AWARUA RADIO VLB - ZLBAny assistance with this would be appreciated as I only keep records on ZL4 call signs. Where people move away, back to another area, or become a silent key, I don't always have that information. I will try to determine where the hams and other personel are now that worked at Awarua VLB-ZLB. Adamson H. - officer from 1913 but was under the control of Telegraph Engineer, Mr E.H.Lawn of Invercargill. Babington A.M.(Alistair) ZL4DW - Awarua from about 1981. Currently living in Invercargill (Jan 2007). Balan S.C.(Steve) ZL4GF - Awarua from about 1981. Moved to Auckland? about 1997. Also held callsigns ZL1NAK, ZL1MY & ZL2BLG. Barlow F.E.(Frank) ZL4JF/ZL4NU - Frank was listed as being at Awarua with the call ZL4JF 1948-1949, then as ZL4NU in Invercargill from 1953. Other calls held include ZL2BB, ZL1AIJ and latterly ZL2NB. Frank became a 'Silent Key' in January 2005. He contributed articles on Awarua ZLB to the amateur publication 'Break-In' in 1992 and 1995. Bell J.R. - retired to Invercargill, deceased approx 30 years ago. Bonisch J.U. ZL4AG Replaced J.Houlihan as Senior Supervisor in 1955. Promoted to Superintendent, Auckland Radio in 1957. Became a Silent Key 1965. Chalke (Nevile) Was at ZLB off and on from May '71 until July 88 and was the first one to take voluntary severance. He was with Marconi Marine in the Merchant Navy before going out to NZ. Was on secondment to PNG at Rabaul/P2R from 78 to 81 and had callsign P29NC. After leaving ZLB he opened up a picture framing business in Invercargill. He lived in the end cottage (nearest the Bluff road) for a couple of years with Bill Eales as a neighbour. Moved to London in 98 and have been back and forth ever since. Columb P.J. promoted to Senior Supervisor Awarua Radio in 1957. Became Superintendent of ZLD. Passed away in 1969. Held callsign ZL4PK from 1963 while in Invercargill. Cunnold, (Doug) - senior operator, later became radio amateur. Davies J.M. - became Officer in Charge in 1914. No other information. Dolan J.B. - Replaced J.U.Bonisch as Superintendent in 1965 (that appears to have been in Auckland - Alan ZL4PZ). Dominey R.J.(Ray) ZL4FC - Awarua from about 1976, moved to Timaru, still there at Jan 2007. (from Tony Magon VK2IC). Dudley (Jim) - ZL4JD (now a silent key) also worked at Awarua for many years, but did not have his ham ticket when he lived there. (from Tony Magon VK2IC). Ellenden 'Ellie ' - retired in January 1971 to Invercargill deceased aprox 20 years. E.Ellenden listed in Invercargill with callsign ZL4GP 1947-1949 and ZL4TJ 1990-1994. Ernst R.W.(Roly) ZL4AU - Awarua approx 1975-1989. Currently (Jan 2007) Invercargill. Emens L.G. Appointed Superintendent when A.W.Head retired in 1945. In 1947 Emens was promoted to Superintendent Auckland Radio. Faulkner D.N. ZL4FS - Awarua from 1985. Currently living in Hamilton (Jan 2007). Glennie C.A. - appointed Manager in June 1974 after H.J.Milne retired. (Prior to 1st April 1974 the designation for this position was Superintendent). Retired 18th May 1976. Passed away on 2nd June 2012 in Invercargill. View PDF file about Allan Glennie Greaney A.H. - Arnold was born in Hokitika in 1901. He went to Awarua in 1929 and retired to Invercargill in 1958. He passed away on the 15/07/1960. Hampton J. - became Officer in Charge in 1927. No other information. Hattan, Leigh - (ex Navy) our first female operator began 14 May 1980. No other information. Hay L.A.C. - was first observer when full time meteorology observations began in 1944. No other information. Head A.W. - 1929 became Officer in Charge. 1938 a house for the Awarua Superintendent was completed and first occupant was Mr Head. 1945 Mr Head retired and was replaced by L.G.Emens. Held callsign ZL4AW at Awarua 1932. Hogan J.G. - Technician. Was one of those responsible for technical installation at new station in 1940. No other information. Houlihan J. - Appointed Superintendent in 1954 when W.A.Wallace retired. Houlihan retired 1958 - went to Taranaki deceased around 30 years. Probably J.Houlihan ZL4OZ 1958-1968 Invercargill. Hunt, Frank - Comments......"We moved from UK to NZ in December 1972, my UK ham callsign was G4AXI. I worked at ZLB from March 1973 until December 1975. We lived in one of the old original Telefunken cottages for about a year, the one closest to the paddock with the MF/HF TX antennas in it. I remember well the coal range in the kitchen which we kept fired up for about nine months out twelve. I think the coal cost $20 dollars a ton (20 one-hundredweight bags), delivered. We had four chickens and a fellow in one the other cottages had ducks. Ahhh the good life! My first ZL callsign was ZL4CP and I set up my ham station in the sun- room in the cottage. Took quite a while to get over how quiet the ham bands were compared to Europe. I put up a few antennas including a W8JK omni-directional wire beam for 20m fixed on Europe, which worked very well. RFI from the ZLB transmitters was a bit of a nuisance, the transmitters were continuously sending de ZLB ZLB ZLB 8/12/16 etc. Rig was an Heathkit HW100 and I remember that my in-line SWR meter needles were always moving in sync with the ZLB transmissions. We also had a record player with a magnetic pick-up cartridge and every time I played an LP, the ZLB morse transmission came out of the speakers until I put some ceramic by-pass caps inside the cartridge. We eventually bought a house in Invercargill, but in December 1975, we decided to move to the North Island. (My parents, sister and family plus my wifes family all lived up there). I became an RI in Gisborne and later New Plymouth. Still busy with ham radio, my main interest now is CW and RTTY contesting. HF set-up includes a TS-2000 & linear amp, triband yagi and 40m GP. I operate in about 25-30 contests a year, it's real good fun. I look after the clubs vhf/uhf beacons and just got interested in 6m. I'm also very much involved with Scouting, ever since we moved to New Plymouth in 1983." Langdale C.G. ZL4DY - appears to have been at Awarua 1932-1935 (approx). He is also listed as ZL4GN from about 1953 in Invercargill but that call was re-allocated in 1958. Lawn Mr E.H. - Telegraph Engineer, of Invercargill. No other information. Magon T.E.(Tony) ZL4DE - Awarua 1975-1989, moved to Sydney in the same year. First VK call was VK2CBC, then changed to VK2IC which he still holds. Mathews, Sandra - First female technician (1970). McKenzie W.J.(Bill) was ZL4MG, but did not realise that he had relinquished the call. If he got his full call in 83, then that would have been the time he started at Awarua. He was there from around 1980 until 1989. Havent been in contact with him for a few years. He lives in McQuarrie Street in Invercargill. (from Tony Magon VK2IC). - (callsign was relinquished 1999 - Alan ZL4PZ) McVicar R.N. - in September 1974 (while Superintendent at ZLD) was appointed Senior Supervisor at Awarua, but in October he declined to take up the position. Milne H.J. - March 1974 was appointed Superintendent (ex ZLD). (On 1st April designation of Superintendent changed to Manager.) In June H.J.Milne retired, and was replaced by C.A.Glennie. O'Connor, Finbar - EI0CF and ex EJM ( GMH ) Greetings from Malin Head, I read with great interest a note in the events during Awarua Radio ZLB and the following : On October 28 Malinhead Radio (51N - 19W) heard working a distress on 2182 kHz. November 6th daily sked at 1130 with VJS discontinued. Penrod 2 now drilling in Foveaux Strait, rig working r/t for Met traffic. I made a point of checking the distress records for our radio station for that date and can confirm that Malin Head Radio did indeed work distress traffic. I noted that the position given was 53 North and 19 West. This is an amazing bit of watchkeeping and must be the furthest distance for our transmitters, of the time. At that time we were using Pye transmitters, with a 5CX1500b Valve in the final. Running compatable AM with 500 watts carrier. We later changed to USB in the following years and ran 1 kw from SPT gear, replaced by German transmitters about 5 years ago. The antenna was, and still is, 150 foot masts, one for 2182 khz and the other usually used on our working frequency of 1677 khz. The original 500 khz Tee antenna strung between the two towers is used on Navtex on 518 khz and 490 khz these days. Personally, I retired just over 2 years ago, having completed 34 years at EJM, and a further 7 years before that at sea as an Radio Officer. Really enjoyed your web site. I am particularly interested in 500 khz, stories of such, and recordings also of 600m/500 khz. Very best regards - Finbar O'Connor EI0CF and ex EJM ( GMH ) Osborne (Henry) ZL4RF - was a technician at Awarua Radio now retired in Invercargill well into his 70's. Pawley N.C. - retired 1968, retired Invercargill deceased aprox 35 years. His widow Thelma still resides in Invercargill. Probably N.C.(Norman) Pawley ZL4DB 1946-1971. Price L.J.(Lester) ZL4PO - Lester is shown as being at Awarua from around 1973 and has produced handwritten chronological records of Awarua VLB-ZLB - see Chronological Record. He later moved to Richmond, Nelson. There is a profile of Lester at http://www.qsl.net/vk9ml/2002/profile_zl4po.htm. He has a web site at http://www.zl4po.net or, for further information on Lester, try typing ZL4PO into 'Google' and see what you get - like 93 hits/pages. Ramsay (Keith ) at ZLB until about late 75, became an RI after that - Think his call was ZL4FM - was not active as a ham whilst at Awarua Radio (from Tony Magon VK2IC). [Yes, Keith's call was ZL4FM which he got in about 1947; he was last listed with that call in the 1988 call book as living in Invercargill. - Alan ZL4PZ]. Robins G.H. - officer from 1913 but was under the control of Telegraph Engineer, Mr E.H.Lawn of Invercargill. Ryan J.F. - took up as Superintendent on 24th May 1971. (The position was regraded to Class Special 3 on 1st April, and Senior Supervisor Class Special 1). February 1974 Ryan transferred to P.O.H.Q. In March H.J.Milne (Ex ZLD) was appointed Superintendent in his place. Spry P.O. - officer from 1913 but was under the control of Telegraph Engineer, Mr E.H.Lawn of Invercargill. Steel L.H. - became Officer in Charge in 1921. No other information. Suckling P. - Engineer. Was one of those responsible for technical installation at new station in 1940. No other information. Taylor P. Was appointed as the first technician at Awarua in 1940. No other information. Wallace A. ZL4DW Licensed as ZL4DW in 1932, served at Awarua. No further infomation. Wallace W.A. ZL4HI Appointed Superintendent at Awarua in 1947, replacing L.G.Emens who was promoted to Superintendent Auckland Radio. He retired in 1954 but is listed with amateur call sign at Awarua from 1953-1956 according to amateur call books. Whiteman W.F.C. - became Officer in Charge in 1917. No other information. |
