AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA
In 1981, Her Majesty The Queen approved my nomination for the award
of the Medal of the Order of Australia.
The citation was "For Service to Shortwave
Radio".
I was first informed about my nomination of the Award in April 1981, which
I subsequently found out was the result of an intensive and comprehensive selection process.
I was not advised that my Nomination had been approved until only a few
days before the official Press Release in Australian newspapers on June 13, 1981.
My nomination came as a complete surprise
Nominators were required to verify and vouch for the many facets of the Service
, and the Investiture took place at Government House, Melbourne in July
1981.
Following the Press Release, letters. cards and telegrams of congratulation
flowed in from scores of people, including:
- Mr. Malcolm Fraser, Primie Minister of Australia
- Mr.Laurie W. Neal, Senator for Victoria, Parliament
of Australia
- Mr. David I. Smith, Official Secretary to the Governor
General of Australia, Canberra
- Mr. J. H. Curtis, Managing Director, Telecom Australia
- Mr. S. K. Langley, FIEAust, President of the Institution
of Engineers, Engineers Australia, Canberra
- The Executive Manager of the Melbourne Chamber of
Commerce
- The President of the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria
I was overwhelmed by the number of other congratulatory letters, cards, and
calls, from many colleagues in Telecom Australia, and friends in the Australian and the worldwide radio monitoring
community, and of course from my family, friends, and people in the Engineering Faculties of most Victorian Universities.
The Nominees had asked that they remain anonymous, in view of the importance
of the occasion.
Articles were published about the Award in the House Magazine of Telecom Australia,
and in the local Newspapers.
The Award was essentially for Service to Shortwave
Radio, both as an individual professional engineer and in a voluntary capacity over several
decades in radio club management.
