Wanganui Branch History
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In October members agreed to provided comms for the motorcycle club’s race in December and learned that Doug Gorman, ZL2IY wanted to step down as Secretary of NZART as ‘soon as he could see the business was in safe hands’ and the Wanganui Branch was the leading candidate to be the custodian.
The December ‘48 meeting was told that the Motorcycle Club “expected too much of the hams with no provision of transport or meals for a days work” and the idea was scrapped.
NZART Headquarters! The December ‘48 AGM was surprised when Bill Turner ZL2RR advised that four members of Headquarters had visited Wanganui (supposedly) in order to talk over the proposed change in H/Q from Wellington to Wanganui. When they arrived, ZL2RR was in turn surprised that the real reason for their visit was they wanted Wanganui to take over the producing of Break-In. This had been agreed to by the small group involved in the discussions. Then on 30/11/48 ZL2IY rang ZL2RR to say that Break-In had been taken over by the Timaru Branch and Wellington now wanted Wanganui to provide the General Secretary, Treasurer, etc - in other words take over NZART. ZL2RR agreed to this and was to leave for Wellington that week-end.
NZART, P.O. Box 105, WANGANUI!
1949: At the start of 1949 Bill Turner ZL2RR commenced duty as General Secretary from his QTH at 23 Balgownie Avenue (now Hugh McKenzie, ZL2TRM’s residence.), and Jim Brown ZL2ACT as Treasurer, NZART with Bruce Barkman ZL2AAJ replacing the Treasurer in June 1949.
(NZART H/Q was shifted to Auckland in 1951 when the Secretary’s position became a paid one.)
What’s New!! At the April 6 1949 General meeting, members directed the Secretary to write to the General Secretary recommending that the ‘Executive Council provide free of all cost the necessary legal advice to ZL2LV ‘(Hastings) so that he may fight the Council over erecting aerials in State Housing areas. In June 1949, ZL2ABY, Bruce Pryce was appointed Section Leader REC but resigned the position in August because of “swot taking too much of his time.” (Bruce, along with Lloyd Nicholls ZL2SW, was killed in an air crash at Bankside, Canterbury on 29 March 1951. The amateurs were in a Miles Gemini aircraft, the property of the Ministry of Works. Bryce, aged 25. was for two years in Wanganui as technician in charge of the Wanganui Radio Beacon) A note of trivia: The ubiquitous Ball-point pen was first used to record the July 1949 meeting in the minute book!
The latter part of 1949 saw a change of acronym: REC (Radio Emergency Corps) became AREO (Amateur Radio Emergency Organiz-ation) and AREO came under control of the newly created position of NZART Communications Manager (Doug Gorman ZL2IY). & In October 1949 Mr I. Wallace ZL2VC was appointed Section Leader, AREO Wanganui.
1950-54: Early in 1950, the Branch agreed to provide a radio relay for the popular ‘Bridge to Bridge’ swimming race and at the April ‘50 meeting new members Mr Brian Jones (later ZL2AFW) and Mr Vic’ Cook (later ZL2TLX/ZL2BRV) were welcomed. In June ZL2BY assumed the office of President. NZART and at the December meeting Mr Jack Ragan (later ZL2AOM/VR2AZ/ZL2AXC) was welcomed to Wanganui. The Branch also decided to QSY to the Old Folks Rooms at 15/- a night for the duration of 1951.
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