Bob JEFFERY (Australia)

Born 11 July 1937…a cancerian…love the sea and adventure. Raised on a dairy farm with no electricity in the area until 10 yrs age. From when I can remember I was fascinated with the “wireless” as it was called in those days.  Ours was a battery powered  radio with tuned circuits. When the electricity was connected my Father bought a 240 volt superset with short wave band and MW. From about 14 yrs age when given pocket money I spent all on radio parts. From 18 years age secured a job in the local town as a radio serviceman. During a holiday by passenger ship to Fiji and New Zealand met the 3rd Radio Officer and learned about the job of Radio Officer on Merchant Ships….that was 1963. I immediately started to learn morse code then in 1964 moved to Sydney and attended Marconi School Of Wireless. Passed the exam same year and joined AWA as Radio Officer. Sailed on the SS Aramac GSWQ as 3rd R/O,  then SS Iron Spencer VMJS for 2 months, SS Bilkurra  VJLN until end 1965.   February 1966 flew to Japan to sail on the MV Simandou 3XGA for ten months employed by Harrisons (Clyde) Ltd of Glasgow. In 1967 signed on the MV Vennachar GQCH also with Harrisons (Clyde) Ltd.   1968/1969 had a shore job then joined AWA again for the final ship 1970 MV Howard Smith VJNB. In 1971 started my own travel company in the Sydney CBD organising tours to Japan and the Orient.  Retired from the travel business in 1986 and became a beef cattle farmer until retiring in 1999. Started Amateur Radio in 1980, was active until 1996 then went off the air until February 2015 when I became active again……..only CW……as CW is in my blood…….77 Long live CW…….73s to all de VK2BTJ Bob.