Jim began his career in OTC in VIM (Melbourne) as a CRS Operator back in the late 1950’s.
Jim and Keith McCredden studied for their Cable certificates in Sydney in 1961 along with Geoff McDonald.
Jim was posted to Suva around 1962 and he & Keith were together at Cocos Island in 1964/5.
Jim went into the Commercial Branch sometime after Cocos closed and was later appointed to the position of WA Manager for OTC Sales.
Jim was the manager of the Perth OTC office in the early 90’s.
Keith was not sure of dates for any of these moves and thinks that Jim possible retired about the time of the Telstra takeover (circa 1991).
Keith believes that he took up gliding and was in the same club as Graham Watts.
Unfortunately Jim did not keep in touch with the Vets or any of his old OTC workmates so details of his wife, Sandra, or any of their children are unknown.
More to follow if we hear anything.
3 Comments
Jim was a ships Radio officer before he joined OTC in the CRS section and spent time at various CRS stations
He then took the Cable School Entrance examinations and after undergoing the telegraph Cable training course qualified as a Cable Officer in 1962.
He was then posted to the Suva Cable station with which is where I met him when I was posted there in 1963.
At that time The Suva Fanning/ Vancouver telegraph cables were still being used as Compac was only operational from Sydney/ Norfolk/. It was a hybrid system until the Suva/Hawaii/Vancouver section of Compac was completed.
The Telegraph cables were then abandoned and only used for Professor Runcorn of the University of Newcastle on Tyne’s Earth Magnetism measurement
I think Jim went to the Cocos island Telegraph Cable station where the telegraph cables were still operational before going back to the CRS section.
He wound up as Manager of the CRS Thursday Island, Melbourne Radio (Rosebud) and finally Manager Perth Radio before becoming OTC Victorian State Manager located at Melbourne
Jim was disillusioned with OTC as he had been promised all sorts of things to take up the Melbourne Job which never eventuated so he cut all contact with OTC personnel.
He learnt to fly gliders and was running a Glider Training School in Beverley,WA.
Hope this helps, Keith McCredden will also be able to give some more info on Jim as he was with him on Cocos.
Cheers
Des Kinnersley.
I Knew Jim and Sandra very well. We were at Cocos Island in 63/65 period. They we nice couple,
Jim was the radio officer who was in contact with a ship that was in trouble in the Indian ocean. I can remember him being on morse key in Radio hut.
Condolences to family,
Keith McCredden told me about Jim…
Regards
Noel Chapman
I gave you some incorrect info on Jim O’Toole’s career with OTC..
My memory at 88 is not what it used to be.
The correct information on Jim’s movements after moving from Manager Perth CRS; was that he became Manager of the Perth City Office which handled relations with business clients and was responsible for drumming up business.
Jim was a very good PR man and being a good Irishman who had kissed the Blarney Stone, he had the gift of the gab.
After that he moved to the Melbourne City Office doing the same thing, it wasn’t the WA State Manager as I said in my previous email.
I will leave it to you to vet the information for Jim’s eulogy on the OTVA website.
All the best,
Des Kinnersley.