From Daughter Christine:
My father is Alexander Griffiths, he started to work in AWA in 1942 as a telegraphist. His work took the family to Western Australia, Suva, and Fanning Island and he worked on the Apollo missions as well. He and I share many memories, although mine are as a child. Unfortunately Mum passed away in 2002.
Dad is now in a Nursing Home at Greystanes, just around the corner from me so I can also help care for him.
When he receives the OTVA Newsletter, I read the old memory stories that many people have supplied and although Dad’s short term memory is not so good, he remembers all the men, equipment and technical jargon etc that is mentioned.
I am hoping that your readers can supply more stories from the past, especially from where he has worked so I can continue to read to him.
Thanking you
Christine Murdoch (Mrs)
6 Comments
Alex was the Principal Technical Officer when I worked in the ISTC at Paddington. Nevyl Farrar had the job too at one stage. Can’t recall who came first. Alex was a good boss, always knew where you stood with him. All the best Alex!
Alex was such a nice guy in the ISTC and I remember him with fondness. I remember one time that when a directive came down from head office that no money was to be spent on capital items. Alex had decided that we needed a new notice board and had to figure a way to purchase it out of OPEX items.
Anyway Alex decided that we would make a new notice board out of items bought from the hardware store for maintenance ( ie not capital items ). Full credit to Alex
Terry Etherington
I worked for Alex for a number of years when he was 2IC to John Hodgson in the Paddo ISTC. He was a great boss too work for and I had a great time both learning and working.
On one occasion George Maltby was coming for a function at Paddo and Alex asked me to do the introductions to key personnel. As a young bloke I balked at this and said I wouldn’t know the General Manager from a bar of soap.
Alex convinced me to do this and the look on his face was priceless when George arrived, walked straight up to me and said “hello Bill. Good to see you again. How are things going”
As it turned out, I had a good chat to him the week earlier not knowing who he was except his name was George.
Alex none the less looked suspiciously at me for the rest of the week.
Bill Davey
Alex was 2nd in charge under John Hodgson when I started at ISTC Paddo in about 1975/6.
He was a great boss and eventually took on the lead role.
I remember him as a kind and helpful leader.
Kim Hopkins also started with me so he would have some stories.
I remember one funny story regarding Alex….
One day my mother rang me at work from her home in Lake Illawarra South.
The call went to Alex in his office.
The first I knew was when Alex came out with a puzzled look on his face.
He told me he had a woman call him apologizing for the call but saying that her name was Mrs Tuckwell. She then hung up.
He said he had answered the call by just saying “Griffith”.
I rang mum and then worked it out.
Mum thought she had called a wrong number and was talking to someone in the NSW town of Griffith!
I was so embarrassed.
Please pass on my best wished to Alex and his family.
I will see if I have any photos of the ISTC to pass on.
Peter Tuckwell
Alex was the Principal Technical Officer when I worked in the ISTC at Paddington. Nevyl Farrar had the job too at one stage. Can’t recall who came first. Alex was a good boss, always knew where you stood with him. All the best Alex!
Chris Bull
I worked with Alec at Paddington , he is a lovely man, I have photo on my desk here from reunion at Southport centenary of cable landing, photo Alec, Keith McCredden, John Norris, Noel and Jim Rodda old cricket players that would have competed at famous or infamous Wagga week-end, I also had two years at FI, one year NI and two years at Ci cable stations so know what he would have enjoyed at Fanning Island , give him my regards…
From Noel Chapman