Barb & Stan Move to Sydney 1962. SAA 24/4/2021

1  Introduction  This note briefly outlines the various factors in the above. It is largely based on memory and a few key certificates and an email to Lynne and David Blunt. Please don’t think I have a good memory – I only seem to think of some important or risky things – I’m crook on names, dates and times (but not cakes.)

2  Why move   In 1960 I was getting disheartened with my role in the Navy Department as the completion of HMAS Vendetta a Daring Class heavy destroyer was nearing and I did not feel I was helping enough. But the main trigger was the intended move of the Navy to Canberra which I visited and reviewed the type of work they wanted me to do in computers – they evidently needed persons with maths skill.

Earlier I had been offered a job as a management consultant (a new sector) with a pommie mate who would primarily look after the marketing and PR. The money sounded good but I felt I was a technologist, and with my background of living with little money, did not accept the offer.

I was more interested in technology, didn’t see the great changes in computerisation ahead, and didn’t think inland Canberra best for a Navy. Barb’s asthma was getting bad and possibly was due to the dusty dirt track in front of our small 97 sq.m asbestos cement/timber house at Heathmont. Canberra might be too cold.

3  Where to      I also had been offered a job very interesting to me in Sydney at Standards Australia -See Appendix. Later I learnt it was to upgrade AU Pressure equipment standards – a big interesting challenge with a lot of experts and aligned with my training, growing knowledge and experience.

Barb and I discussed all this at length as it could affect us all greatly and move us away from our families and friends – big move. I, and I’m sure Barb also, felt some blame for Warren’s more obvious disability which helped a bit. Human emotions are hugely complex. Also I think Barb was influenced the times and a Shoshone wedding vow which I found in 1980 and told at Warren’s wedding and saying it applied equally both ways to both husband and wife:

“I will follow thee on the trail,

4  Where in Sydney    When visiting Sydney for the Navy I went to the NSW Dept of Health and asked a doc. where would be the best place for Barb. He thought I was a doc. and gave great info: Down Engadine way or in the northern suburbs but not at Hornsby(industry), nor within 15 km of the coast (sudden weather change) nor in the “Parramatta basin” (increased fog and pollution). In the paper in 2019 a map confirmed Sydney pollution in the “Parramatta basin” but not named that.

We had only a short time to decide; so Barb, Roger then about 5 months old, I and a best mate of mine Fred Colman (ex WW II RAAF pilot in Europe and India) and his wife Robin drove up to Sydney Friday night. It tested my 3rd hand original Holden – more stops for oil than petrol. I got booked for speeding at Picton early Saturday as I did not recognize the NSW cop.

 The three of us stayed at Reg and Doris’s home which was a great help.

We looked for land. Engadine was too far away so we looked north of the “Parramatta basin”. We wanted something very close to a school because Warren could not walk (Barb used to wheel him in our pusher to his school in Heathmont). Also we loved the bush and wanted to be near it. We had little cash and would have to borrow what to us seemed a fortune, so the North Shore and close to a station was out. We looked around starting from Reg’s , looked at a few north but settled on 88 Boundary Rd opposite the North Epping state school (where Warren now lives and with me in a “granny house” at the back as 1A Woods St.).

Being near Reg and Doris also made it a lot easier in a new city etc and was greatly appreciated. Friends are important – especially in moving long distance. The horse in the paddock next door appealed to us all. But we would have preferred a block not on the corner. (Later in 1990 it proved a big benefit with 1A).

Lesson. It’s hard to see 30 years ahead.

We drove back to Mitchum and Heathmont on Sunday with more oil, tired and then work the next day – Barb 33 and me aged of 34. I couldn’t do that now.

5  Resigning from the Navy    Great send off and regret at losing some good mates. The farewell gift presented was the large coffee table we still have . See Story on my Navy days.

6  Buying the Land at 88    Verbal agreement was reached for the land owned by the builder of the house. A little later a Contract was arranged by our Solicitor with the builder’s solicitor. This was required by law because of “Man’s inhumanity to man”. I thought we could save money by only one solicitor but there could be a “conflict of interest.” This is not law in some countries.

7   Designing the Home    Barb and I felt we needed a bit bigger house than at Heathmont. The boys were getting bigger and we now had a few more assets and I a good job. We designed a 3 bedroom house with one toilet, all to suit Warren’s access and to get the north sun (the angle in winter is not so good in Sydney for direct solar heating). After we moved in, we gradually added many trees, fences (had Rog and 4-6 year olds paint them), a garden, path, driveway, car port,pergola, a back shed with toilet and an above ground pool.

8  Preparing for the Move   There were a thousand things to do and Barb must have done most. I was still working now at Standards AU for a short time in Melbourne.

My Mum and Dad were tiring and needed to retire from the shop they worked since early WW II – and to overcome their great concern of tax. Dad had not paid any tax for 30 years since he was out of work for a year or so in the Great Depression. They were scared of going to jail when the small business was sold and they hoped to move into the Judge Book retirement home at Eltham. That late news took an untimely big effort to resolve by me and a good tax helper who did a great job. The Tax department waived the taxes on the basis that it would cost them more to assess 30 returns than recoup the small tax, and that it had been declared.

Since then I have never tried to dodge 1 cent of any tax and now avoid government

hand outs needed more by others.

.1  Barb, Warren and Roger travelled by DC 3 aeroplane. Warren enjoyed the window seat on his first flight at 5.5 y. – also 1st for Barb and Roger.   Barb must have had a handful as Roger was 18 months old; but she did a great job and I never heard of any problems – that was Barb – see Story on Barb (stoicism).

.2  However Greg and I came by the packed old Holden which broke down 15 km south of Goulburn with a busted timing gear and required a tow and 1 day repair and £s. We had to stay in a hotel in a single bed, head to toe due to lack of £s. Greg ordered fruit for breakfast but got prunes. All of this must have put him off traveling with me to very much later.

.3  Furniture came by carrier but arrived at Denistone well before Barb and Stan. Neighbours were terrific with their help. Somehow it all worked out.

.4  We had no assistance in the move so it stretched our finances, but we were hopeful and optimistic as ever, especially for the new house being built at 88.

Due to the delay in buying land, approvals, construction and timing we were forced to stay for about 4 months at 32 Sluman St, Denistone about 4km south of our final destination. This made it difficult for Barb and Warren to get to school.

 I suddenly got sick and it was thought I had leukemia, but with Barb’s and docs. help and rest I got better after a week. Years later I saw a doctor’s article listing points for all the external factors that can bring on illness. eg many points for moving to another country or state , changing jobs etc. I found that all the factors for me added to many points and almost certain chance of illness.

   Lesson Try and avoid too many problems piling up at once, be hopeful and helped.

Denistone is on the rise above the “Parramatta Basin” and then, we could smell fumes from the Shell refinery about 3 km away when there was a SW breeze. The doctor in 4 above was right. The refinery was closed about 2010.

All went well as planned and we all felt at home and settled in to start another big chapter in our lives.

 SAA

The SA job offer was the main reason for picking Sydney instead of moving with the Navy to Canberra or without a job in Melbourne.

This brief note is to record an incident that certainly helped Standards AU (SA) to offer me a job, and importantly that doing the right thing often has unintentional big benefits.

.1 Prelude. In my first job I had learnt the big benefits of both types of Standards ie for uniformity and for standards of quality, behaviour etc. This was strengthened in the Navy which I represented on a few Standards Australia committees on welding and pressure equipment including gas cylinders.

I had investigated and tested lightweight cylinders for underwater clearance navy divers and found that they were safe and idea. Also with good quality control and assurance, industrial cylinders could be used at pressures higher that the 10% increase made during WW II.

The Navy desired that their cylinders could be filled anywhere in AU and to do this it would need to be recognized by Stds.AU. Filling cylinders of various sources can be very dangerous and deadly, and was limited by insurance and safety practices by the major AU gas company – also the prime owner and filler of industrial and medical gas cylinders.

However at that time another company was emerging to provide competition and might use lightweight cylinders with an economic advantage. Hence there was some reluctance and doubt to allow light weight cylinders.

.2 SA Gas Cylinder Committee Meeting This was held in Science House in Sydney about 1959 with about 18 top experts and starting at 9.30 am.

I lived miles east of Melbourne and needed to leave there by 5 am. I always have not been an early or organised person. A Navy car got me to Tullamarine on time and TAA to Sydney on time. During the flight I noticed I had the wrong pants for the suit coat – and a bit more stress for a difficult meeting.

Various items of business were dealt with and a top expert ridiculed the SA engineer secretary for not knowing or doing something. This appeared to be the way he dominated the committee and well represented his company interests. He appeared to let others talk and then remind them of something they had forgotten and so were less competent. I was surprised and thought this was the wrong behaviour to make Standards in the national interest. The Chairman should have intervened. It put me on guard for my turn for punishment.

.3 Lightweight Cylinder Discussion. Then the business of lightweight cylinders came the next item and I presented the Navy and AU case for safe more economic gas cylinders and hence gas. I also added that they were now recognised in the USA Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) Regulations and Standards.

The Committee usually relied heavily on ICC which represented USA best and lawful practice, and they seemed supportive. Until the above gent said he has just been to USA and there was no such provision.

He then threw his flash copy of ICC Regulations across the table to me while everyone was hushed. I could sense the Committee thinking this fairly new young bloke is going to get the chop. It got worse when I could not find the Standard in his different copy. I apologized to the committee and then went to my brief case to get my copy. The first thing I pulled out was my pajamas (I had packed in a hurry and dream). The committee still waited until I found the standard in my cheap ICC copy which I then gently passed across the table.

The gent looked at it and said “Huh. I hadn’t noticed it” ; and gently passed it back to me – with no sorry or apologies. But I was happy with the feeling of the meeting and acceptance of lightweight cylinders. I think the engineer Secretary was happy with the payback and almost certainly recommended me for a position completely unknown to me.

(See big example with beer barrels which unexpectedly saved about 30 lives & $millions)

.4 Outcome AU also adopted lightweight cylinders and industry and Navy were happy.

The Gas Company became more understanding and helped AU make big progress in emerging fields of LPG (played a major role in national research to optimize design pressures via their Jim Davidson), cryogenics, LPG and CNG in cars and transport, and new technology of fibre reinforced plastic high pressure cylinders,etc

.5 Postscript Years later another gent from the same company made a wrong authoritative statement to influence a committee. I was under increasingly high stress at the time and surprised the Committee and myself by telling him he was “a fxxxing liar”.

I was wrong as he thought he was right. So I later apologized and corrected his error.

(Note About 2 weeks later Barb died and I was R/S)

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