The following members attended today’s AGM held on Level 2, Club York, 95-97 York St Sydney.

1. Allan Hennessy
2. Ben McGee
3. David Richardson
4. Greg Martyn
5. Jim Simpson
6. John Phillips
7. Kevin O’Brien
8. Lex Vipond
9. Mike Elliott
10. Neil Yakalis
11. Paul Cope
12. Peter Bull
13. Robin Tuckfield
14. Steve Corrigan
15. Tom Barker
16. Tony Kalcina
17. Will Whyte

A pay-as-you-go luncheon at the Zabou Bar & Grill followed the AGM where reminiscences of some rekindled memories for many.

The 2022-2023 Committee has been reappointed unopposed for the next 12 months.

1. President                            (Peter Bull)
2. Vice President                   (Mick Callaghan)
3. Secretary                            (Will Whyte)
4. Treasurer                           (Robin Tuckfield)
5. Subscription Officer        (Robin Tuckfield)
6. Auditors                             (Ken Theaker and Tony Farrugia)
7. Newsletter editor             (Greg Martyn)
8. Committee                         (Orm Butler, Kevin O’Brien, David Richardson.)

The incoming committee thanks the members of the OTVA for its confidence in the ability of the incoming committee to continue to deliver benefits to members of the OTVA.

Minutes to follow in the next few weeks.

Many thanks to Jim Simpson who passed this one for the enjoyment of other members who may be interested:

This brought back some memories for me since I visited Goonhilly Downs SES complex in Cornwall, UK around 2000 when I was based in London (1998-2001) & maybe of interest to other OTVA Vets.

Originally British Telecom, now privately owned.  An impressive complex still as active as ever in association with NASA & other space exploration activities where one can Take a break from SLS and tour the nerve center for Artemis, ESA, JAXA and maybe Starship?! – YouTube

Zeljko worked for OTC/Telstra between 1981 and 1997.

Zeljko was awarded an OAM in June 2019 in recognition of his contribution to music.

You can read his BIO at https://www.musicnsw.com.au/teacher/zeljko-bedic/

The fact that he was able to accomplish so much while holding down a full-time job in OTC is most impressive.

It must be getting contagious! On the back of the advice that Doc Roberts is retiring, Ray Pow has announced that he too has decided to stop to smell the daisies!

Ray’s last day at Telstra will be 1 July 2019 after 48 years with OTC/TELECOM/TELSTRA/REACH/TELSTRA.

Ray has been looking forward to retirement for a few years now so the offer of redundancy from Telstra has made it a very sweet and easy decision.

I asked Ray what he would be doing with all of his spare time and he responded that “the jobs to be done just keep piling up”.

Ray and his wife are expecting their first grandchild in a few months in London so a few more trips to the UK will be on the agenda. He also plans to continue with his passion for restoring old cars. He has a 1934 Buick on the go at the moment. He wants to build a new bigger garage to house his cars and help with plenty of other long deferred projects around home.

We wish Ray and his family well in his retirement

Mark has decided to retire after 35 years with Optus which includes 8 with Aussat.

He has decided that it is time to go and enjoy life without working.

We congratulate Mark on his long career and wish him well in his retirement.

After 46 years with OTC & Telstra Noel Sutherland has accepted a redundancy and will be leaving Telstra on Thursday 6^th June 2019.

42 of his 46 years with OTC & Telstra has been in the Maritime Radio and Land Mobile Radio areas progressing from valve based HF transmitters & receivers through the microprocessor era and into digital TMR technology. He looks back on an amazing journey with many career highlights, major network builds and technology changes.

His career would not have been as rewarding as it has been without the many friendships he has made along the way with great work colleagues, suppliers and customers.

He started with OTC in the Technical Officer in Training Class of ’73 and after graduation moved into OTC’s HF Radio Services later renamed OTC Maritime then Telstra Maritime before this amazing team was split apart and destroyed by Telstra.

There have been many highlights that he has had over the years and here are only a few of them:

• VHF Auto-Seaphone Network
• Fleetcoms National Trunked Mobile Radio Network
• Victorian State Mobile Radio Network (VicSMR)
• Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Radio Network
• South Australian Government Radio Network (SAGRN)
• SANTOS P24 Trunked Radio Network
• Queensland Government Wireless Network (QGWN)

He considers that he has hiked, flown by helicopter or battled his way via 4WD to the top of most of the mountain ranges in Australia to maintain, install or find new radio sites for OTC/Telstra. He thinks that it is time he actually slowed down and had a better look at the scenery.

He still remembers the words from the Senior Technical Officer in the OTC Paddington Telex Exchange given to him when he decided to move into HF Radio “Radio is a dead end job, Telex is the future”. He soon had to eat those words.

He is not sure if he will slip quietly into retirement. He has plans in place for the next 6 – 9 month with trips to the UK & Europe, down to Tassie and to WA in his caravan but he may consider returning to the industry in the future just to keep his mind active.

He wishes you and your families all the best for the future.

He will to try to keep in touch but if anyone is coming near Bribie Island they are always welcome to drop in and say hello.

Age catches up all with us and it finally has for an Engineering Branch legend, Al Salmon.

I think many would agree that Al influenced the careers of so many technical staff in the halcyon days of Engineering Branch in the late 1960’s and the 1970’ until he took leave to establish his own very successful Marine business in Sorrento, Victoria.

Al had the ability to turn a blank canvas into a work of art. Guam Cable Station at the Northern end of Seacom is a great example of this.  But Al did not do things on his own and it was his ability to relate to and mentor his team members that was amazing. Al did not own the job, his team did.

Although I had known Al for a number of years, in about 1973 I was assigned to work as one of his TO 11’s at Broadway alongside Jeff (Harold) Hatchman and editor Mick (Mouse) Callaghan. After having been in Head Office until then, a stint in the field was what I needed to develop and who better to have as my boss than Al. I loved my time at Broadway and, to this day both me and wife Robyn see Al regularly.

Life for Al is never dull and for many years since his retirement has contributed generously to various aspects of the Noosa Classic Car Club.

Al will celebrate his 80th birthday with his family and friends at his home in Buderim on the Queensland Sunshine Coast.

I would like to think that all of us can wish Al a very Happy 80th Birthday. Hip hip hooray!

Rob McAulay.

David Richardson reminded the Committee that George Maltby turned 91 last Thursday.

I have heard from Kate Schober who organises the care that his son, Chris, provides for George and Mary

They both still live at home, their apartment at Double Bay, with 24/7 Carers. Mary has Alzheimer’s and George has Dementia.

George was such a huge influence on OTC and the lives of those of us who had the pleasure of working under him so it would be nice to be able to celebrate this event with him albeit a bit belatedly. Kate said that she will give us an update on George and Mary in coming days.

The below photo was taken of George on the occasion of Phil Harris’ retirement in 1987.

The West Australian branch of OTC veterans held their 44^th AGM on the  20^th of November 2018. President Rod Pernich welcomed 27 fellow WA Veterans; Andrew Shaw, Andy Hemus, Brett Driscoll, Bruce Weber, Colin Benporath, David Dean, David Benzie, Denham Dunstall, Des Kinnersley, Don Charles, Ian Briggs, Jim Keenan, Joe Edgecombe, Keith Darwin, Kevan Bourke, Kevin Hills, Mike Cadd, Neil Smith, Paul Phipps, Peter Forrester, Peter Lalor, Reg Jones, Rolly Morin, Ted Wraight, Tom McKnight, Tony Belts and Asokan Nallasivam.

Apologies for absence had been received from Jim Congdon, Bill Dunn, Ray Parkinson, Ken True, Les Bateman, Bob Smallwood, Gerry Tacey, Andrew Monka, Tore Boe, Leif Akslen, Mark Roberts, Bill Comerford, Gavin Kerr, Bernie Clark, Martin Cavanagh, Mark Brockman, Graham Watts, Kommer Springvloed, Wal Perryman, Matt Saunders, Geoffrey Goddard, Tim Dalton, Cliff Wilkinson, Bill Kay, Neil Atwell, Mal Kerwin, Barry Whittle and Leon Jurgielan who were unable to attend the meeting.

One minute’s silence was held for the Veterans who had passed away in the period since the last AGM, the formal part of the meeting was held and Denham Dunstall gave a presentation on the current status of the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum. The 2019 meeting will be held on Tuesday the 19^th of November.

Photos courtesy of Mike Cadd & Kevan Bourke.

Andrew Shaw, Mike Cadd & Tony Belts

Andy Hemus & David Benzie

Brett Driscoll & Bruce Weber

Brett Driscoll & Joe Edgecombe

Colin Benporath & Kevan Bourke

Colin Benporath, Kevan Bourke & Jim Keenan

Des Kinnersley, Kevin Hills & Andrew Shaw

Don Charles. Asokan Nallisivam in background.

Keith Darwin & Asokan Nallisivam

Keith Darwin, Des Kinnersley & Kevin Hills

Neil Smith & Joe Edgecombe. Peter Forrester in background.

Paul Phipps & Andy Hemus

Peter Forrester & Ted Wraight

Peter Lalor & Jim Keenan

Reg Jones & Don Charles

Rod Pernich & Jim Keenan. Dave Dean & Denham Dunstall in background.

Rod Pernich & Keith Darwin

Rod Pernich, Jim Keenan & Des Kinnersley

Rod Pernich, Jim Keenan & Des Kinnersley. Joe Edgecombe in background.

Tom McKnight & Roly Morin

Tony Belts & Neil Smith

Meeting underway

Dave Dean & Denham Dunstall