Of the present membership David VK3DY is the only one who was around when the Club split off from the Eastern Zone in the late 1970’s. David remained with the Eastern Zone where he had been a member since 1950 and opposed the split of the zone, suggesting at the time they form Radio Clubs in Sale and Bairnsdale but leave the zone as is. Since joining us David has been QSL Manager for the Club since we got going and probably knows more about the development of amateur radio in Gippsland than anyone else. My membership started when I was first licensed in 1983. In my time with the Club, repeaters have dominated much of our activities.
In the early 1980’s, we decided to fill the gap between VK3RLV on Mount Tassie and VK3REG which was on Donalds Knob near Cann River at that time and we approached Esso for permission to use their facility at Nungurner.
Regular support of Car Rallies, JOTA, Subaru Winter Classic, Victorian Bike Ride and WICEN has given many of us a further purpose in the pursuit of our hobby. To mention one was the support we gave in 1987 of the 10th Gippsland Scout/Guide Corroboree at Strathfieldsaye. Stan Warren CSW was an active participant providing the mess tent with radios set up in our big tent.
It was about this time in 1988 that Bob moved to Paynesville and joined the Club.
It is clear to us all the expansion of the repeater network in our area developed through the efforts of a number of people but one stands out above them all and that is Bob Neal. I have been able to gather together a few things about Bob – he was born in Geelong (I won’t say when). He has had a lifetime affiliation with radio communications. As a young RAAF serviceman, he served in the 22nd Squadron and was trained in electrical engineering. During the 2nd World War, he worked on aircraft and radio communications equipment and was deployed to Borneo and Morotai to provide radio support services to the war effort both in the Highlands and hinterlands of the region.
In civilian life, Bob enjoyed a career of 38 years working for the Postmaster Generals Department (PMG) and then Telecom, retiring as a senior executive in 1987. Moving to Paynesville in 1988, Bob with Dorothy, returned to the area where Bob spent his childhood years in and around Eagle Point.
Bob has been an enthusiastic amateur since the late 1950’s. His call sign VK3ZAN is known far and wide and his willingness to help others and share his knowledge have been part of Bob’s trademark throughout his life. Bob has been a continuous member of WIA since 1954 and since the late 1980’s Bob has been an office bearer of our Club in various positions and sometimes for multiple terms. He has attained the status of one of the few qualified exam assessors for our area and in this capacity has helped some of our newer members obtain their licences.
In addition to his office bearer positions Bob has been the ‘Repeater Co-ordinator’ and it is his dedicated service in this capacity that deserves special recognition. This goal has taken him in his senior years on a journey where he has built on the early initiatives of the EGARC and taken the expansion of the VHF repeater stations to a new level.
The comrade of the EGARC has seen many members assisting Bob. Trips from Paynesville to the mountain top locations are often long and arduous with limited time frames to fix problems and return within daylight hours. This service has been honorary and Bob has devoted hundreds of hours and personal funds to help develop our network to the success that it is today.
It therefore gives me great pleasure to move that Bob Neal VK3ZAN be awarded Life Membership of East Gippsland Amateur Radio Club.
Peter Brand
VK3BPB