The Otago Branch NZART records with regret the passing of Bill Collett ZL4BP on 30th April 1999 at his home in Dunedin.

Amateur radio as a hobby has had a relatively short life span in the overall scheme of things.     Some of us would probably say that those who were the pioneeers of radio had the most excitement and made the biggest contribution to radio as we know it today.

Bill lived through a great part of the beginnings of amateur radio.     He was licensed in 1929 at the age of 19 and was very active in the Otago Branch right from the start.     You might say he jumped in "boots and all" so to speak.     He was very active during the early 30s with the R.E.C. (Radio Emergency Corps) who together with the local tramping club would make excursions into rough terrain for training purposes and testing their equipment, most of which was developed especially for the job.     Trips to Saddle Hill, Taieri Airport and further afield to the Pyramid Hutt, by way of Whare Flat, where amateurs stayed the night and moved to Taioma railway station for the return trip home by train.

In 1933 he became Editor of Break-In where he provided many excellent technical articles for members.     He had always been an avid constructor and was tutor for Otago Branch in early years.

Also in December 1933, when Headquarters was in Dunedin, he was elected as National President of NZART for the 1934 period.

During the war years period 1942 - 1946, he was attached to the Defence Developments Section of D.S.I.R. at Canterbury College as a radio engineer, and will be remembered by many ex-RNZAF, Navy and Army radar personnel for his excellent work as instructor of the basic radio courses conducted by the Physics Department of Canterbury College for radar officers under training.     He was at that time active in the Canterbury Branch and was 3rd District Vice-President in 1945.

Bill and Jeff Walker ZL4DH (later ZL2BP) made the first 2400 MHz contact in 1948 and are mentioned in the NZART "Milestones".     He also won the world wide "Eddystone" Essay Competition in 1948.     His subject was "The relative merits of British & American Communications equipment".     The prize was an Eddystone 640 receiver.    To quote from the 1948 Break-In article on Bill's essay..... "Bill has been a prominent amateur for twenty years or more and has always been recognised as a man with a sound technical knowledge who has kept himself abreast of modern developments.     He has the happy knack of putting that knowledge to practical use and of imparting it to others in a way that can be readily understood".

About this time he was a science master at King Edward Technical College, in Dunedin, and form teacher for many of the past and current Otago amateurs no doubt, including myself.     He later became principal.

Bill was awarded Honorary Life Membership of Otago Branch on 2nd December 1992 "in recognition of his many years of devotion to the hobby of Amateur Radio and his inspiration and encouragement to others".

Until as recently as 1997 Bill still provided extremely interesting talks at the local club and I can assure you that at that time he had lost none of the teaching skills he was so well known for throughout his life.     No-one dozed off on Bill's nights, no matter how elementary the subject.

Bill acknowledged the fact that with todays rapid increase in technology our hobby no longer attracts young recruits and is probably destined to become a hobby for those with more of a historical interest or curiosity.

His passing adds to the list of noteable pioneers of amateur radio who have gone before us.     Another "Silent Key".

QSL card above sent to ZL4PZ for contact on 17 November 1992