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John - "Past life"
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My childhood was spent in the Milang area of South
Australia, where my parents had a mixed grazing farm.
I attended the
Milang Primary School, Strathalbyn and Victor Harbor High Schools.
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I was always fiddling with old radios and junk. As a teenager, I fixed up this 1926
"Superior K" Chevrolet.
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I graduated from the S.A. Institute of Technology in Adelaide in 1974
with a Bachelor of Technology in Electronic Engineering.
During my student years I worked on building-hi-fi equipment and had
holiday employment doing electronic and electrical repairs and as an
electricians mate.
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Location sound recording at
Saddleworth Centenary Show
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Upon graduating, I obtained a position as a audio-visual
officer and research assistant in a medical teaching setting at the Queen
Elizabeth Hospital. This work covered a broad range of projects including
building and managing a small television studio, doing statistical
analysis by computer and developing customised electronic equipment for
research involving physiological monitoring and bio- feedback.
During this period I enjoyed many leisure pursuits including
photography, boating, steam trains, location sound recording and travel.
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I married my student "kjæreste", Liz, in 1977.
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After travelling around the world, Liz and I settled in
Melbourne in 1984. I was employed as a Technical Officer in the
audio-visual unit of the Lincoln School of Health Sciences. Tasks were
many and varied and included design and construction of a TV studio,
editing suite, production of teaching programmes, and managing and
maintaining an audio-visual loans system for students.
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Near Narvik, North Norway
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In 1990 my position changed to a Senior Technical Officer
with La Trobe University in the Technical Services Unit, offering
electronic engineering support to research projects in the School of
Health Sciences. Again this job offered much variety and required an
innovate frame of mind and ability to adapt existing skills in new
directions.
Much of the work involved interfacing computers with mechanical or
measurement systems in the real world.
I was also involved with development of interactive multimedia teaching
tools, having attended a training course at Wollongong University in 1993.
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Personal interest during this time included building
amplifiers and guitar speakers, making furniture and learning metal
forging as well as a shared interest with Liz in camping, sailing and
learning Norwegian.
I returned, with Liz, to South Australia in 1998.
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