THE ZL4 "GOLDEN GIRLS" OF NZART
Article by Brenda Shore ZL4OQ (with assistance of ZL4AI's 40 DB plus memory!)As published in Branch Newsletter 1992/1 (March)
With the death of Mrs Millicent Anne Egan (Nancy) on February 28th 1992 those with over "40 DB" memories might well consider that a Golden Age of Branch 30, the first of such, had come and gone. Nancy, as ZL4FN, was one of the three Kirby sisters, of the early 1930's.
Our Branch history will demonstrate how active Kath Collett ZL4DT, Peg Cameron ZL4CL and Nancy were in the local district areas, where they were executive members, and indeed officers in NZART itself, then in Dunedin. One was actually secretary of the association.
Kath passed on about 10 years ago. For Peggy her radio operating covered 1931-1989; she was member No.257 of the NZART Old Timers Group. Peg attended a branch get-together of Old Timers 3 years ago. She was a community worker, and well known as manager of the Dunedin based Cameron's Pharmacy.
The three women were keen CW operators, as befitted the radio activities of the early 1930's. Even in her declining years Nancy could enjoy copying morse. At the recent Old Timers' afternoon she had deputed Alan ZL4KR, her near neighbour, to hand over to the club memorabilia of the 1930's.
At this point it is fitting to mention other prewar YL operators. The Kirby dynasty really came in at the formative YL era, now constituted as WARO. The earliest notable would be Brenda Bell. She apparently was not formally a Ham. As a trained morse operator it was not really necessary. She accepted equal responsibility with her brother Frank in the operation of the history-making Z4AA, and in Frank's absence she was even authorised to be sole operator.
Myrtle (Myrt) Earland ZL4GR was of course the first officially licenced YL and active until her death in 1986. She clocked up 56 years on the bands, and her prowess as an operator was acknowledged worldwide.
One should mention Margaret Chapman ZL4GB and also Nell Warburton ZL4CX, who died a few years ago. Overseas DX people still ask after them.
This of course leaves a new generation of active more-recently licenced YL operators in ZL4, destined to become the "Golden Girls" of the future.
NOTE: Molly Blake was from Rangiora, and of course Myrtle Earland, usually known as "Myrt", later became ZL4GR. " Myrt" was licensed in 1930 and the 1932 callbook shows her address as Packers Quay, Greymouth. Kath Kirby, who lived at Douglas Street, Balclutha, later became Mrs Kath Collett and lived in Dunedin.
