BARB-STAN PEOPLE WHO INFLUENCED OUR LIVES SAA 20/9*, 6/8, 16/6/2021

1 Scope This note briefly lists only some of the great many people who in some way influenced for good Barb’s and Stan’s lives and thus their children and AU. It does not include family members (mentioned in the note BARB-STAN FAMILY) who provided great love, help and influence. My memory is not so good and I am sure I have not listed many others. My apologies to them.

2 Purpose To acknowledge their help and kindnesses to Barb, me and family.

3 Barb’s Friends This list is very incomplete because Barb is not here and my memory is not so good:

School: Margaret Hesket, June Barnes, Margaret Smith.

16 – 64: In Vic. –Dot Martinson, Val Stewart, June Bell. In NSW – Eunice Reay,

Val Blunt, Olga Jeffries (Pink Lady with Barb at Concord Hospital).

4 Stan’s Great Mates, Colleagues and Friends: (all knew Barb)

.1 Mates:

Bill L. Elrick – grew up with Stan in their 2nd – 16 years and was my best mate. We hung around and hitch-hiked together and he was best man for my wedding to Barb.

He became a top neurosurgeon and died suddenly at an early 60 in 1987 (See his

CV on Google)

Bill Young – from Drouin, met Stan in PWD when 16, both in RAAF (he in radio and me

in engines *) and then to University of Melbourne where he failed first year. He was

sensitive and staying with his relations who made a good living growing spuds at an

outer SE Melbourne suburb. Barb and I visited him there once where Barb was

introduced as Barbara Stanwyck, a famous film star. I felt that they unintentionally

held. Bill back in querying the value of a degree instead of digging spuds. We met

with him a number of times as he gradually became schizophrenic and ended up in

Larundel Mental Hospital, where I visited him behind bars and cut his hair. I saw him

black faced from a lobotomy brain operation 2 days before he died about 1953. His

funeral and burial were at Drouin.

(* Note 2121 I just realize he matriculated and so was selected for the higher task)

Max Morrison – from North Warragul. We joined the RAAF at the same time but only

got together at the end of the 6 months Flight Mechanics course. Max was very

confident and competitive (opposite to me) and he was surprised I topped the

course. I learnt this years later as I missed the passing out ceremony – I was

in RAAF hospital with an ankle busted in footy against the Army.

Fred Colman – Engineer at GM Holden, WW II Pilot in RAAF in UK and India. We met at Uni. of M. and were great mates. He took Barb, me and Margaret Hesket to his home at Castlemaine and I was his best man.

Reg Alder – Top marine engineer about 10 years older than me. We helped each other in many ways and Barb and I have much to thank him and Margery and Allison

.2 Great Colleagues and Friends (all knew Barb and were top engineers):

Jim Houghton AO. MD of Jahco Engineering, Vic

Fred Frye Tech Manager, QI ,NSW

Harold Walker. Contract Manager, B&W , NSW

Jack Burgess. Chief Inspector of Boilers, DLI, NSW (Stan’s predecessor & mentor)

Colin Chief Engineer, Bernard Smith, NSW (

Harry Ball PE Design Engineer, Shell Co., NSW

Kon. Siminsky. USSR Engineer at Standards AU, NSW (He, wife, son and daughter

were captured at Kiev, forced to work in Germany and so would have been shot if he

returned to Russia. After time in refugee camps got to AU and taught me to drink

vodka)

Hugh Stark. Senior Lecturer, UoNSW. Glaswegian and top engineer with great family

Terry Miller. GM W.E SMITH, Coffs Harbour, NSW* First class guy. Worked together at AWRA

John Stark Chief Marine Surveyor, NZ. Great friend at Standards. We did many trips outback in AU and NZ. Has a beaut family headed by Audrey who makes me feel a member.

Mervyn Wilson Assoc. Prof. UTS, NSW

Lucian Kent Chief Inspector of Boilers, DIR, NSW. Stan’s successor and great friend from Poland

Doug Munro Chief Engineer, Luptin Engineering. He also was a top metallurgist.

Don Laught Chief Engineer, Steelweld PL

Don Reay Neighbour at N. Epping. In WW II lost leg on Burma Railway.

Roger Griffiths Integrity Manager, BP Refinery, Q. Top PE integrity Engineer

Mrs M.M.M Elrick – Bill’s mum probably played a big role in getting me educated. I’m sure she got me to be a Prefect at Coburg High School and influenced Mum to get me back to school after leaving at 15 to get a job, which Dad wanted. It wasn’t because I fixed their pocket watch. She had been a teacher and so pushed Bill to go on to university and become a top neurosurgeon at Alfred Hospital.

Dianna Playdon – Typist at Standards AU working with Stan about 1967 advised that BMC were offering engineering scholarships at BMC. Greg applied and ultimately got a B.E and became an engineer.

Roderick Ross – Top engineer and MD of RR Consultants and member of SA Committee ME-001. In WW I he was in the AFC and flew Winston Churchill to France.

Pat? Sheedy – Top construction Foreman on the COR Port Melbourne big tank and piping project where I was Site Engineer in 1953/4. He had been captured in Greece in WW II and like many of us at that time successfully took risks and actions not acceptable today. He and the experience there taught me a huge amount of knowledge which greatly helped my subsequent work in various organizations.

Jack Fitzgerald – Deputy Secretary of the NSW Dept. Industrial Relations who gave me the best advice I ever got. (See story in STAN – EMPATHY 10/5/2021).

Joe Hunter – Principal Welding Engineer Dept of Navy. My boss in late 1950s.Taught me a lot not only welding. He got me playing softball in the Navy.

??