Recollections of Little Leichardt Street Training Annex
Written by Colin Barling

The Research Laboratories Training Annex was at 51 Latrobe St. The block this building was on (bounded by Exhibition, Latrobe, Spring and Lt Lonsdale) was being redeveloped so the Annex was demolished in the late 1960's. TRL created the new Annex at Little Leichardt Street to replace 51 Latrobe.

I wasn't aware of the Latrobe Street annex. When I started at Watkins in 66 as a TA, we did an introductory session (probably mid 1967) at 59 Lt Collins with Joe Blake. I assume Latrobe St must have either been occupied by other trainees (you guys I suppose). There was a group of about 6 of us (Ralph Simpson is the only one I remember) making up a Labs Power Supply. My earliest recollections of Lt Leichardt St was probably around 1970 when I think Joe, Bill Staley and Peter Hider were there. I think Peter took over sometime in the early 70's and I moved to Lt Leichardt in '75 from Block S. I was there for about 3 years - had a group of TA's go through (about 10 of them - don't know if any lasted) then Techs (included John Ellery) then a couple more techs (George Dhosi was one). Don Sheridan was the Divisional Engineer for Training along with PCB production, the Gerber, etc. We were on the 2nd floor.

Dennis Gordon and the PCB facility was built on the 1st floor (lots of chemicals and baths, etc) with batteries on the Ground floor (Joe Der's group I think).

The first couple of years of my time in the training area were great because the Labs were in a period of growth - there would have been somewhere around 25 new staff go through along with those already in the process of completing traineeships or TIT's. About 78 the bottom dropped out and very few went through so I had to find other work to do. I did the initial training on the Gerber with Siang Tjio before Mic Creary arrived, did the 79 'Review of Activities', etc - anything that Frank Arter and Don could come up with. The training activities were based around high reliability soldering, equipment operation, etc. We designed and built a Test Meter unit as a training exercise and I think a lot of the trainees got quite a lot out of that exercise - (power supply, counter, multimeter, elementary sig generator).

When things dropped off and we had to move from Lt Leichardt I was moved to 2nd floor 59 - the exec area after people were moved to Monash. This was a great facility but no customers. I was there about 6 months - must have cost a fortune and totally wasted. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't still in place because when I moved to Monash noone moved into 59 and it is still the same as when I left it in 1978/9.

I'll have a look at some of my old stuff to give you more details of my time there - I can't even remember some of the names any more. I do remember John Ellery throwing up on my bare leg in a pub at some stage - I think I was wearing my duck egg blue Safari Suit shorts! We did have some good times then.
We were moved out of Lt Leichardt to make way for the redevelopment of the site (although nothing happened for years after and the PCB and battery facility seemed to carry on long after I left). I think it was expected that the move to 59 would be for some time because there was no plans to build a training facility at Monash. As it turned out there were no trainees recruited after about 77 so there was no need for it. About 12 months ago I heard from Bill Shelton (an estate agent) that he had sold 59 but I can't remember who to - I'll follow it up because whoever it was has done nothing with it as yet (maybe its the same mob who bought 199 William and are now stuck with it).

I had some of my dates wrong in the last email - thought you might be able to use an update on the way trainees and TA's were in 1975 - George Dhosi was a 3rd year TIT (or Telecom Trainee) in 1975 along with Simon Davenport, John Webber, Peter Lindley, Ron Mattson, Goran Alavanja, T Belcher and Paul Golding. Wonder what happened to them. Golding was a real pain I remember. John Baldock, W Broughton and John Zduga were 4th years and Ian Meggs was a 2nd year. We also had 3 mechanical TTO's Bruce Harper, G Healey and Emmanual Cilia.  There were 3 TA1's about - Dave Jewell, G Lucas and Bill Andrews and a new intake of TA1's Gerry Dyson, Graeme Lipback, M Rampant, Doug Blackney, John Schurmann, Andrew Brace, John Noble, Nick Argyros, S Vandenbergen, Roger Tarran, Steve Wood, M Leary.

I have a list of the TA2's but had no responsibility for them - Geoff Pridgeon, P A Thomas, R Potter, Eva Horvath, Russel Anderson, Ross French, Terry Fraser, R McNabb, Peter Futschik, P McMullen, Ian Palmer, P Francis, Ross Coulthard, Tony Cole and Eddie Trueman.

Some of the names might mean something to you - I have no idea if any lasted the distance and are still at TRL. I know where some went but there are a few names there that I can't even put a face to. In 1976 we had another intake of Telecom Techs (John Ellery, Ian Long, Roland Leschinski, etc year).

The attached photo might be of some interest as well - It is Alan and Jo Bidwell's wedding in 1967 or 68. Alan was an Instrument Maker working for Bob Barclay and Ray Jepson. The best man is a hairy Kevin Bartlett and that's me on the right. I think that was the day that Kevin met Denise his future wife - after we left the wedding reception we headed back to 431 in St Kilda Road (held up a bit by a cop who didn't appreciate me going through a red light - things were more relaxed in those days - he just gave me a warning). Anyway I dropped Kevin off at the dance and the next thing he was engaged.