Hervey Bay Club Hosts Meeting of Queensland Clubs and Amateur Radio Centenary Celebrations

Saturday 21 July 2012 saw a successful meeting of WIA affiliated Queensland radio clubs and the following day the host club, the Hervey Bay Amateur Radio club conducted a barbeque celebrating the centenary of the formation of the club that ultimately became part of the WIA.

Organised amateur radio in Queensland started in 1912 at a meeting organized by Sydney Victor Colville where the Wireless Institute of Queensland was formed, later to become the Wireless Institute of Australia, Queensland Division

The WIA’s Queensland Advisory Committee had organized the special event station VK100WIQ around this weekend. Representatives of 11 clubs, from Ipswich, Caboolture, Southside, Townsville, Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, Maryborough, Bayside, Gold Coast, Lockyer, Rockhampton and Sunshine Coast participated in the meeting, led by WIA President Michael Owen VK3KI and with WIA Directors Ewan McLeod VK4ERM and Trent Sampson VK4TS participating.

The recent and the forthcoming World Radiocommunication Conferences were discussed, as were the arrangements being made to deal with the withdrawal of the 420 to 430 MHz sub-band. The apparent plateau in the number of new entrants seeking to qualify as radio amateurs was a major issue discussed, and in particular, the role of the clubs in attracting, training and qualifying new amateurs was seen as important. A revised media kit with a forward looking pro forma release adaptable for many club activities promised by the WIA was seen as very important.

Gavin Reibelt VK4ZZ from the Townsville Amateur Radio Club had been announced as the recipient of the Chris Jones Award at the WIA Annual Conference in Mildura at the end of May, but as he was not at Mildura the WIA President presented Gavin with the Award during the meeting of clubs. Other presentations included one on participating in the RD contest by Alan Shannon and the history of radio in Queensland by Ken Fuller.

The Hervey Bay Amateur Radio Club led by President Norm Greenaway invited Fraser Coast Regional Council Mayor Gerard O’Connell to attend the Club’s barbeque on Sunday, and he listened to a number of presentations. In responding to Norms welcoming remarks Councillor O’Connell said that he was pleased to learn more about amateur radio which was obviously an important part of the community. Also participating in the weekend were Queensland Advisory Committee Chairman Michael Charteris, and members Alan Shannon and Don Wilschefski.

Pictured above :
Fraser Coast Mayor Mr Gerard O’Connell together with National WIA President Michael Owen VK3KI

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