Message from Kathy Palmer

My father Wessel Johannes Koeman passed away on the 28th of August, 2011 in Townsville.
He served with OTC his entire working life. He emigrated to Australia in the late 1950’s and I’m unsure as to exactly when he started with OTC.
He served in Melbourne at Cape Shanck, had two postings to Thursday Island and was posted to Townsville in 1975 where he remained until Telstra closed the station.

We have no details to provide yet for the funeral as we have opted for an autopsy which will take place in Brisbane. It’s all to do with the nature of the illness he suffered.

We “think” the funeral will be possibly two weeks away, no sooner than that so somewhere tentatively around the 16th of September.

The funeral will be a burial in Townsville and I am very happy to be contacted for any details should there be members that would like to pay their respects.
Everyone will be very welcome.

If anyone does want information please don’t hesitate to contact me on 0408 186531 or my email address: kathpalmer@gmail.com

Thank you for doing what you’re doing in circulating this note, I have no way of contacting people he knew and worked with from the OTC days so you’re help is immeasurable.

Extract from Daily Telegraph Obituaries
NX433176 TAYLOR, Stewart Edmund 29 August 2011 Late of Caringbah Dearly beloved husband of the late Marie. Loved father of Ann, Lyn, Jenny and father-in- law of Murray and Paul. Adored Granddad of Scott, Stuart, Kylie, Rebecca, Craig, Henry and Great Granddad of Lily, Archer, Jayden, Ryan and wee Leila. Aged 87 years Lest We Forget STEWART’S family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of his life to be held at Olsens Chapel, 172 Willarong Road, Caringbah on Monday, 5 September 2011 commencing at 11am.

Stew served with the RAF in the UK during the war with Bomber Command returned to Sydney after the war and resumed employment with AWA prior to AWA & C&W merging into OTCA. He worked in the SOR in Spring Street when Les Ayers first met him in 1959. Intlx was starting up and he transferred over to Paddo as a Traffic Controller where Les thinks he remained also at Broadway for the duration of his OTC service.
If you can add some more detail on Stew’s employment history with OTC please add a comment to this BLOG.

Brian Williams ex- AWA

Brian commenced with AWA on 14/5/1945 on 48 shillings per week as a Junior. Duties CRO started in Training School 5/5/1947, Telegraph Staff 12/11/1047 and provisionally classified as Telegraphist 3/6/1950 on 456-598 pounds per annum. Brian was appointed as Actg. Senior Telegraphist on 12/1/1957. Brian commenced Phototel duties on 22.9.1958 and carried on those duties until the demise of phototelegrams and was an AREA CONTROLLER until his resignation in 1986 for a job too good to refuse.

FUNERAL SERVICE: The funeral service was held at Springvale Botanical Cemetery on 26th May 2011 and about 25 in attendance including OTVA Members Robert & Judith Hall, Geoffrey Whitmore and Michael Murray. Our sincere sympathy to his wife Betty and children Sharon and Michael and family.

From Robert Hall

Ian Kenneth Reed –Obiturary 17.6.1943 – 21.4.2011

The Funeral service Mr. Ian Kenneth Reed is on Tuesday May 3^rd at the Le Pine Chapel  132 Mt. Dandenong Road  CROYDON Victoria commencing at 2.30pm.

This tribute from Robert & Judith Hall & Family

The attached photo is the only one I could find at present and was taken at the 20 year awards in Melbourne office about late 1984 or early 1985.

Ian commenced with O.T.C. (A) on the 12.1.1959 as a Traffic Assistant Grade 1. in the M.O.R.  then located at 167 Queen Street Melbourne. Ian’s commencing salary at that time was 360 pounds per annum and his education standard on leaving school was the Technical School Intermediate Certificate. Ian was living in East Ringwood and would have travelled by train to Flinders Street Station. Late 1960 O.T.C. moved to 382 Lonsdale Street where Ian progressed through the ranks to I.T.O./S.I.T.O.  then transferred to the Commercial/Marketing Branch in Melbourne.

Whilst in OTC’s Commercial branch Ian had the opportunity to advance his career and early in the 1970’s Ian & Janet & family moved to O.T.C. Sydney for 2 to 3 years (a big step in those days), then came back to Melbourne as a Senior Commercial officer.

During the following years Ian’s long experience and knowledge of International Telecommunications, saw him travel extensively Interstate & overseas on business trips and acquire a business degree at University. Ian’s remaining years in OTC, were as a senior sales executive in OTC Sales & Marketing in charge of key OTC corporate accounts. Along with other work colleagues Ian was transferred to Telstra International Sales until he retired in early 2000’s

Back in the early 1960’s Ian met and married Janet who worked with Judith and I (Robert Hall) in OTC Melbourne accounts branch on the 4^th floor. We attended each other’s weddings and Judith and I stayed with Ian & Janet with our families for a week at their home in Sydney in the mid 70’s.

Ian was a member of the OTVA and served for a number of years as an Honorary Auditor. In the 60/70’s Ian was active in a number of OTC sporting events organised by the OTC Sports and Social Club,  and attended a several Wagga weekends.

Ian was very much admired by his work colleagues for his long experience and knowledge of the Telecommunications market. He was a smart business thinker, very aware of commercial issues and customers. Even tempered and rarely rattled by the daily pressures of work life.

He treated everyone with respect, from senior managers to junior support staff with the same dignity and amiable style he was renowned for. Over the years Ian remained in contact with work colleagues from his former years in OTC right up until his retirement and was always open to sharing a beer or two at his favourite watering hole. I am very proud to say I was a good friend and work colleague of Ian and our deepest sympathy to Janet, Andrew, Christopher & Elizabeth. He will be deeply missed by us all.

No more information at this time.