Awards announced at WIA AGM & Open Forum

A number of awards were presented at the Open Forum following the WIA’s Annual General Meeting on the 29th of May 2010 held during WIA Centenary Convention Canberra.

New Honorary Life Member
Since 2005 Fred Swainston VK3DAC has made an enormous and enduring contribution through the development and roll out of the new assessment based system enabling individuals to qualify for amateur certificates of proficiency and licence. At the WIA's Annual General Meeting held in Canberra on 29 May 2010, WIA President Michael Owen VK3KI announced that the Board had decided to nominate Fred VK3DAC as an Honorary Life Member.

Fred had acted as the WIA's Registered Training Organisation, the WIA's examination system that includes training of assessors for the required nationally recognised qualification and accreditation. Michael VK3KI said the Board wished to recognise the extent of this voluntary contribution and his independence that gave the whole system credibility. The nomination was approved unanimously and with applause. A humble and surprised Fred VK3DAC spoke briefly after the President gave him his Life Membership certificate and badge.

G A Taylor Medallion.
The G A Taylor Medallion was awarded to Ron Fisher VK3OM in recognition of a half a century of voluntary service to the Wireless Institute of Australia mainly associated with the WIA journal Amateur Radio magazine. The Medallion is conferred by the Board irregularly and rarely, in acknowledgment of exceptional voluntary service to the WIA.

The first of Ron’s dozens of articles for Amateur Radio appeared in the September 1955 issue of the magazine. Three more of his contributions were published before he joined the Amateur Radio Publications Committee in 1960. From then, until his resignation in 2009, he remained a member of the Publications Committee, an unbroken service to the WIA's magazine of nearly 50 years, considerably more than anyone else. Rarely missing an issue, Ron wrote the ‘Commercial Kinks’ column for Amateur Radio from 1972 through to 1981. He wrote innumerable comprehensive 'Equipment Reviews' from 1973 until 2010. He wrote many other columns and articles.

Ron worked one day a week as a volunteer in the Federal Office from 1988 to 1996, including keying-in an index of Amateur Radio from 1968 to 1996. Ron was the technician and co-presenter, in conjunction with Bill Roper VK3BR, of the 'Federal Tapes' segment of Federal WIA news which appeared in the WIA Divisions weekly broadcasts for 17 years from 1972 until 1989.

Chris Jones Award
WIA President Michael Owen VK3KI announced that the Board had decided to present the Chris Jones Award to Robert Broomhead VK3DN. The Chris Jones Award is inscribed "The Chris Jones Award honours the memory of a man who was dedicated to the advancement of amateur radio and whose unfailing commitment and vision led to a new Wireless Institute of Australia ... It is awarded to radio amateurs who have made an exceptional contribution to amateur radio and the Wireless Institute of Australia."

Robert VK3DN had served as WIA director November 2004 until December 2009, was responsible for the new corporate look of the Institute through printed materials and the website, and managed the WIA AGM Member Open Forum weekends since Parkes in 2007. The announcement was greeted with applause. In presenting Robert with the Award, the President said that he knew that the award would have a special meaning for Robert, as he had much to do with Chris Jones VK2ZDD (sk).

Other important awards

The Higginbotham Award - presented to Peter Wolfenden VK3RV, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to amateur radio and the WIA in developing a history of wireless in Australia for publication in the WIA Centenary year.

The Ron Wilkinson Achievement Award – went to Adam Maurer VK4CP for the development of the VK Logger, an interactive online forum that covers general topics, band specific discussion for HF, VHF, UHF and Microwave, special modes and propagation observations.

Two Publications Committee awards - The "Amateur Radio" Technical Award for the best technical article published in Amateur Radio in 2009 year was presented to Dale Hughes VK1DSH for his article "A phasing type transceiver for 144 MHz, parts 1 and 2" published in September 2009.

The Al Shawsmith Award for the best non-technical article published in Amateur Radion in 2009 was awarded jointly to Rex Moncur VK7MO and Justin Giles-Clark VK7TW for their article "Echoes of Apollo – EME on three milliwatts" published in August 2009.

President’s Commendations – Went to Fishers Ghost Amateur Radio Club in recognition of its contribution to amateur radio by its participation in the 22nd Australian Scout Jamboree in Sydney 2010, Karl Hennig VK6XW for his contribution as WIA Intruder Watch Coordinator and as an International Monitoring System Observer for many years, John Kirk VK4TJ for his contribution as an International Monitoring System Observer for many years, Ham College in Perth for its service in providing teaching and assessment facilities for amateur radio in Western Australia and Dennis Muldownie VK6KAD for providing rebroadcasts of the WIA News and compiling and presenting news from Western Australia.

Pictured Above : A very surprised and happy Fred Swainston VK3DAC receiving his Life Membership award.

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