Looking Back - 1939 to 2011 - the Autobiography of Robert V. J. Padula, OAM

1943 - Hiking - Hills and Coasts

Home
1941 - Bikes and Cars
1943 - Hiking - Hills and Coasts
1944 - Growing up in the War Years - Part 1
1944 - Growing up in the War Years - Part 2
1944 - Growing up in the War Years - Part 3
1945 - Auburn schooldays - Part One
1945 - Auburn Schooldays - Part Two
1945 - Auburn Schooldays - Part Three
1945 - Upwey and the Puffing Billy
1945 - Gramaphones and Record Players
1946 - Flinders St Station
1946 - Astronomy
1946 - Beach and Swimming Adventures
1946 - Going to the Pictures
1947 - Adventures at the Altona Bungalow
1947 -The Listener-In Magazine
1947 - Balwyn WIldlife Sanctuary
1948 - Fishermen's Bend Aerodrome
1948 - Radio Australia QSL cards
1948 - Excursions
1949 - Australian Rules Football
1949 - Radio Monitoring at Auburn
1950 -Trains and Ships
1950 - Radios for Communications
1950 - Radio Listening Clubs in Australia
1950 - World Radio TV Handbook
1950 - Shortwave Radio Propagation Research
1950 - Medium Wave Radio Propagation Research
1950 - Radio and Hobbies Magazines
1950 - Discovering shortwave radio at Auburn
1951 - Photography
1951 - Competitions on local radio stations
1952 - Camp Buxton - YMCA Shoreham
1952 Tennis and Ten Pin Bowling
1953 - Stamp Collectiong
1953 Camberwell High School
1954 - Royal Visit to Melbourne
1954 - Shortwave Radio reception at Auburn
1956 - Melbourne's Olympic Games
1956 - Trainee Telecommunications' Technician
1957 - Trainee Technician - field work
1957 - National Service Registration
1958 - Laverton Air Show
1958 - MOOMBA Parade
1958 - Trainee Technician - field work
1959 - The move to Mont Albert
1960 - Working at Deepdene Telephone Exchange
1963 - Trade Unions, Staff Associations, Industrial Relations
1964 - Senior Technician work in the Melbourne CBD
1964 - Project support for Radio Australia
1964 - Project support for Radio Australia
1964 - Amateur Radio
1964 - Media Writing
1964 -Travels
1964 - Engineering Support for International Broadcasters
1965 - Professional Employment with PMG/Telstra
1967 - Professional Qualifications - Institution of Engineers Australia
1967 - Australian Radio DX Club Photo Gallery (to 1979)
1972 - Wireless Institute of Australia
1972 - Natural disasters in Melbourne
1980 - Australian Radio DX Club Gallery (to 1995)
1981 - Award of the Medal of the Order of Australia
1995 - Padula Books
EPILOGUE
LINKS TO AUTHOR'S PERSONAL WEBSITES
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEPENDENT BIOGRAPHIES
SPECIAL CHAPTER - Oldtime Australian Radio Drama from the 1930s
SPECIAL CHAPTER - Radio Monitoring Clubs in Australia - 1920 to 1949
SPECIAL CHAPTER - Melbourne Picture Theatres - History - 1906 to 1970

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1943 - At Panton Hill with my Grandmother

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July 1943, Dad and me, Upwey

My first hiking expedition was at Panton Hill, 40 km NE of Melbourne, in 1943.
 
My Grandmother had rented a farmhouse there, where my mother, father, and I stayed  for a few days.
 
One morning Nana and I walked down to the dam at the bottom of the property - saw yabbies there!
 
I can recall waking up in the mornings to the warbling of the many magpies which lived nearby.
 
That was my introduction to hiking! .
 
In 1958, I went on some of the Mystery Hikes organized by the Victorian Railways - these were to such places as Queenscliff, Healesville, and Warburton.
 
I  joined the Melbourne Bushwalking Club, in 1963, and did several organiized walks in the hills area near Melbourne with that group.
 
I left the Melbourne Bushwalkers in 1966, preferring other interests - I was uncomfortable wirth the regimentation of long "Conga Lines" of hikers, and most of the destinations did not appeal to me.
 
In October 1979 I completed a three month part-time evening/weekend training course in Bushwalking Leadership Skills, with the Council of Adult Education (see the pictures below!).
 
My interest in organized group hiking in the years 1977 to 1990 was minimal.
 
Around 1995 I joined the Great Dividing Trail Association, which is based at Daylesford. With mate Mick we did most of the GDTA walks over a period of several years.
 
We then did the newly opened Bereepmo Trail and many trips to the Victorian Alpine region, as well aa further afield to the Grampians, Wilson's Promontory, Wilpena Pound (SA), New Zealand and Apollo Bay.
 
Since then, I have done over 1200 independent short walks around Melbourne's hill country and coasts, all of which are well documented in words, pictures, and videos, on my Personal Websites.
 
I am the author of the very popular "Internet Guide to Short Walks in Victoria".
 
I am a member of the Federation of Victorian Bushwalkers
 
In 2008, I set up an on-liine discussion group known as "The Victorian Hiker", but this was closed down in November 2011 due to lack of support,
 
So  my thanks to Nana for getting me involved in that very first bushwalk all those years ago!

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October 1979 - CAE Walk

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Oct 1979 - CAE Walk

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Oct 1979 - CAE hike

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Oct 1979 - CAE walk

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Oct 1979 - CAE walk

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