderley in Brisbane.

I recall many of those that you mentioned in Dave Solomon’s farewell testimonial.

Mick Callaghan was at the Hasler Gateway Telex exchange install at Broadway where I worked for about a year or so in 73-74, and I think  Lindsay Harradine, Bob Murray, Jeff Hatchman and Reg Spray were all Paddington boys.

I also would like to thank all the people in OTC who have helped me throughout my career, especially in the early days with Ray Baty, Dave Collister, Des Kinnersley and all the mates I have worked with over my 29 years in OTC.

I remember telling Raoul Velchic after he first started work at Doonside and there was a small altercation between Neil Yakalis and Keith Boyd and Raoul asked “Who the heck (it was a similar bit stronger word used) are these guys I have to work with” and I told him “The best bunch of bast……s you’ll ever work with” and I am sure he would agree with me now, as I am sure all the OTVA members would agree, We were the best Bs to ever work with.

Cheers,

John Burdinat (JPB to my close mates)

After many years of working at various satellite facilities, tomorrow, 1st July will be his last day with Optus.

Following his technician training in Sydney, he commenced at Carnarvon, Western Australia in May 1970, where he remained until he joined Aussat in 1983.

After working with the Hughes and Aussat teams at the Hughes facility in Torrance, California for 10 months, he returned to Belrose as Aussat prepared for its first satellite launch in 1985.

The TT&C work took him to four other TT&C sites in Australia, three sites in Singapore, and sites in Belgium, Britain, Turkey and Luxembourg.

His experiences over the years have been greatly enhanced by the working relationships that he shared with his Aussat and OTC colleagues.

He thanks all of those people for the positive impacts that it has on his life.

On page 16 of the Transit Magazine from July/Sept 1966:

TRAINEE TECHNICIANS

Transit extends a belated but nonetheless warm welcome to first year Technicians-in-Training Michael Callaghan, Ernest Chalker, Neil Emerson, Ross Gibson, Michael Game, Lindsay Harradine,

Jeffery Hatchman, Owen Lewis, Bill Perryman, Pat Ryan, David Solomon, Reg Spray, Gregory Taylor, Peter Watson, Peter Rexstraw, Robert Murray and John Schofield who are attending the

D.C.A. Regional Training School Marrickville.

Congratulations to Dave on a long and stellar career that all started through the opportunities that he was given when working with OTC.

From Daughter Christine:

My father is Alexander Griffiths, he started to work in AWA in 1942 as a telegraphist. His work took the family to Western Australia, Suva, and Fanning Island and he worked on the Apollo missions as well. He and I share many memories, although mine are as a child. Unfortunately Mum passed away in 2002.

Dad is now in a Nursing Home at Greystanes, just around the corner from me so I can also help care for him.

When he receives the OTVA Newsletter, I read the old memory stories that many people have supplied and although Dad’s short term memory is not so good, he remembers all the men, equipment and technical jargon etc that is mentioned.

I am hoping that your readers can supply more stories from the past, especially from where he has worked so I can continue to read to him.

Thanking you

Christine Murdoch (Mrs)

Brian’s son, Matthew Callaghan, advised Peter Feeley on Saturday that his father has passed away the previous night.

Funeral Details to follow.

May He Rest In Peace.

Sales Support Manager, Brian Callaghan, retired in 1988 after a 37-year career with OTC.

Well-liked and respected, Brian’s farewell function saw a throng of friends and colleagues from many areas of the business come to wish him well in his new career as a man of leisure.

Brian’s long years of dedicated service meant the presentation at his farewell was a high-profile affair. Managing Director, George Maltby, presented Brian with a gold watch and National Sales Manager, Jim  Culbertson, entertained guests with a visual biography of Brian’s time with OTC