The 2nd speaker was Tom Barber
He talked about his interview with the Herald Sun which led to the article shown on the right which was published a few days ago
Tom started work with DCA, in Melbourne in, the Drawing Office, in Aug 1966 after arriving from the UK 10 days earlier. The following is his work history . The following is part of his report
Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport opened to international traffic on 1 July 1970
I was working at Melbourne (Essendon) Airport in 1970 when Tullamarine opened and of course visited the site many times during its construction. All Melbourne based DCA staff were invited to Tullamarine for the opening ceremony to ensure we would be part of the history taking place. Not everyone was able to leave their workplace but still quite a number of us went along.
My Work was focused on civil engineering, operational design and airport management, leading to roles such as, Technical Coordinator, Project Manager, Airside Operations Manager and Airport Duty Manager until I retired in 2009. why was Ichosen to speak on behalf of Melbourne Airport (MEL)?
My history above plus the fact that I was one of the few remaining people still alive who was around at the opening and who had held a few interesting positions over four decades. And the fact that I still have some contacts at MEL and have continued providing consultancy assistance from time to time since I left.
Current connection and recent work
Two years ago, the company I am working with were commissioned to investigate and complete the following Tasks;
- Review and re-write all the operational documents and procedures that the airport holds.
- Provide new procedures where required.
- Work with Airside staff during all shifts (over 24 hrs and two weeks to make sure I evaluate all staff) to see where improvements can be made.
- Ensure that the airport is fully compliant with Dept of Transport and CASA rules, laws and recommendations..50th Anniversary
As MEL was approaching the 50th anniversary, the media department were putting out the feelers to find out who was still around and who was working for DCA prior to and during the opening of MEL.
They contacted the Civil Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) at Essendon Airport for some names and my name was one of the four names that popped up. We volunteer and meet at Essendon Airport every Tuesday. The CAHS provided photos and a historic dialogue with newsworthy items in chronological order
